Contending Issues in the Niger Delta Crisis of Nigeria - Journal of ...
Contending Issues in the Niger Delta Crisis of Nigeria - Journal of ... Contending Issues in the Niger Delta Crisis of Nigeria - Journal of ...
Dr. Afinotan L.A. and Dr. Victor Ojakorotu phase of the crisis has incubated over long periods of unaddressed grievances and disenchantments among communities in the region. Today, emphasis is shifting from mere bread-and-butter issues to serious questions by the people of the region, regarding their status, role and place within the larger Nigerian polity (Ukeje, 2004). Their agitations have provoked trenchant clamours for greater fiscal allocation and resource control, fiscal federalism and minority rights. These agitations are also leading to more pungent questions about citizenship, rights, duties and obligations and the moral circumstances under which these could be challenged, negated, withheld or even jettisoned (Eyinla & Ukpo; op.cit). The fact that government can no longer extract voluntary obedience from the citizens, as exemplified by the visible presence of soldiers on “internal peace enforcement” in the Niger Delta, points to a moral crisis of authority and a serious problem of legitimacy for the federal government, in the region. Unfortunately, the state has lost its claim to the monopoly of violence, given the fact that the ethnic groups and individual communities in the region have illegally acquired sophisticated weaponry and trained militia that sometimes overwhelm and make mockery of government forces. There is an increasing fear and concern about the widespread availability and indiscriminate use of weapons and ammunitions by militant communities, cult groups, hoodlums and gangsters. With such weapons, the pre-disposition to use brute force to settle even the 193
Chapter VIII: The Niger Delta Crisis: Issues Challenges and Prospects smallest disagreements is significantly enhanced. Long years of military rule, and the propensity of politicians to rig elections and intimidate opponents through violence, have also infused a sense of impunity into society such that violence is now considered as a continuation of politics by other means (Soremekun, 1995). It is also important to note that militant youth movements are mostly drawn from a growing cesspool of illiterate and unemployed youths whose attraction to violence is in pecuniary benefits and the social elixir such acts bring, especially as many of their leaders are highly educated, literate but unemployed. With the growing consciousness about the various causes of their disempowerment, youth actions have begun to provoke serious inter-generational crisis, as they are seen by the elders as irresponsible, reckless, vulgar, rebellious and dangerous. Meanwhile the youths perceive the elders as self-centered, greedy reactionary and treacherously pro-establishment (Eyinla & Ukpo, op.cit). Besides, many of the oil communities are moving away from their previous informal, isolated and ad-hoc social mobilization, to more formal, assertive and collective grassroots actions (op.cit). The crisis of legitimacy is engendering a new generation of social tensions, that have now involved politically established cult groups and gangsters who are unleashing naked violence on rural and urban communities alike. In this way, and because of government’s apparent inability or lack of political will to address these issues, the Niger Delta region is fast turning into a gangster’s paradise (Ukeje,2004). 194
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Dr. Af<strong>in</strong>otan L.A. and Dr. Victor Ojakorotu<br />
phase <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> crisis has <strong>in</strong>cubated over long periods <strong>of</strong> unaddressed<br />
grievances and disenchantments among communities <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> region.<br />
Today, emphasis is shift<strong>in</strong>g from mere bread-and-butter issues to<br />
serious questions by <strong>the</strong> people <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> region, regard<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir status,<br />
role and place with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> larger <strong>Niger</strong>ian polity (Ukeje, 2004). Their<br />
agitations have provoked trenchant clamours for greater fiscal<br />
allocation and resource control, fiscal federalism and m<strong>in</strong>ority rights.<br />
These agitations are also lead<strong>in</strong>g to more pungent questions about<br />
citizenship, rights, duties and obligations and <strong>the</strong> moral<br />
circumstances under which <strong>the</strong>se could be challenged, negated,<br />
withheld or even jettisoned (Ey<strong>in</strong>la & Ukpo; op.cit). The fact that<br />
government can no longer extract voluntary obedience from <strong>the</strong><br />
citizens, as exemplified by <strong>the</strong> visible presence <strong>of</strong> soldiers on “<strong>in</strong>ternal<br />
peace enforcement” <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Niger</strong> <strong>Delta</strong>, po<strong>in</strong>ts to a moral crisis <strong>of</strong><br />
authority and a serious problem <strong>of</strong> legitimacy for <strong>the</strong> federal<br />
government, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> region.<br />
Unfortunately, <strong>the</strong> state has lost its claim to <strong>the</strong> monopoly <strong>of</strong> violence,<br />
given <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong> ethnic groups and <strong>in</strong>dividual communities <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> region have illegally acquired sophisticated weaponry and tra<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
militia that sometimes overwhelm and make mockery <strong>of</strong> government<br />
forces. There is an <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g fear and concern about <strong>the</strong> widespread<br />
availability and <strong>in</strong>discrim<strong>in</strong>ate use <strong>of</strong> weapons and ammunitions by<br />
militant communities, cult groups, hoodlums and gangsters. With<br />
such weapons, <strong>the</strong> pre-disposition to use brute force to settle even <strong>the</strong><br />
193