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

Dr. Esekumemu V. Clark
The underlying rationales of the December 11, 1998 Kaiama
Declaration by Ijaw Youths were the problems of social exclusion,
development and environmental degradation, among others, facing
the Ijaw people and its environs. True there were more than four
decades of exploitation and the failure of the Nigerian leadership to
pay fuller attention to their predicament despite Boro’s warnings of
the 1960s. During the deliberations, many problems and issues were
identified. They include 1[9]
- “That the quality of life of Ijaw people is deteriorating as a result
of utter neglect, suppression and marginalization visited on
Ijaws by the alliance of the Nigerian state and transnational oil
companies.
- That the political crisis in Nigeria is mainly about the struggle
for the control of oil mineral resources which account for over
80 % of GDP, 95 % of national budget and 90 % of foreign
exchange earnings. From which, 65 %, 75 % and 70 %
respectively are derived from within the Ijaw nation. Despite
these huge contributions, our reward from the Nigerian State
remains avoidable deaths resulting from ecological devastation
and military repression.
- That the unabating damage done to our fragile natural
environment and to the health of our people is due in the main
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