Principles of Leadership : People Do What People See....What do your people see in you?

 By Ngozi Ekeoma

Two men, down on their luck, sit on a park bench in shabby clothes watching businesspeople in crisp suits rushing to their offices. The first man says, “The reason I’m here is because I refused to listen to anybody.”
“That so?” replies the second fella. “I’m here because I listened to everybody.”
Both practices are recipes for disaster. Successful people don’t take the advice of everyone, nor do they try to do everything on their own. Instead, they find successful models who exemplify the values, skills and qualities they desire to possess.
If you’re a leader, I hope you have already found models to follow, but that’s not what I want to discuss. I want to ask you this simple question: Are you worthy of followers?

One of the most important leadership principles I’ve discovered is this: People do what people see. When your team looks at you, when they watch what you do day in and day out, what do they see? If they were to emulate you, how would you rate them?
I base my leadership primarily on my values and a pragmatic approach. I do what I know works. But I’m also very conscious of the fact that others are watching me and following my lead.
What I do, they will do. How I work, they will work. What I value, they will value. So I ask myself: What kinds of traits do I want to model?
1. A Passion for Personal Growth

I know too many people who suffer from what I call “Destination Disease.” They’ve identified a certain career position or financial goal they want to reach, and then they work very hard to achieve that goal. But once they get there, they stop working hard and growing.
This mindset creates two problems for leaders. First, it causes them to stall. You’ll stop improving the moment you lose the tension between where you are and where you have the potential to be. Second, it sets a bad example for their followers. Think about it: How many people in your current circle didn’t see your former self, the one who fought hard to achieve? If you’re resting on your laurels, they’ll assume you are doing what you’ve always done and follow suit.
If you feel yourself slowing down, it’s time for a self-assessment. If you’re done working, retire and get out of the way of your business. But if you stay, you must keep striving. If you slacken, your people will do the same—Destination Disease is highly contagious. To keep it from taking hold, set new, higher goals for yourself and make sure your people see you pursuing them. It’s a surefire way to keep your organization humming.
2. A Heart for People

If you’ve ever seen me in person, you know I don’t blitz through a crowd. Instead, I stroll across a room, shaking hands, saying hello, offering smiles. It’s my way of showing that I care.
I’m a busy guy, but these moments are worth the pause. People want to know that the leaders they follow can be trusted. They want to know that the leader cares about them as people, not just as tools to help realize a vision.
Taking this extra time also forces me to stop and listen. How can you add value to people if you don’t know them and understand what they want? So slow down. Talk. Listen. Connect. This practice will not only help you grow as a leader, it will also establish a caring culture across all levels of your organization.

3. An Ability to Coach Others to Reach Their Potential

“The only difference between a rich person and a poor person,” says Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki, “is how they use their time.”
Boy—is that statement ever true of successful people! This is one principle I really try to model for my team. You won’t catch me idling. You will see me trying to wring the most out of every day.
Here’s a good place to segue into another way I like to cultivate leaders: by mentoring them. You can model all sorts of valuable traits, but sometimes people need hands-on help, too.
One of the best things I did for a member of my leadership team years ago was to meet with her every few months to talk about her priorities. She was a good leader and got a lot done, but she sometimes lost sight of the big picture. Our regular meetings helped her to stay on track.
If you can learn to coach people, you’ll help them, your organization and yourself. By coaching, I don’t just mean giving people the skills to do a job. That’s training, which does have value. But coaching—that long-term, guiding relationship—is even more impactful. According to the International Personnel Management Association, training increases productivity by 22 percent, while a combination of training and coaching increases it by 88 to 400 percent!

“You will never maximize your potential in any area without coaching,” Andy Stanley writes in his book Next Generation Leader . “You may be good. You may even be better than everyone else. But without outside input you will never be as good as you could be. Self-evaluation is helpful, but evaluation from someone else is essential.”
So mentor your people. Show them how you seek guidance on your own endless quest for self-improvement. And remember these words by Andrew Carnegie: “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.”
Are you doing what you want your team to do?
#ngoziekeoma

Essential Skills for Leadership in the 21st Century- Inspiring the next Generation

By Ngozi Ekeoma

The 21st century presents many new challenges for both employees and business leaders. In an interconnected, fast moving world, we need to learn cognitive flexibility, stress tolerance, and divergent thinking. While technology can make us more effective, new theories of leadership emphasize the importance of trust and establishing long-term relationships. In a competitive world, we need leaders with novel ideas, who are willing to take risks, inspire and motivate, and build new strategic partnerships to address global challenges.  In these endeavors, leaders need to incorporate skills that are more in the realm of psychology and cognitive science. Below is a psychologist’s perspective on what it takes to succeed in the new world of business.


1. CONTRIBUTE UNIQUENESS

"Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is specifically your own.“ –Bruce Lee

There are so many people out there saying exactly the same thing. To stand out, you have to be original. Being original involves taking time to really think about material that you hear or read. How does this story or research finding relate to finding solutions for the problems that you want to address?

