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Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences

E-ISSN 2039-2117
ISSN 2039-9340

Vol 4 No 6
July 2013

Published by MCSER-CEMAS-Sapienza University of Rome

The Niger Delta Crisis in Nigeria: Pre and Post Amnesty Situation
ErÖng, Simon Odey, Ph
...
com; odeyering@gmail
...
com

Odike, Ebenezer Levi
Department of Sociology
University of Calabar, Calabar – Nigeria
Doi:10
...
2013
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Against this background the Federal Government initiated an Amnesty
programme in 2009
...
This
study examines critically the pre and post amnesty situation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria
...

In it we recommended that, it is important for government to look beyond the amnesty to address the key issues of
underdevelopment (such as widespread poverty, high level of unemployment and lack of basic infrastructure and amenities
and environmental degradation) in the region
...


1
...
The ethnic unrest and conflicts of the late 1990s
(examples, the Ijaw, Urhobo, Ogoni and Itsekiri), coupled with a spike in the availability of small arms and other weapons,
led increasingly to the militarization of the Niger Delta Region
...

The fertile ground for all of these clandestine activities of militants was layed by the activities of foreign oil
corporations, that is, the multinational companies
...
The American oil giant, Chevron also discovered hers’ in the Escravos Bay in 1963 and
operation in production started in 1965
...
Agip and Texaco commenced
exploration in 1962 and 1970 respectively
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Since then production capacity increased tremendously, generating huge revenue to
government, yet the host communities, that is, communities from which this “black gold” petroleum is gotten continue to
live in abject poverty and with devastated socio-economic environment
...

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E-ISSN 2039-2117
ISSN 2039-9340

Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences
Published by MCSER-CEMAS-Sapienza University of Rome

Vol 4 No 6
July 2013

These agitations and contentions took various dimensions and approaches, but to the detriment of the people of
the Region and indeed the country as a whole
...
In
spite of these, the condition of the people remains devastated, deplorable and unbearable leading to the emergent of
militant forces that changed “the socio-economic and political dance” with devastating effect not only in the region but
across the nation and even beyond as oil production and revenues went down tremendously
...
This ethnic and political unrests continued throughout the 1990s and persisted to 2007 despite the
conversion to democracy and the election of the Obasanjo government in 1999
...
It
is in bid to finding solution to the pathetic condition that existed in the region, that the late President, Umaru Yar’dua
declared a “State of Amnesty” in the Niger Delta Region
...

2
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It is a region made up of a number of ethnic nationalities mainly,
Ijaw, Ekwere, Ibo, Efiks, Mbembe, Ejagham, Yakurr, to mention but these few
...
(Ering & Akpan, 2012, & 2010; Dakjumbo, 2006, Banigo, 2005)
...
Only few elite with the awareness challenged the status
quo
...
The devastation cause by oil spillage and gas flaring
has made it virtually impossible for the people to earn a living from their hitherto agricultural activities – farming, fishing
and trading
...
Activities of
these companies caused the pollution of the creeks and destroyed aquatic lives
...
Texaco oil spill and blowout caused a
colossal loss of lives, destroyed lives and damaged the ecosystem of the area and destroyed the fishing gears
...
All these aggravated the agitations which resulted to a lot of crises
in the region
...

In 1968 when oil production began in Oguagba in Edo, the peoples’ joy was without limit; their joy knew no bounds
because of the perceived benefits that oil exploration and revenues will bring
...
Aquatic life is almost completely destroyed, the soil completely eroded and flora and fauna badly affected;
almost extinct
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Therefore the non-challant attitude of the multinational oil companies to improve on the well being of host
communities through their corporate social responsibilities for the harmful effect of their activities, the uncompromising
and irresponsive attitude of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which is the federal government
representative that regulates the oil industry did not go down well with the people
...

