Editorials Opinion and Analysis
We therefore advise British nationals to leave?!?!?!?!
Flasher has some thoughts to share on the recent strengthening of the UK Government's travel advice
09.06.07
Jan 10 th 2006 saw the start of the current spate of kidnappings, which finished by year-end with 72 expats being taken. 2006 also saw the abduction threat move from outlying remote areas into central Port Harcourt when on the 13 th Aug 06 six expats were taken from Goodfellows bar.
My synopsis of 2006 finished with the prayer that “2007 incidents database will be much less populated and that there are no deaths or injuries to any Nigerian or expat”. This has not turned out to be the case, as we passed the 2006 total in early May. It is now the 8 th of Jun 2007 & 138 expats have been taken this year with 36 currently being held.
In a recent interview with the commander of the Niger-Delta Freedom Fighters (NDFF), he is reported to have stated, “Look, it is not really that we want to pick white people as hostages but the truth is that the black man does not have hostage value”
So we carry on being pawns in the geo-political game that is the Delta region of Nigeria.
There was a perceived hope that with the inauguration of the new Nigerian Government on May there would be a period of calm whilst the militants allowed the authorities to settle in and perhaps address the issues of poverty and lack of infrastructure that we all know are real and urgent. Alas instead we were presented with the biggest hike in kidnappings that we have seen for some time, and the use of explosives to blow off the doors of compounds for the extraction of expats, which included the abduction of two women & two children, which must mark a low ebb in any culture.
Yesterday the British High Commission issued their strongest travel advisory to date stating that:
“ We advise that the security situation in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States makes them unsafe for British nationals. We therefore advise British nationals to leave”
Bearing in mind the usual reluctance of the Foreign Office to change a stance, this is a major step. There have been for some time MP’s in the UK who have been pressing. The Aberdeen North Labour MP Frank Doran, has campaigned for tougher travel advice. This coupled with the willingness by militants to use explosives in extracting expat hostages has led to the step up in advisory rhetoric.
Status 9thJun07 |
NATIONALITY |
Date |
No |
Indian |
Brit |
RU |
USA |
Dutch |
Lebanese |
Philipino |
South Africa |
Chinese |
Pakistani |
French |
18 Mar |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
2 May |
1 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 May |
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19 May |
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25 May |
10 |
1 |
4 |
|
3 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
1 Jun |
10 |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Jun |
4 |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
3 Jun |
6 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 Jun |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total = |
36 |
13 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Companies whose parent country Governments issue such advice cannot ignore them and must be seen to be compliant in some respect. Even major International companies cannot pretend that such advisories do not affect them. They have to be seen to be acting in the best interests of their threatened expat staff, as indeed all of them want to anyway.
There is no doubt that the majors will be now examining how they can best reduce threat exposure. This will result in the shipping back to various parts of the world, expats workers that are considered non essential, or more likely in these days of communication technology, those who can run their jobs from anywhere in the world as long as they have access to a web linked computer.
It is a little ironic that the major’s core staff that might be first examined for repatriation are those who are best protected and are therefore least likely to suffer an abduction attempt. Whilst the smaller companies and the expat workers contracted to the majors who are the most exposed, living in smaller compounds or single houses, will probably be left more to their own devices.
I did read one truism this morning when an interviewed company manager stated along the lines “Those who wished to quit have already left, and those that are left know the dangers and are willing to stay”.
So for those of us left, we may be willing to stay. As to whether our employers, or whether companies or agencies, will let us, is another matter.