Have an original perspective that inspires people
Apply knowledge from one area to another or synthesize ideas from different disciplines
Tell a different story about the material; Relate it to your own life and work experiences
Find a novel way to communicate key concepts or approach a problem
 Trim the fat off of a theory or operational system; add new elements that improve  

2.  ACT EFFECTIVELY

“Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker

It’s not about getting things done quickly or doing the most activities in the shortest time. Rather than doing a bunch of busywork, take time to formulate a vision and set priorities and goals. Find a balance between doing the urgent and important things.

What are the short- and long-term challenges that your team/organization will address?
In what way will you contribute unique value in addressing these challenges?
What potential barriers will you face and how will you deal with them?
What skills and resources do you need to optimally provide and support these new services/technologies.
How can your team support people to do their best work and support customers to get the best use out of your products/services
Sometimes doing the right things will not be the most efficient. Gaining the trust of  customers and employees can consume time and resources, but will lead to better long-term stability and effectiveness.

3. BE RESILIENT

“Fall seven times, Stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb
The truth is that everybody makes mistakes. The bigger your goals, the more mistakes you will make. Being innovative means trying new things; and venturing where nobody has gone before. It’s easier to do things the way they’ve always been done, but your long-term impact will be less. If you want to have a memorable and long-term impact, you need to take strategic risks, and that may mean failing or messing up sometimes. Self-confidence is key. Often this comes from having prior successful experiences. Even if you’re doing something new, remember your prior successes, and the personal qualities you have that created them.

If you believe in your mission and abilities, failure is just a temporary detour.
Most failures contain one or more lessons.  Be willing to admit your contribution to the failure, and be ready to change your thinking about the issue.
 Listen to and collaborate with others, but do not suppress your own voice and goals.
You may need to take time to grieve the loss of a dream, contemplate, and regroup.
Be The Change..

4. EMBRACE CHANGE

“The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity. “ – Peter Drucker

 We live in a time of rapid technological, geographical, and economic change. Old formulas don't predict as well, anymore.  New knowledge about the brain and human genome is already leading to radical new ways of viewing the world. Mobile technology makes the world smaller and increases the access  & knowledge of constituents who previously had no voice. This creates many challenges, but also opens the door to new opportunities.

The human brain naturally resists change, seeing it as a threat.
It is important to counteract your brain’s natural, fear-based,  conservative tendencies and cultivate an optimistic attitude to change.
Think about how you can apply your tried and true skills and strengths to this changing landscape. What new needs does the change create?
Pay attention to the thoughts and feelings that change brings up in you. See if you can watch fearful reactions without feeling you have to act on them.

5. STAY GROUNDED

“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. “ – Lao Tzu

When you do succeed, do not get too distracted by your ego. Success does not make you invincible or more worthy than other people. Every person has something to contribute and all are worthy of respect (except perhaps human cannibals, etc.).  Similarly, if you don’t get desired results, your preconceived views may need to be tweaked, so be willing to change your thinking.Be patient with the process. Results take time. You may have to go through a stage of investing your time and resources, learning new skills, putting ideas out there and waiting for them to take root.

Always keep the meaning of your work at the forefront. Why are you doing what you do? What contribution do you want to make to bettering the lives of others?
Value the simple things in life, such as nature, health, friends, coworkers,  and family. These will sustain you through the difficult times, so remember to feed them.
Practice mindful self-awareness to learn compassion for yourself and others. Much of business is about relationships. If you exude a humble, caring, open attitude, and are a team player, others will be more willing to work with or follow you.
Work hard, but don’t drive yourself like a machine. Life is a marathon, not a sprint., so use your energy wisely and know when you need to  replenish.
You may have underlying needs, that drive you, such as to be acknowledged, have power, be part of a group, be respected, cared about, and so on. The more you understand and acknowledge these needs, the less they will get in the way of your mission.
Using these strategies should help optimize your personal strength and adaptability, passion for your work, ability to act strateically, and work with others in mutually beneficial ways.  While the old model of business emphasized dominance and power, the new models are more abou vision, focus, communication, cognitive flexibility, authenticity, and partnership. The world is becoming too complicated to be effective alone. Forming meaningful, trusting relationships with others who have different skills and knowledge, but similar goals and values is the way to succeed in both small business and large organizations.

Leadership Lessons From Nelson Mandela

By Ngozi Ekeoma

1. Courage is not the absence of fear 

“Mandela was often afraid during his time underground, during the Rivonia trial that led to his imprisonment, during his time on Robben Island. ‘Of course I was afraid!’ he would tell me later. It would have been irrational, he suggested, not to be. ‘I can’t pretend that I’m brave and that I can beat the whole world.’ But as a leader, you cannot let people know. ‘You must put up a front.’ And that’s precisely what he learned to do: pretend and, through the act of appearing fearless, inspire others. It was a pantomime Mandela perfected on Robben Island, where there was much to fear. Prisoners who were with him said watching Mandela walk across the courtyard, upright and proud, was enough to keep them going for days. He knew that he was a model for others, and that gave him the strength to triumph over his own fear.”

