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

Dr. Esekumemu V. Clark
With respect to oil spillages, gas flaring, blowouts, etc. which
are gravely damaging the ecosystem in Ijawland, there have been no
strong policy responses from the Nigerian state and the oil companies
to tackle such problems confronting the Ijaw people. Among others,
investigations of oil spillages by the Nigerian government had not
involved concrete steps to sanction those oil companies who were
responsible for such irreparable damage. But the Nigerian authorities
had always colluded with Shell, for example, to point fingers at the
local communities as the main perpetrators. According to the Kaiama
Declaration, “We are tired of gas flaring, oil spillages, blowouts and
being labelled saboteurs and terrorists”.
However, Nigeria to remain a political entity is imperative. As
such, the Kaiama Declaration reaffirmed that the unity of Nigeria and
Ijawland will remain an integral part of the Federation.
The
Declaration has gone further to stipulate that “The Federation should
be run on the basis of equality and social justice”.
Thus it
emphasizes the effective participation of the respective ethnic
nationalities in the socio-economic and political formation that is
emerging in the new Nigeria since the military disengaged from
politics in May 1999. Certainly, the country has yet to truly reflect its
federal character, among others, in employments and appointments to
federal positions. Hence, in the new Nigeria for there to be a durable
peace, stability and prosperity the principles of equality and social
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