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

Dr. Esekumemu V. Clark
justice should be the bases of building and underpinning foundations
in the transformation of the Nigerian society in the 21 st century.
However, the federal character principle has been distorted in its
application in Nigeria. Its fundamental objective was to achieve a
balanced and ordered society since formal independence was gained
in 1960. Instead, it led to unbalance power where some groups had
manipulated and used it to buttress and enhance their sectional or
regional interests at the detriment of others. As Professor John
A.A.Ayoade posits
The operation of the federal character in Nigeria has given more
powers to the politically superior groups thus creating a wider power
disparity between the strong and the weak. The politically weak are
subjected to double jeopardy, a situation that is patently antithetical
to national integration. 1[12]
In the meantime, the Ijawland produces the bulk of the
petroleum and thus 70 % of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
Despite the enormous contributions from the Ijawland there is not a
major infrastructure or development project in the area. One can
argue that oil revenues have not been fairly distributed to cover costs
of pollution, health problems, social infrastructure, living conditions,
damage to biodiversity, etc., all being severely suffered from by the
Ijaw people. However, revenue allocation principle has and is still a
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