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

Clement Odiri Obagbinoko
This development not only marked the dawn of the neglect of
the Niger Delta region but also the beginning of disenchantment and
discontent of the people of the region. At a time when the region was
expected to benefit immensely through massive development of
human resources and infrastructures, the region became fair game
and was subdued and subjugated by centrifugal forces. The fiscal
relationship between the centre and the periphery, according to
Tamuno (1995:24), resembled the roles of a householder and a
housekeeper. With this scenario, the stage was now set for a
persistent myth of a Hobbesian Niger Delta, characterized by Gang
wars, cult killings, kidnapping of oil workers, hijacking of oil tankers,
violent occupation of oil installations, armed robbery, election violence
and communal conflicts (Ibeanu, 2006:1). The reaction of successive
governments was to embark on series of interventionist policies. The
question now is, to what extent have such policies proved successful
This forms the basis of this study.
Interventionist Policies in the Niger Delta: An Evaluation
In the preceding analysis, we have been able to capture the
picture of the events that culminated into a marginalized and
neglected Niger Delta Region, occasioned by a flagrantly degraded
ecology and environment with the attendant poverty of the
inhabitants of the region which has over the years led to frequent
violent agitations and social disorder. These agitations have either
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