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

Dr. Lere Amusan
understood by the major stakeholders in the Niger delta is to make a
living out of holding people hostage. The oil companies therefore came
with the inclusion of ransom cost in the cost of production in their
joint ventures with the federal government through the NNPC. With
the help of their parent states’ diplomatic missions and the traditional
chiefs in the oil bearing region, negotiation would be organised
without direct involvement of the Nigerian government where huge
sum of fund would be paid to the militants in exchange for the release
of expatriates. Eventually, it is the government that would pay for this
cost.
Conclusion
Having looked into the causes of the present crises in the Niger delta
region with special reference to the impacts of the federal government
and the oil multinationals, one could recommend some options to
alleviate the present wood into which the economy of the state has
been plunged. The need to introduce true federalism as against
unitary government in practice is long overdue. In the First Republic
(1960-1966) Nigeria federal system was well stipulated by the
Independence and Republican Constitutions where the sphere of
influence of the Federal Government were well spelt out. The
introduction of unitary government by the military government from
1966 coupled with the urge to retain some uniformity in the
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