3
...
The
conflict theory, and Ken Saro-Wiwa’s Development Racism (Akpan, 2004)
...
Countries like Nigeria, Sudan,
Liberia, Nambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo provide enough evidence in this regard, (Akpan, 2004)
...
This situation in Mark’s view, presupposes tension between incompatible forces,
provides the source of change which is realizable through unity of purpose and the different manifestations of the violent
that emerged in the Niger Delta region, (Nkokocha, 2012)
...
The attempt by the people to resist such exploitation usually leads to
conflict (Ering & Akpan, 2012)
...

This is the situation in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria, where available evidences from extant literature show
that in spite of the huge resources the country has realized over the years from crude oil, Nigeria ranks 156 out of 187
countries on the Global Human Development Index (HDI) (UN, 2011)
...

4
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The region has for long remained a hotbed of political
activism and agitation for minority rights
...
With oil and its attendant negative impacts came more agitations and in some cases, crises of very wide
proportions (that is, oil bunkering and the emergent militancy)
...

The recommendations of the Commission gave birth to the setting up of the Niger Delta Development Board
(NDDB) in the 1960s
...
This was not achieved as the monies allocated to it were seriously disproportional to the problem of the
region and to outright discontinuation of payment to the body leaving it at the mercy of foreign donors
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The concern of the administration was to ensure an
even spread of development to other parts of the country even to areas which had no oil
...
This action of the
president was seen as a deliberate one, as fund or revenue from oil was not adequately released for the funding of the
NDBDA
...

However, during the Third republic 1991, serious and conscious attempts were made by the federal government to
address the problems of the region
...
The law made provisions for
more funds to the region for development with 1
...
Due to administrative bottlenecks and
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E-ISSN 2039-2117
ISSN 2039-9340

Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences
Published by MCSER-CEMAS-Sapienza University of Rome

Vol 4 No 6
July 2013

bureaucracy, the development of the region suffered a set back until the emergence of Gen
...

Before now, Gen
...
The
committee activities did not see the light of day as its impact was never felt by the people, further aggravating the
restiveness and the agitation grew by each passing day, with oil companies increasingly becoming the target of attack
...
With this Commission, government concern was to
directly intervene in the development of the Niger Delta region
...
In 2009, the Late
President Umaru Yardua created the Ministry of the Niger Delta, the concern was to create a ministry evidently dedicated
to the development of the region
...
The argument however, was that the federal government
was playing politics with the lives of the people of the Niger Delta
...
The Granting of Amnesty
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition (2000) defines “Amnesty” as a general
pardon, especially for offences against a government (or for political offenses)
...
It could also refer to a situation or initiative
where individual are encouraged to turn over illicit arms to the Authority (in this case the government)
...
It is important at this point, to identify some of these major groups and their leaders
operating in the area
...
And the key leaders
were Henry Okah, Asari Dokubo; Ateke Tom; Government Ekpemupolo (AKS Tompolo); Soboma George, Brutus
Ebipodei, Solomon Ndigbara, Tubotamuno Angolia, John Togo, Ebikabowei Victor-Ben Godswill Tamuno and others
...
A number of
activities were planned for the many repentant militants, these included, training in various skills both within and outside
the country
...
A few were given contract
running into billions to protect the oil pipelines from vandalisation
...
Some of the leaders of
these groups were treated as kings and given juicy contracts which were into billions of naira
...

6
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These however are a far cry from the enormity of work on ground in terms of socioeconomic needs of the people
...
This strategy the
government adopted amounted to throwing money at issues affecting the Niger Delta instead of addressing
them head on
...
Considering the inflationary rate in the country, it was
doubtful if the amount can do any tangible development in the region or carter for the needs of the militants
...

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E-ISSN 2039-2117
ISSN 2039-9340

Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences
Published by MCSER-CEMAS-Sapienza University of Rome

Vol 4 No 6
July 2013

ii) Amnesty did not meet the need of the people of the Delta region; it was only an act of freeing militants and not
to develop the area
...
The people are still crying over the radio,
television and newspapers
...
Moreso, Amnesty itself is political that will not add
value to the struggle of the Niger Delta people
...
It does not address the socio-economic needs of the people
...

iii) Allied to the point above, is the issue of lack of infrastructural development in the region
...
This
is mostly the case as espoused by the proponent of the Basic Resource Model (Essang, 1995)
...

iv) Amnesty has not address the problem of oil spills, leakage and waste which has resulted in severe
environmental disaster of the region
...

