NDP takes on Conservatives over jobs, Wheat Board

The NDP has set its sights on governing in 2015, and the party is taking on the Conservatives in some key areas.

The party has picked jobs and the economy as a major branch of its strategy for the coming year, fighting the Tories on the governing party's preferred battleground.

Interim NDP Leader Nycole Turmel laid out the New Democrats' primary focus Thursday at the party's caucus retreat in Quebec City ahead of Parliament's return next week, sticking tightly to the message she set out a day earlier at a press conference.

"We are going to focus on jobs. And we are going to focus on retirement security. And finally, we are going to ensure Canada continues to invest in the critical infrastructure we need to get this economy rolling," Turmel said.

She touched on a familiar theme, playing off the Conservative party's mantra of a "strong, stable, national, majority Conservative government," which Tories repeated over and over throughout last spring's election campaign.

"I am surrounded by a strong, national, united team, ready to fight for families," Turmel said.

The NDP is also targetting Prairie farmers who support the Canadian Wheat Board and Montrealers fed up with crumbling bridges, picking those two issues on which to push the government.

MPs and party officials say, aside from parliamentary strategy, they want to reach out to the voters who gave them Official Opposition status, and to new supporters who could take them all the way to government.

Quebec voters were a major part of the party's rise in status, giving the NDP 59 of 75 seats in the province. Many in Montreal are frustrated with the state of the city's roads and bridges, with Mayor Gérald Tremblay demanding the federal and provincial governments pony up cash to help.

People on Montreal's South Shore, Turmel says, literally say their prayers when they drive to work.

"Mr. Harper, no more excuses. Build a new bridge now," she urged.

As for the Canadian Wheat Board, wheat growers gave the board 60 per cent support in a vote earlier this week, following a promise by the federal government to dismantle it. Barley growers voted 51 per cent in favour of maintaining the board's monopoly. Some 55 per cent of wheat growers and 47 per cent of barley growers voted in the plebiscite.

"New Democrats are going to ensure that Prairie farmers are heard loud and clear. We are going to fight for the Prairies. We are going to fight for the family farm. Mr. Harper, we are going to take you on every day and fight to save the wheat board," Turmel said.

Despite the party's Prairie populist roots, the NDP has no MPs from Saskatchewan, just one in Alberta and two in Manitoba.

MPs return to the House of Commons Monday after the summer recess. It will be the NDP's first session without late leader Jack Layton, and the second month in Parliament for many of the party's newly elected members.

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Nigerian oil firm takes on global players

Seawolf Oilfield Services CEO Adolor UwamuNigerian oil exports worth $59 billion last yearSeawolf Oilfield Services is Nigeria's only offshore drilling contractorSeawolf CEO says there are not enough skilled Nigerians in oil and gas industry

(CNN) -- Nigeria is Africa's top oil producer, with exports worth $59 billion last year, but the industry has long been dominated by foreign players.

Overseas corporations, with a multinational workforce, have traditionally been chosen to carry out drilling operations, but one company bucking the trend is Seawolf Oilfield Services, Nigeria's only offshore drilling contractor.

CNN's Robyn Curnow sat down with Adolor Uwamu, CEO of Seawolf, to discuss the challenges of doing business in Nigeria and competing with the big boys of oil production.

CNN: You're one of the few African players in this business in Nigeria -- why is that?

Adolor Uwamu: It's a capital intensive business -- a business of high complexity -- and drilling rigs cost quite a bit of money.

It's a business that has been controlled and operated by, I would say, about five to seven global players worldwide who operate in different regions of the world but mostly American and European.

CNN: Why did you start (Seawolf)? Surely there are easier ways to make money?

AU: Because there was an opportunity for Nigerians to get into the business. Nigeria is the seventh or eighth-largest producer of oil in the world. It's the major industry in Nigeria and Nigerians are not actively in the business.

For the last 40 years oil and gas drilling in Nigeria has been undertaken by the global players.
--Adolor Uwamu, CEO Seawolf Oilfield Services

We're not involved in the business at the sufficient level that we should be. For the last 40 years oil and gas drilling in Nigeria has been undertaken by the global players.

CNN: Has the Nigerian government now said: "Listen, we need more local people in our industries?"

AU: The Nigerian government has greatly encouraged the participation of local players in the industry across the spectrum of services. Not just in drilling but in other services in the oil and gas business.

That encouragement is providing the environment for Nigerians to increase their skills and increase their participation, which has overall benefits for the economy.

CNN: But it's still about the private sector actually financing this and actually fueling this opportunity isn't it? The government can only do so much.

AU: That is correct, the government will provide the enabling environment which is what they're doing, but they need the participation and cooperation of the private sector to finance the participation in the industry.

CNN: What for you is the biggest challenge?

AU: The biggest challenges for us has been developing the talent that is required at that global level.

CNN: So there's just not enough skilled Nigerians to work on your oil rigs?

AU: There are not enough skilled Nigerians in general in the oil and gas industry, which is the issue that the government is trying to correct by encouraging and putting in place the enabling environment to increase the Nigerian participation.

The reason why there's not been sufficient Nigerian involvement is because historically there's a lot of transfer of talent globally from the more established Western countries working in Nigeria. The result of that over years is not enough participation by Nigerians in the industry.

CNN: Do you think Nigeria has failed to capitalize on the opportunities oil could have offered ordinary Nigerians?

AU: I wouldn't agree with that, I would say that we've been less than optimal in our management over oil resources but we haven't missed the boat. There are still opportunities.

I would say in the last couple of years we've done well in terms of monetizing our gas resources and now I believe the government should focus on revamping the downstream industry, ensuring that the refineries work, increase the refining capacity in the country.

CNN: That's key, isn't it?

AU: It is key, because what it does is it prevents us from importing refined petroleum products, which is less than an optimal situation when you're the seventh-largest producer of crude oil in the world.

Quoting : CNN