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

Chapter IV: Fishers of Men: The Political Economy of Kidnapping in the
Niger Delta
occupations of the people. In all, it is now well established that
seismic activities associated with oil exploration, flaring of associated
gases in the process of producing oil, spills of crude oil during drilling
and ruptured pipes in the course of transportation to export terminals
and refineries through pipelines, as well as the discharge of noxious
effluents into water bodies from the refineries and drilling activities
have been some of the ways through which the air has been polluted,
land degraded and rivers contaminated. The rupture of pipelines
carrying refined products to depots across the country has also
resulted in fires occasioning thousands of deaths as in Jesse, Delta
State in year 2000. Thus, apart from tragic disasters and harm to
human health, the oil industry has produced negative effects on the
ecosystem with substantial destruction of arable land and aquatic life
which has made farming and fishing more difficult and less profitable.
Besides, traditional occupations have been negatively affected
by the social and psychological crises created by oil. In spite of the
harm done to the environment, it is still possible to engage in some
forms of traditional occupations. For example, during the floods, I
found that it was possible to catch fishes at one’s door step in
Wilberforce Island. Yet, all of the young people interviewed would not
be involved in any of farming or fishing. Their reason was that it was
not as lucrative and prestigious as jobs in the oil companies. They
also pointed to their peers in politics, who, even as Local Government
councillors could parade much wealth. Some said that their parents,
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