| The Niger Delta comprises of nine states out of the | | | | economic resources available in their areas and pay |
| thirty (36) that make-up the Federal Republic of | | | | taxes to the Federal government as this is the norm |
| Nigeria. These states are Delta. Edo, Rivers, Bayelsa, | | | | in other countries where federal system is the order |
| Cross-Rivers, Ondo, Imo, Abia and Akwa-Ibom | | | | of the day, with the United States of America as a |
| states and are located in the southern part of the | | | | typical example. |
| country. The Niger Delta covers and area of about | | | | The yearning for resource control has lead to various |
| 70,000 square kilometer and with an estimated | | | | internal crisis and demonstration in the Niger Delta |
| population of 25 million people. The region consists of | | | | especially with the continuous show of marginalization |
| over forty different ethnic groups, speaking different | | | | and insensitivity to the plight of the people by |
| languages. Also, the dominant occupation of the | | | | government. A practical example of the aforesaid is |
| people are farming and fishing. | | | | the Ogoni community of Rivers State. On August 26, |
| The crisis in this region which has lasted for many | | | | 1990, the Ogoni people issued a bill of right which |
| decades and has caused great loss of human and | | | | was sent to the Federal government of Nigeria, |
| material resources is traceable to the following | | | | demanding political freedom that will guarantee |
| factors as shall be explained hereafter. | | | | political control of the affair of their land and control |
| (1) THE OBVIOUS INFRASTRUCTURAL DECAY AND | | | | of economic resources by the Ogoni people. This |
| VERY POOR LEVEL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | | | | demand was turned down but the Ogoni people |
| IN THE AREA | | | | whose case was being spearheaded by MOSOP did |
| The discovery of crude oil in Oloibiri, and Ijaw rural | | | | not stop. They intensified their struggle, taking their |
| community in the Niger Delta by Shell in May, 1958, | | | | case to various international agencies and |
| set the stage for a major change in a country's | | | | organization. This act eventually led to the execution |
| economic fortune. Many companies were contracted | | | | of human right activist, Ken Saro Wiwa in 1993, who |
| to explore the area and in no too long a time, full | | | | was a major figure in the struggle, by the then |
| exploration activities begun and Nigeria became a | | | | military government headed by General Sani Abacha. |
| major crude oil exporting country. Nigeria had been | | | | The struggle for resource control and emancipation |
| earning huge amount of foreign exchange from this | | | | has never being solely an Ogoni affair. The Ogba, |
| lucrative oil business which accounts for major | | | | Itsekhiri, Ijaw, Urhobo and many other communities in |
| infrastructural development in the country. Ironically, | | | | the Niger Delta have embarked on continuous |
| the said infrastructural development is not visible in | | | | struggle. |
| the Niger Delta where this crude oil is drawn. The | | | | Also, regional state governments of oil producing |
| Federal allocation being disbursed to oil producing | | | | states in Nigeria have also met and presented a case |
| states is in no way comparable with the amount of | | | | of increased allocation to at least 10%, for the |
| economic resources that goes out of the Region | | | | development of the Niger Delta but the Federal |
| annually. It is disheartening to see that many of the | | | | Government only granted 3%. The act of high |
| Niger Delta communities that had witnessed massive | | | | handedness and the insensitivity of both past and |
| crude oil exploration and exploitation still live in abject | | | | present federal governments have been a major |
| poverty. These people have no access to basic | | | | contributor to the seemingly unending crisis in the |
| amenities like good roads, schools, portable drinking | | | | region. |
| water, housing and other relevant social | | | | (4) THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE OF CORRUPTION IN |
| infrastructure. Furthermore, the level of infrastructural | | | | NIGERIA |
| development visible in cities like Lagos and Abuja, a | | | | It has been argued that the federal government of |
| former capital and current capital territory of Nigeria | | | | Nigeria over many decades had not allocated enough |
| respectively, which are made possible due to huge | | | | revenue to ensure speedy development in the Niger |