2. Lead from the front — but don’t leave your base behind.

“For Mandela, refusing to negotiate was about tactics, not principles. Throughout his life, he has always made that distinction. His unwavering principle — the overthrow of apartheid and the achievement of one man, one vote — was immutable, but almost anything that helped him get to that goal he regarded as a tactic. He is the most pragmatic of idealists.”

3. Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.

“Mandela loved to reminisce about his boyhood and his lazy afternoons herding cattle. ‘You know," he

would say, "you can only lead them from behind.’ He would then raise his eyebrows to make sure I got the analogy. As a boy, Mandela was greatly influenced by Jongintaba, the tribal king who raised him. When Jongintaba had meetings of his court, the men gathered in a circle, and only after all had spoken did the king begin to speak. The chief’s job, Mandela said, was not to tell people what to do but to form a consensus. "Don’t enter the debate too early," he used to say. … The trick of leadership is allowing yourself to be led too. ‘It is wise,’ he said, ‘to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea.’”

4. Know your enemy — and learn about his favorite sport.

“As far back as the 1960s, mandela began studying Afrikaans, the language of the white South Africans who created apartheid. His comrades in the ANC teased him about it, but he wanted to understand the Afrikaner’s worldview; he knew that one day he would be fighting them or negotiating with them, and either

way, his destiny was tied to theirs.”

5. Keep your friends close — and your rivals even closer.

“Many of the guests mandela invited to the house he built in Qunu were people whom, he intimated to me, he did not wholly trust. He had them to dinner; he called to consult with them; he flattered them and gave them gifts. Mandela is a man of invincible charm — and he has often used that charm to even greater effect on his

rivals than on his allies. On Robben Island, Mandela would always include in his brain trust men he neither liked nor relied on.… Mandela believed that embracing his rivals was a way of controlling them: they were more dangerous on their own than within his circle of influence. He cherished loyalty, but he was never obsessed by it. After all, he used to say, ‘people act in their own interest.’ It was simply a fact of human nature, not a flaw or a defect.”

 

6. Appearances matter — and remember to smile.

“When Mandela was running for the presidency in 1994, he knew that symbols mattered as much as substance. He was never a great public speaker, and people often tuned out what he was saying after the first few minutes. But it was the iconography that people understood. When he was on a platform, he would always do the toyi-toyi, the township dance that was an emblem of the struggle. But more important was that dazzling, beatific, all-inclusive smile.”

7. Nothing is black or white.

“Life is never either/or. Decisions are complex, and there are always competing factors. To look for simple explanations is the bias of the human brain, but it doesn’t correspond to reality. Nothing is ever as straightforward as it appears. Mandela is comfortable with contradiction. As a politician, he was a pragmatist who saw the world as infinitely nuanced. Much of this, I believe, came from living as a black man under an apartheid system that offered a daily regimen of excruciating and debilitating moral choices: Do I defer to the white boss to get the job I want and avoid a punishment? Do I carry my pass? …. Mandela’s calculus was always, What is the end that I seek, and what is the most practical way to get there?”

8. Quitting is leading too.

“Knowing how to abandon a failed idea, task or relationship is often the most difficult kind of decision a leader has to make. In many ways, Mandela’s greatest legacy as President of South Africa is the way he chose to leave it. When he was elected in 1994, Mandela probably could have pressed to be President for life — and there were many who felt that in return for his years in prison, that was the least South Africa could do.…. ‘His job was to set the course,’ says Ramaphosa, ‘not to steer the ship.’ He knows that leaders lead as much by what they choose not to do as what they do.”

Oil Exploration in Nigeria

By Ngozi Ekeoma

Nigeria shares a Joint Development Zone (JDZ) with neighboring SÃo TomÉ and PrÍncipe (STP), which contains 23 exploration blocks. Nigeria and Sao Tome have agreed to split revenues from the blocks on a 60:40 basis, respectively. Block One is currently the only block in the JDZ undergoing development. The block is controlled by Chevron (51 percent), with partners ExxonMobil (40 percent) and Equity Energy Resources (9 percent). Preliminary studies have indicated that the block could contain sizable amounts of Oil (up to 1 billion barrels). If recoverable oil is located, Chevron plans to bring it onstream by 2010.

Blocks Two through Six were also awarded, of which, three have been approved for PSAs, while the remaining two have yet to be signed. Meanwhile, several independent U.S. based companies that were

awarded shares in the blocks have relinquished their awards. Pioneer Natural Resources stated a failure to agree to specific terms of operation on Block Two as the reason for its withdrawal from the project. Pioneers withdrawal has opened the door for Chinas oil and gas company, Sinopec, to invest in the JDZ.

ExxonMobil produces around 750,000 bbl/d of oil in Nigeria. The company plans to invest $11 billion in the countrys oil sector through 2011, with the hope of

increasing production to 1.2 million bbl/d. The majority of the increase will occur at the Erha field, which is located on Block OPL 209. ExxonMobil began producing oil from Erha in April 2006. Output from the field is expected to reach 150,000 bbl/d by the third quarter of 2006, and rise to 190,000 bbl/d by the end of the year. Oil from Erha is stored in an FPSO, with a storage capacity of 2.2 million barrels oil. ExxonMobil uses Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC), capable of holding up to 300,000 deadweight tons to export the oil from the terminal.

