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

Chapter XI: Between the Politics of Oil Exploration and Exploitation, Oil
Producing Communities’ Reactions and Security Contradictions in the Niger Delta
circles. But the fact remains that the man who wears the shoe knows
where it pitches. The people of the region have been left to their faith
for a very long time. The few palliative measures put in place (short
term of course) by the Nigerian Government to pacify the people of the
region; such as in setting up of the various commissions including the
Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), OMPADEC, NDDC
and now, the establishment of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs by
the incumbent Nigerian Government, only represent clever ploys by
the Nigerian Government to dodge the real problem of the Niger Delta
people, especially of the communities where the oil exploration and
exploitation activities are directly taking place. The two issues at the
heart of the struggle by the militants in the Niger Delta are simply
stated – the problem of marginalization and that of structural
underdevelopment of the area that produces the wealth that the life of
this nation depends largely on.
The riverine parts of the Niger Delta region lacks good roads,
good portable water, good health facilities, electricity, housing,
educational facilities and employment opportunities in the area;
whereas, the same people can see as they are very aware that the oil
revenues generated from their area financed the huge expenditure on
the provision of social and capital infrastructural facilities in the
1970s, especially in Lagos; then the construction of Abuja, the federal
capital territory and for paying huge salaries to politicians at Abuja.
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