| foreign exchange gotten from crude oil export, | | | | Delta, which is very true to a large extent. But the |
| compared to that prevalent in the Niger Delta, shows | | | | fundamental question is, what has become of the |
| the level of marginalization being suffered by the | | | | acclaimed 'little" revenue gotten so far? |
| Niger Delta Communities. With the aforesaid situation, | | | | It must be mentioned that there has not been |
| looming crisis is inevitable. | | | | prudent management of resources in the Niger Delta. |
| (2) THE OPERATIONAL STANDARD OF OIL | | | | Agencies set up by the Federal and state |
| COMPANIES AND BUSINESSES PRESENT IN THE | | | | governments to speed up development in the area |
| AREA. | | | | are been used as means of siphoning huge amount |
| The Niger Delta region of Nigeria had witnessed | | | | of money to personal pockets. Personalities of |
| massive oil exploration over many decades with | | | | questionable characters are appointed to head these |
| major multinational companies like Shell, Chevron, | | | | bodies, which therefore makes nonsense of entire |
| Texaco and many others at the fore front of these | | | | process. None is to be blamed but government who |
| activities. It must be said that these oil companies | | | | do not monitor properly the activities of these |
| operate well below the standard expected of them. | | | | agencies, to ensure they fulfill the purpose to which |
| The exploration and exploitation of oil companies in | | | | they were created. |
| Niger Delta has been more conspicuous over time. Oil | | | | There is a provisions in the 1999 Constitution that |
| producing areas suffer massive damage as a result | | | | allocates 13% of total revenue gotten from oil to the |
| of the activities of oil companies. Oil companies have | | | | oil producing states of the country and also |
| operated for many decades in the Niger Delta | | | | established the Niger Delta Development Commission |
| without a standard environmental impact assessment. | | | | (NDDC), a federal government agency whose |
| A situation which is unacceptable in developed | | | | responsibility is to accelerate economic development |
| countries. The Niger Delta people are subjected to | | | | and provide infrastructure in the area, but these have |
| cope with oil spillages and environmental degradation | | | | not served the desire purpose at all. |
| as a result of the activities of oil companies. | | | | Some governors of the Niger Delta States are been |
| The corporate responsibility of oil companies and | | | | tried for money laundry by the Economic and Financial |
| other businesses in the area are below international | | | | Crimes Commission, a body set up by the federal |
| standard and this is been undermined by the Federal | | | | government to investigate and prosecute persons |
| government of Nigeria | | | | involve in financial crimes. These governors have |
| (3) THE POOR APPLICATION OF THE FEDERAL | | | | siphoned billions of naira to their personal |
| SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA, THE | | | | aggrandizement. Another question that will arise is "if |
| YEARNING FOR RESOURCE CONTROL AND THE | | | | a governor can steal public fund to the tone of billions |
| HIGH HANDEDNESS OF GOVERNMENT. | | | | of naira, will that same governor not steal more if he |
| The Federal system of government operated in | | | | is allowed to manage economic resources in his area |
| Nigeria, which ought to have been able to address | | | | when a federal system is fully in place?" |
| the issue of resource control had failed to do this, as | | | | The issue of corruption which is highly present in |
| the system is been operated in distortion. The | | | | government and in the social lives of Nigerians must |
| Federal government on many occasion over steps it | | | | be addressed with all seriousness by the federal |
| bounds and this has greatly been exposed in the oil | | | | government. Nothing meaningful will be achieved in |
| exploration in Nigeria. Today, the Federal Government | | | | the Niger Delta when corrupt officials are appointed |
| allocates a percentage of oil revenue to the oil | | | | to manage developmental programmes and projects. |
| producing states of the country annually. This ought | | | | Also, it must be noted that the issue of corruption is |
| not to be so under a functional federal system. The | | | | a national problem, with Nigeria being ranked as one |
| regional governments ought to manage their | | | | of the most corrupt in the world. |