 The company also operates the Yoho field, with current full-field output of around 150,000 bbl/d. Yoho contains around 400 million barrels of oil reserves. ExxonMobil is continuing to expand Yoho field and estimates the expansion project will increase production to 170,000 bbl/d by the third quarter of 2006. The $1.2 billion field is located in the shallow waters of Block OML 104. ExxonMobils Bosi, and Eti/Asasa fields with capacities of 120,000 bbl/d, and 25,000 bbl/d, respectively,

 Ngozi Ekeoma is the current CEO Nepal Oil & Gas Services Limited
She Oversees the company’s management activities and has since lead the repositioning of NEPAL OIL & GAS SERVICES LIMITED towards becoming a reference point for operators in Nigeria’s downstream Oil & Gas sector

Ngozi Ekeoma holds a Bachelor degree in Law, Entrepreneur with an outstanding flair for business 
mrs ekeoma  oversees the company’s management activities and has since lead the repositioning of NEPAL OIL & GAS SERVICES LIMITED towards becoming a reference point for operators in Nigeria’s downstream Oil & Gas sector.

Electricity Energy in Indonesia

By Ngozi Ekeoma

Indonesia has installed electrical generating capacity estimated at 24.7 gigawatts, with 80 percent coming from thermal (oil, gas, and coal) sources, 18% from hydropower, and 2% from geothermal. Prior to the Asian financial crisis, Indonesia had plans for a rapid expansion of power generation,

based mainly on opening up Indonesias power market to Independent Power Producers (IPPs). The crisis led to severe financial strains on state-utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), which made it difficult to pay for all of the power for which it had signed contracts with IPPs. PLN has over $5 billion in debt, which has grown markedly in terms of local currency due to the decline in the value of the rupiah. The Indonesian government has been unwilling to take over the commercial debts of PLN.

Indonesia is facing an electricity supply crisis, due to underinvestment in power generation capacity. Intermittent blackouts are a problem across Java. Demand for electrical power is expected to grow by approximately 6-7 percent per year. The majority of Indonesias electricity generation is currently fueled by oil, but efforts are underway to shift generation to lower-cost coal and gas-powered facilities. Hydropower also is being expanded. Sumitomos 1,320-MW Tanjung Jati B plant in

Central Java, a 730-MW plant at Cilegon in West Java financed by Mitsubishi, and a Chinese-funded 600-MW station at Cilacap on the southern coast are all due to be commissioned in mid-2006. However, after these projects are completed, after long delays, there is a lack of adequate new capacity "in the pipeline" to meet the countrys needs.
In January 2003, the World Bank announced that it was planning to finance three micro-hydropower plants in the Indonesian province of Papua (Irian Jaya). A feasibility study on all of the areas water sources has already been conducted, and the results are being studied. By building these facilities, the World Bank hopes to improve services to the local population as well as to encourage development activities in the province.

In October 2003, the World Bank approved a $141 million loan to Indonesia for the purpose of improving the power sector on Java and Bali, which use approximately 80% of Indonesias power generation capacity. The project includes support for a corporate and financial restructuring plan for PLN and technical assistance for a restructuring program for state gas company, Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN), that will provide for increased natural gas supplies for electricity generation. The restructuring plan requires that PLN must restructure two of its subsidiaries, PT Indonesia Power and PT Pembangkit Jawa Bali (PJB). The two together supply about 80% of the power supply for Java and Bali, according to reports.

In 2003, the government renegotiated 26 power plant projects with the IPPs. Of those, five projects will be taken over by the government, in cooperation with PLN and Pertamina. Legislation enected in September 2002, which would have facilitated competition in electricity generation by 2007, was overturned by the Indonesian constitutional court in December 2004. Substitute legislation was enacted in February 2005 which clears the way for full private ownership of electricity generation assets. The Indonesian government sees the need for 24 gigawatts of additional generating capacity by 2013, but foreign investors have largely avoided the Indonesian power sector in recent years due to the poor financial condition of PLN and the uncertain legal climate.

About Author
 Ngozi Ekeoma is the current CEO Nepal Oil & Gas Services Limited
Ngozi ekeoma Oversees the company’s management activities and has since lead the repositioning of NEPAL OIL & GAS SERVICES LIMITED towards becoming a reference point for operators in Nigeria’s downstream Oil & Gas sector
Education
Ngozi Ekeoma has a Bachelor degree in Law, 
Ngozi Ekeoma is an Entrepreneur with an outstanding flair for business and Management, Ngozi ekeoma is the Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Oil and Gas Limited.

Oil Prices = f (U.S. Presidency), or the Second Law of Petropolitics or what?

