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

Chapter II: The Niger Delta Crisis: The Political Economy of Fossil Fuels in
Nigeria
through other means such as supporting political and economic
development of the educated and political elites in the region. To this
end, Oil Minerals Producing Areas Development Commission
(OMPADEC) was established by the Babangida regime in 1988. The
broad objectives of the Commission are among others: To elevate the
living standard and hasten development of the oil bearing areas of the
Niger Delta. Some scholars of oil politics in Nigeria such as Professor
Egosha Osaghae were of the view that the formation of OMPADEC was
the best approach to solve the environmental degradation caused by
the activities of the oil companies. As it later turned out to be, the
Commission was only meant to further economic exploitation of the
region and to inflict punishment through security harassment on the
restive youths who were perceived to be agent of the masses. The first
executive secretary of the Commission, Mr. Horsefall was a product of
security school whose mandate was to use both diplomacy and
repressive means to gain support of the masses in the Niger Delta.
The award of contracts to the traditional rulers, retired military
officers and seasoned contractors were only to gain support both for
the elongation of the Babangida regime beyond 1993 on one hand,
and to keep the youths under total incapacitation against the oil
companies. Because of the need to gain support of the conflict
merchants (politicians and traditional rulers), many of the contracts
awarded were left unexecuted and the Commission and the Federal
government could not challenge their inability to do this. Throughout
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