Government and the Niger Delta Struggle

The problems of poverty, underdevelopment, environmental degradation and utter neglect as well as the resulting unrest facing the Niger Delta people are well known. Indigenes of the area, indeed all Nigerians, in the diaspora are very concerned about the state of affairs of the area as we count down towards 2007. Following a recent meeting in the United States of America, Urhobo Stakeholders for Change and Progress (USFCAP) which comprise of Urhobo people world-wide resolved to take a stand and express our opinion on these matters.
The conflict between indigenes of the Niger Delta area and successive Nigerian governments date back to the colonial era. The first known recorded effort to address and redress the issues was the Willinks Commission of 1958 which resulted in the creation of the Niger Delta Development Board in 1959. Since then, no less than 7 organs have been created by successive federal governments in an effort to make peace with the people of the area. They include the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Board (NDDB) Act [1961] and the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority Degree [1966] which was amended twice by military degree – first in 1973 and again in 1979, thus bringing the total number of River Basins to 11.

As the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy and foreign earnings moved to petroleum exploration and export in the 1970s, the focus moved from agro-related development agencies to oil-related development agencies, including the Special Fund for the Oil Producing Areas Revenue Act [1981], Special Presidential Task Force for the Development of the Oil Producing Areas based on a 1.5% Special Fund [1989], Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) Degree [1992] and most recently, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act [1999]. Collectively, these agencies have not brought about any meaningful development and improvement to the Niger Delta area and its people. Many reasons account for this situation, including planning projects without involvement of stakeholders, inadequate funding of the agencies, inadequate disbursement of allocated funds, awarding contracts based on political patronage and kick backs, as well as unrest in the area. It is also likely that operators of the state governments in the Niger Delta may have failed the people they represent.

It is unconscionable, indeed a sin against humanity and God’s creation, that almost 50 years after the initial effort to bring development and progress to the Niger Delta, the majority nations that constitute successive governments of the Nigerian state continue, with the misguided assistance of a few indigenes of the minority nations, to find ways to undermine justice and the equality for the people in the Niger Delta. Against the backdrop of the events of the last 5 years, little wonder that the apprehension of the people in the area has resulted in the unrest and anger against every one perceived to be contributing to the injustice visited on our people. The problem of unrest in the region was front and center in Rivers State between September and October 2004. Nigerians woke up one morning to learn that leaders of the 2 factions (Asari Dokubo and Ateke Tom) in the quarrel had inked a peace accord with Federal government in Abuja. The opinion of The Guardian (October 18, 2004) that “At least for now, the incipient rebellion in the Niger Delta has been brought under control” is a reflection of the pervasive opinion that another conflict could erupt someday.

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