In addition to harming human life, vegetation such as mangrove forests is particularly susceptible to oil spills,
because the soil soaks up the oil, and it is released every rainy season
...
And all over the Delta there have been numerous reports of dying marine life of
severe impact to fishing communities (Okorie, 2005)
...
The people of this region, have
greater percentage of their population unemployed
...
The people have been exploited, marginalized and discriminated against of
their natural resources
...
Even when the multinational companies seek to pay royalty to the host
communities, the elite (made of chiefs, politicians and others) hide under the cloak of representing the people
to divert the monies paid to their private pockets or usage
...
The Amnesty or rehabilitation programme granted militants is skewed towards the
male gender as if the female were not part of it
...
Therefore, whatever must be done must also consider and accommodate the
female gender, the children and the elderly
...
Therefore, amnesty as a strategy must be holistic in
approach and all encompassing, involving both the female gender and children
...

7
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These issues will include:
(1) Tackling the problems of underdevelopment in the region
...
The multi-national
companies could assist government (federal and state) in providing these essential infrastructures like roads,
electricity, portable water and health
...
The approach espouses the participation of the local people in issues and process that concern them
...
The approach if well manage
have the potentials of bringing about the sustainability of development projects in the region
...
These issues are at the core of
youth restiveness in the region and increasing crime rate in society
...
This has become
necessary so that the monies budgeted for development projects are used for the benefit of the entire people
by implementing priority projects that will impact positively on the lives of the ordinary man (in the Niger
Delta)
...
The
companies must as a matter of necessity embark on the massive clean up of the environment
...
The project must be relevant to the needs and aspiration of the people
...
There could be community relation structure where the companies and
communities periodically discuss issues of common interest and for the symbiotic development and wellbeing
of communities and oil companies
...
We will recommend “predicting
Policing” as a new security strategy in crime prevention
...
It involves special and better understanding of human behaviour to
know their thoughts and direction and the ability to apprehend before they manifest into crime
...
Such programme could include civic
education, skill acquisition and participatory governance
...
This will
involve employing the services of experts to help in executing the plans for the multi-national companies
...
Conclusion
The emergence of militancy in the Niger Delta Region was as a result of the negligence on the part of government and
the elite in the region
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Dealing with the crisis must be seen within the context of reversing the fortunes of the
entire region through massive infrastructural development (road, bridges, electricity) and empowering the citizens, and
the cleaning up the wasteland created by the over forty years of oil spills
...
“Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Politics of infrastructural and Human Resource
Development; A programme Evaluation of NDDC as an Intervention Regime”
...
D Thesis at the University of Calabar
...
& S
...
Ering (2010) “The Politics of Amnesty and Oil Related Conflict in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria”
...

Alechanu John & Fidelis Soriwei (2013)
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Amange, N
...
(2008)
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Mojek Press: Port Harcourt
Banigo, A
...
(2005)
...
O
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Sociological theory: A historical and analytical approach on man and society, Serenity publishers: Lagos
...
P
...
Unpublished M
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Ering, S
...
& Akpan, Felix (2012)
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Essang, S
...
(1995)
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Ibadan
University Press: Ibadan
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(2006) Sociology, 5th edition Cambridge: Polity Press
...
S
...
The problem of the Niger Delta is more in their leaders than the federal government: A paper
delivered at the Rivers State University of Education
...
(2012)
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E-ISSN 2039-2117
ISSN 2039-9340

Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences
Published by MCSER-CEMAS-Sapienza University of Rome

Okorie, A
...
(1996)
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(2002)
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Wikipedia (2004)
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