By Ngozi ekeoma

Oil really means many things. This is indeed a magic power. If some country turns to dictatorship,

usually it is considered as the country's internal affair. But if the country has oil reserves, the picture changes to the inverse. Oil places dictators on the leading edge of world policy and gives them leverage over oil importing countries. Moreover, it helps them retain power longer than usual, fattening their supporters and arming police against malcontents.

years ago, Tom Friedman, columnist for the New York Times, promulgated the First Law of Petropolitics. According to it the prices of oil move in inverse proportion to the level of freedom in the oil producing countries. Though the presidents of Russia, Iran and Venezuela disagree with this law, statistics and intuition speak in favor of it.

So, does everything really depend on the petrostates leaders’ democratism only? And if not, has all been lost? I believe, however, to think so means to attach undeservedly great importance to the Persian Gulf monarchs and to autocrats like Hugo Chavez. Do oil price fluctuations really occur from the whims of the oil exporting countries only? And oil consumers cannot influence the prices? Why not? They can. And they even try to do this.

This is the Second Law of Petropolitics. The more active the war policy of the West in oil producing regions of the world, the higher oil prices, and vice versa.

Oil consumers definitely have an influence on oil prices. The desire to influence prices is a natural reaction of consumers now forced to give away $8 billion per day for oil. Only active actions of the oil importing countries’ governments are, however, of significance. Passive adaptation is not

counted. So though the European Union and Japan are extremely interested in acceptable prices for oil, these players would rather prefer just to watch how the dice are played. At best they will try to regulate pricing on domestic markets (by means of taxes, etc.), but no more.

The only country of oil importers, which actively influences the world oil market, is the United States of America. The foreign policy of this country (or rather, the White House) is a very influential factor, which can sometimes outweighs the actions of the oil exporting countries. If the USA interferes in the affairs of the Middle East, oil prices often go up. If the U.S. actions take place in countries where there is not even a drop of oil, the prices usually fall.



In turn, the pattern of U.S. foreign policy can be foreseen, knowing to what party the White House master belongs. The dispassionate statistics of the last 20 years show which trends oil prices attainoil prices go down if the U.S. president is a Democrat, and they go up if a Republican.

during a Republican or Democratic administration of the White House. Therefore, practical formulation of the Second Law of Petropolitics sounds so:

The explanation of this phenomenon lays, probably, in the existing strong link between war policy and party affiliation of the U.S. president. So it has developed that Democrats diligently bypass oil producing regions in foreign policy. Republicans, on the contrary, do not experience doubts before shaking the bludgeon of the war machine near oil wells.

In the 1990s, the Clinton administration used diplomacy only in relations with Iraq and Russia, but actively advanced U.S. interests in such countries as Yugoslavia and Somalia. But there is no oil in Serbia and Somaliland. As a result, the oil prices fell to historical lows. The Bush administration, on the other hand, did not hesitate before intrusion into Iraq, thus having raised tensions in the whole region of the Persian Gulf. As a result, a record of $145.31 for a Barrel of oil.

Speaking figuratively, the White House has a "magic button" by which it is possible to influence oil prices. The Pentagon’s war actions play the role of the button. The finger pressing this button is

managed not only by a specific man – the president of the USA, but also by the party standing behind him. The party even to a greater degree.

From an economic point of view, the Second Law of Petropolitics has the right to exist as does the second side of a medal. Any economic process, from purchase of a pencil to international trade, contains two sides – supply and demand. As regards the oil market, it is clear the oil producing countries are the supply side. But to believe that oil prices depend on the wishes of the OPEC countries only is a bit one-sided. The demand side, i.e. American and European oil consumers, has influence, too!

Strictly speaking, the quantity of non-democratic leaders, one can say, dictators, has been approximately the same at all times. Now these are Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; a bit before these were Saddam Hussein and Sani Abacha, the Nigerian president. Even earlier, Muhammad Suharto (Indonesia) and Muammar al-Gaddafi (Libya). All these countries, please note, are in OPEC.

For the oil market, therefore, the importance is not the quantity of dictators or level of freedom in these countries, but opportunities and the concrete actions of these regimes. When oil prices break records, the opportunities of these regimes expand many times. And inversely, low oil prices tie the hands even the most blood-thirsty dictators.

If one recalls the history of oil, oil prices were stable and low from the end of World War II until 1974: they grew from $2.50 to $3.00 in 25 years! Western governments seldom interfered in Middle Eastern affairs; instead of them, representatives of oil corporations like Exxon, Gulf or Shell sat at the negotiating tables. But it could not continue long and in 1974, the West lost control over the Middle East's oil and, correspondingly, prices. Arab sheikhs began to play a main role in this game, becoming suddenly unpredictable and strategically important.

It continued about ten years and then prices went down again. In the 1990s, there was a substantial drop of oil prices – to $10.82 a barrel. Does it mean everything has resumed its normal course and the West has acquired control over the oil market again? I believe that there was something else.

Instead of the West's direct control over world oil reserves (as it was until 1973), there was a fragile balance between the oil owners (mainly OPEC) and the Western oil corporations, who now have wisely hidden behind backs of their governments. But only the White House has appeared capable to be an equal counterbalance to OPEC actions.

