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
armed fighters in the region to reconsider their approach if only
to reconsider time to see the effects of the steps to be taken by
the Nigerian government to respond with all honesty and
positively to the development need of the region. Most of the
leaders in the region are ready – conspirators in the Niger Delta
crisis and they feed fat from it. They need moral rebirth to toe
the line of honour. All the stake holders must be ready to make
sacrifices to resolve the problems facing the region.
3 There is need to review the Nigerian constitution to make
provision for the inclusion of oil-bearing communities as
stakeholders in terms of decision-making and control of the
economic resources got from the region. This might be a long
term solution, but there is need for it.
4 Laws and regulation to strictly protect the Niger Delta
environment and ecology from further degradation should be
made and enforced. Environmental protection agency set up
should be granted more autonomy and empowered to enable it
apply legal sanctions against non-compliant oil companies
operating in the Niger Delta. In this light, state policies must
aim at making oil companies more compliant to Nigerian
Environmental Regulations, as well as to be more socially
responsible to host communities.
5 Youth empowerment schemes, well packaged to commit the
youth in the region and keep them busy from roaming about
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