Contending Issues in the Niger Delta Crisis of Nigeria - Journal of ...

Dr. Victor Ojakorotu and Olaopa Olawale
attempting to bring their plight to the policy agenda of
government on the basis of justice and equity. It is a
country where people including both the political and
economic oppressors and the oppressed are afraid of
discussing through a real constitutional conference
(sovereign or not) the fundamental basis of our existence
without any ouster clause.
Niger Delta is an area inhabited by about 12 million people with
different cultures, languages and histories. They are united by their
historical status in Nigeria and share a common identity as southern
minorities (NDDC, 2004). Historically, the peoples of the area were at
the forefront of minority agitation in the colonial and the immediate
post-independence periods ( Saro-Wiwa, 1992; 1993). Their situation
has not changed as their demands and position in the Nigerian
federation remain unaltered despite the different commissions that
have been set up by successive administrations to look at the
question of the minorities. What has exacerbated the problem of the
Niger Delta is the question of oil (Agbese, 1993; Busines Day, 2004;
Dokubo, 2004). Oil, which is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy,
contributing about 90% of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings and
revenue, is produced in the region. However, the Niger Delta region
remains grossly underdeveloped, pauperized, marginalized, and
largely a poverty zone (World Bank, 1995). The basic facilities and
infrastructure of a modern society like potable water, electricity,
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