In turn this sought out lever of influence is widely used by winners of U.S. presidential races. No wonder therefore the White House often follows the interests of the business circles that are closest to the winning party.

It is known the majority of Hi-Tech industry businessmen traditionally render assistance to the Democrats and representatives of the Old Economy (including the oil industry) usually support the Republicans. For example, software and biotechnological companies support the present Democratic nominee, Barack Obama. As regards the Republicans, it will not be news to talk about the connection of the current U.S. president Bush with the Texas oil business and vice-president Cheney with Halliburton, a service company in the oil industry. Therefore, Obama is not far from the truth when he accuses George Bush and John McCain of being in the pocket of the big oil companies.

On the other hand, nobody can say the relations between Big Oil and the Republican administration of the White House look like the relations inside the establishment of such countries as Nigeria, etc. One can directly name the unconcealed bribery there. Nevertheless, oil lobbying takes place in Washington, D.C., too. Thanks to the appropriate foreign policy, supermajors ExxonMobil and Chevron receive $40 and $18 billion annual net income respectively.

In general it is not reprehensible when the U.S. president acts in the interests of the American oil companies. There should be some limit, however. The high oil prices help oilers earn hundreds of billions, but the point is that the whole American economy loses more. The above-mentioned billion in profits is mostly taken out of the pockets of millions of American households. So, whose interests are more important? One million shareholders and the employees of the oil corporations or 300 million other U.S. inhabitants who only consume oil?

The solution is not in the USA, but global. The oil consumers should not be misled by ineffective measures like U.S. offshore drilling or the announcement of a $300 million prize for the invention of an alternative energy source. Such measures give practically nothing and only divert attention . The real mechanisms of oil price decreases are in the Middle East.

So, what to do? If one is to state it in one phrase, just forget about the Persian Gulf and oil prices will go down. Let the sheikhs just earn money and do not interfere in their affairs. And then the prices will go down. This is a paradoxical and only solution.

And what about Russia and Venezuela, you ask? They, you see, use oil money to strengthen political influence (political, not economic – this is their difference from sheikhs). However, the West can do nothing with them with such oil prices. There is a single tool for reducing their influence on world policy – falling oil prices. It is enough to lower the prices by half from the present and you can forget about the serious influence of Russia or Venezuela.

As you can see, the Second Law of Petropolitics has several consequences and, more importantly, it can soon snap into action yet again. A variable in the right part of the equation can change it. And consequently, both possible oil trends and much more in this world really depend on the one who is the US predisednt

Mandela - In the memory of words

By Ngozi Ekeoma

First Court Statement, 1962
“I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestations. I have fought it all during my life; I fight it now, and will do so until the end of my days. Even although I now happen to be tried by one whose opinion I hold in high esteem, I detest most violently the set-up that surrounds me here. It makes me feel that I am a black man in a white man’s court. This should not be”
                       

   Apartheid
“We are not anti-white, we are against white supremacy … we have condemned racialism no matter by whom it is professed. – Nelson Mandela, defence statement during the Treason Trial, 1961.







Fight For Equality And Human Rights
“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for, and to see realised. But my Lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”- Defence statement during the Rivonia Trial, 1964

First Day Of His Release, Cape Town, 1990:
“I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands.”

Rally Speech, Durban, 25 February 1990
“In Natal, apartheid is a deadly cancer in our midst, setting house against house, and eating away at the precious ties that bound us together. This strife among ourselves wastes our energy and destroys our unity. My message to those of you involved in this battle of brother against brother is this: take your guns, your knives, and your pangas, and throw them into the sea! Close down the death factories. End this war now! -


 Inaugural Address, Pretoria 9 May 1994.
“Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world”
                                           

 Victory Speech, 1994
“I watched, along with all of you, as the tens of thousands of our people stood patiently in long queues for many hours. Some sleeping on the open ground overnight waiting to cast this momentous vote. ”

“This is one of the most important moments in the life of our country. I stand here before you filled with deep pride and joy: — pride in the ordinary, humble people of this country. You have shown such a calm, patient determination to reclaim this country as your own, – and joy that we can loudly proclaim from the rooftops — free at last! ”
Freedom Fighter

“I was called a terrorist yesterday, but when I came out of jail, many people embraced me, including my enemies, and that is what I normally tell other people who say those who are struggling for liberation in their country are terrorists. I tell them that I was also a terrorist yesterday, but, today, I am admired by the very people who said I was one.” – Larry King Live, 16 May 2000
South Africa


“You may succeed in delaying, but never in preventing the transition of South Africa to a democracy. – Long Walk to Freedom”

“The authorities liked to say that we received a balanced diet; it was indeed balanced — between the unpalatable and the inedible. -Long Walk to Freedom.”

“South Africans have no concept of time and this is also why we can’t solve poverty and social problems… It’s now 10 years since the fall of the Apartheid government and we cannot blame Apartheid for being tardy.”


