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

Dr. Victor Ojakorotu and Olaopa Olawale
costly gory and fratricidal civil war; annulment of the freest and
fairest presidential election in the history of her independent existence
as a nation, series of religious, ethnic and communal violence.
In spite of the fact that we now have a ‘stable’ and ‘fraudulent’
democratic government in place, the country is yet to be freed from
disturbing socio-economic, cultural and political developments.
Today, it is innocuous to state that Nigeria is still without a properly
consolidated political system. The reasons for this are obvious:
pernicious theocratic traditions are holding sway; Sharia, whether
political or Islamic is currently in vogue in total disregard of the
constitutional provisions, courtesy of its fourth Republic protagonists
and their apparent indifference to its current convulsive religious
fanaticism in most parts of the country, especially in Jos this year,
which is reminiscent of 1980 Kano Maitatsine riot, 1982 Bulunkutu
riot, 1986 Ilorin riot, 1987 Kaduna riot and 1981 Bauchi massacre to
mention only a few (Akindele and Uwazomba, Ibid).
There are also bourgeoning ethnic militias (Odua People Congress,
(OPC); Arewa People’s Congress (APC); Egbesu Boys, Bakassi Boys,
etc) everywhere; ethnic consultative fora (e.g. Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Forum, Yoruba Council of Elders,
Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Northern
CWC, etc.. These disturbing indices have, in themselves, according to
Akindele and Uwazomba (Ibid), been progenized by the Nation’s
payment of lip-service to national unity and; self-delusion about the
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