Forgiveness
South Africans must recall the terrible past so that we can deal with it, forgiving where forgiveness is necessary but never forgetting. – Nelson Mandela, on leaving office as South African president, 15 June 1999

Stepping Down As South African First Black President
I must step down while there are one or two people who admire me. – Nelson Mandela, Daily Nation, Kenyan paper, 16 June 1999

Long Walk to Freedom
“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.”
 Freedom
“I always knew that someday I would once again feel the grass under my feet and walk in the sunshine as a free man. – Long Walk to Freedom”"When I walked out of prison, that was my mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor both”

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” – Long Walk to Freedom.”

“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires. “- Long Walk to Freedom

Heroic Sacrifices 

“We dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free.
“No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.
Nobel PrizeAcceptance Speech,1993

RIP madiba

West African Gas Pipeline Project

By Ngozi Ekeoma

The most significant Natural Gasdevelopment project is the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) project. The WAGP will traverse 620 miles both on and offshore from Nigerias Niger Delta region to the Volta River Authoritys power plant at Takoradi, Ghana. The $600 million WAGP will initially transport 120 MMcf/d of gas to Ghana, Benin and Togo.

In September 2005, WAGP began laying the 353-mile main offshore segment of the pipeline offshore Ghana. The pipeline is being laid approximately 12 miles offshore at a rate of up to two miles per day. Tie-in points will take natural gas to metering and custody transfer stations at Lome in Togo and Cotonou in Benin. Completion of the pipeline installation is projected for December 2006. Natural gas deliveries are expected to be at 400 MMcf/d when the pipeline is functioning at its capacity (approximately 15 years after construction). In February 2003, the four nations involved in the WAGP signed an agreement on the projects implementation. The treaty, which is for a 20-year period, provides for a comprehensive legal, fiscal and regulatory framework, as Well as a single authority for the implementation of the project. 

The WAGP partners are ChevronTexaco with 36.7 percent, NNPC with 25 percent, Shell with 18 percent, Ghanas Takoradi Power Company with 16.3 percent and Societe Beninoise de Gas and Societe Togolaise de Gas each with a 2 percent interest.

Supermajors in the Great Petrogame

By Ngozi Ekeoma

Well, let's go back from the records of the U.S. presidential race to the records of business. By the way, recently there was one. $14.83 billion quarterly net income – that was an Exxon Mobil record and for all American business, too!

The Big Five Oil companies (Exxon Mobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron and ConocoPhillips) earned a $44.4 billion net income in the third quarter of 2008. The admiration for these figures decreases if one remembers oil prices reached historical records in July 2008; however, if one takes into account the supermajors control only 5% of the world oil reserves, the admiration returns once more.

Definitely, state-owned Saudi Aramco and Gazprom got huge profits too, but accurate figures are their secret. Nevertheless, something tells us their financial results were worse than western companies’.

The supermajors have what state-owned companies do not have – efficiency. Perhaps right now it has remained the only advantage of Western oil companies in the great petrogame.

The history of oil always was a struggle for control over oil. Western companies won control over the oil fields of the Persian Gulf, Northern Africa and Venezuela 70 years ago, but lost it after 40 years of dominancy. They can even be pitied. If before the Seven Sisters directly dealt with the oil-rich countries’ governments, it now is impossible. The oil-producing countries prefer to talk to governments, not to companies.

Even inside Western countries Big Oil loses lobbyist influence on governments. The consumers (i.e. voters) do not care who produces oil – a national company or a Western oil corporation. In any case, this oil will come onto the world market, where a final consumer will swallow it with pleasure.

Any Western government takes into account the voters’ mood as well as the obvious fact that direct foreign control over the Persian Gulf’s oil fields is history now. The oil-rich countries prefer to own the oil and to produce it by themselves.

Well, is the supermajors’ future so sad? Where should they go?

One cannot say the above cited tendencies were outside the field of view of the oil giants’ analytical departments. It became clear 30 years ago that it’s transformation time for Western oil companies. Gradually the idea dawned that the field on which the petrostates never can compete with the private oil companies is the service sector. To survive and to succeed you should propose technologies, but not money. The oil business rules really have changed. He who doesn’t want to change and clings obstinately to old methods, will simply disappear from the business. Such is the harsh reality.

The wish to control oil fields grows in the new states of the former USSR, too. Because the iron curtain isolated them for dozens of years, the first contracts with Western oil companies were signed less than 15 years ago. But even they already are changing. So, at the end of October, changes in the contract for the Kashagan oil field, the world's largest oil find in 30 years, were signed in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan. Naturally, these changes were in favor of Kazakhstan. Eni, Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and other oil companies were forced to concede.

But Kazakhstan as well as other oil-rich countries understands that oil industry development only by their efforts alone will most likely be insufficiently effective. Western companies can do the same work much better. These restrictions on the governments are a chance for the companies. Operate as service companies and the governments of any oil-rich country will be happy for you.

It is important to remember that political games are favorite exercises of governments. They try to bring politics into any process, and into business, too. Do not play on this field and do not allow it to involve you there, and then you never will lose your trump card – efficiency.

I hope sooner or later the supermajors’s activity becomes pure business, without a hint of politics. Leave policy to politicians and let oil businessmen just make money. Maybe then the oil market will find greater stability that it is needed so much.

Promote economic growth in west africa

By Ngozi Ekeoma
Regional leaders created the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on May 28, 1975 in Lagos, Nigeria. ECOWAS is comprised of 15 countries, which include: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote dIvoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The leaders established ECOWAS to promote regional integration and economic growth in West Africa, as Well as to create a monetary union in the region. However, ECOWAS has encountered problems in the process of regional integration including: political instability and lack of good governance that has plagued many member countries, the insufficient diversification of national economies, the absence of reliable infrastructure, and the multiplicity of organizations for regional integration with the same objectives.The Authority of Heads of State and Government is the governing body of ECOWAS.

The Authority determines the general direction and development of the Community, as well as the realization of the Communitys objectives. The Authority elects an annual Chairman, with the 2006 Chairman being Nigers President, Mamadou Tandja. Under the Authority is the Council of Ministers, which is responsible for the proper functioning of the Community. In April 2002, the Council approved a procedure for the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (TLS). The TLS entitles the manufacturers of approved products to customs duty exemption within ECOWAS member states. The procedure uses National Approval Committees, set up by member states, to handle the approval of products to be granted exemption under TLS. The 2002 decision by the Council abrogates a previous decision and grants the Council a monopoly for approving applications for such exemptions.In 1990, ECOWAS established the Economic Community Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), a multilateral military peacekeeping force to intervene in the civil war of Liberia. Since 1990, ECOMOG has been deployed in civil conflicts in Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and CÔte dIvoire. The CÔte dIvoire disarmament and peace mission included ECOMOG troops from Benin, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo. Overall, Nigeria has contributed the largest amount of troops, materials and financial support to ECOMOG missions. ECOWAS is seeking international support to enable it to train and equip the 15 battalions of troops pledged by member states. The training of the composite units facilitates their effectiveness in peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and other missions for which they could be deployed.

In 2005, the combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for ECOWAS was estimated at $139 billion. Economies within the Community are at varying stages of development. Nigerias economy is larger than the combined GDP of all other ECOWAS countries, with a GDP of $78 billion. In 2005, the Communitys economies grew at a combined weighted average rate of 5.0 percent. However, substantial external debt within individual states remains one of ECOWAS greatest challenges. In addition, internal strife has adversely affected economic performance in several states. Total regional exports, including intra-regional exports, were $68.4 billion in 2005 and ECOWAS had a $17.5 billion trade surplus. The regions major export commodities were energy products (crude Oil and refined Petroleum products), minerals (gold, diamonds, and bauxite) and agricultural products (cocoa, coffee, groundnuts, and cotton). The primary U.S. import from the region was Nigerian Crude Oil. As of January 1, 2006, President Bush approved the designation of 37 sub-Saharan African countries as eligible for tariff preferences under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). As required by the legislation, this annual determination signifies which countries are making continued progress toward a market-based economy, the rule of law, free trade, economic policies that will reduce poverty, and protection of workers rights. CÔte dIvoire, Liberia, and Togo were the only countries in the region not approved for the AGOA. In 1994, ECOWAS Francophone members Benin, Burkina Faso, CÔte dIvoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo, with Lusophone Guinea Bissau, created the West African Monetary Union (UEMOA) in Senegal. UEMOA is a regional economic and monetary union which shares a common currency (the CFA Franc). Five ECOWAS Anglophone-members, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, have proposed setting up a second West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) in December 2009 and launching a new common currency, the Eco. All five states signed the 2000 Accra Declaration for the creation of the second monetary zone, agreeing to reform their economies to meet specific targets prior to the introduction of the Eco. It is planned that the Eco would circulate simultaneously with the CFA Franc, with the ultimate goal of creating a single monetary zone for the entire Community. 

Mandela dies at 95

 

Nelson Mandela, the former South African president whose stubborn defiance survived 27 years in prison and led to the dismantling of the country's racist and brutal apartheid system, has died. Mandela was 95 years old.

Mandela had a number of issues with his health in recent years including repeated hospitalizations with a chronic lung infection.

Mandela had been listed in "serious but stable condition" after entering the hospital in June.

In April, Mandela spent 18 days in the hospital due to a lung infection and was treated for gall stones in December 2012.

Mandela's public appearances had become increasingly rare as he dealt with his declining health.

His last public appearance was in July of 2010, when he attended the final match and closing ceremonies of the soccer World Cup held in South Africa.

Life of Nelson Mandela: See the Photos

In 2011, Mandela met privately with Michelle Obama when the first lady and her daughters traveled to South Africa.

Mandela and the Legacy He Leaves Behind

One of the giants of the 20th century, Mandela's career was marked not only by his heroic resistance to racism, but also by his poised and soft spoken demeanor.

After enduring nearly three decades of prison, much of it at hard labor in a lime quarry, Mandela emerged as a gentle leader who became South Africa's first black president. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership in ending apartheid without violence, and later became a global statesman who inspired millions people around the world.