ETHNIC MILITIA AS SECURITY THREAT A STUDY OF MEND IN WARRI

ETHNIC MILITIA AS SECURITY THREAT A STUDY OF MEND IN WARRI

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to Study

With an expanding population of over 120 million, and an estimated oil reserve totaling to about 41.5 billion recoverable barrels, Nigeria arguably remains one of Africa’s richest economies. Nigeria ranks as the sixth largest producer of oil and petroleum products in the entire globe, which has also seen it as propelling the economic structure of the nation with oil exploration accounting for over 90 per cent of the country’s exports while there are other minerals available in the country’s rich soil which includes also Barite, Coal, Columbite, Fluorite, Gold, Iron, Kyanite, Uranium, Natural Gaze, Phosphate, Tin.

Despite these enormous deposits of natural and human resources the country is still regarded as a poor nation when evaluated in the GDP rate. This is evident also considering the high level of unemployment, the huge gap that exists between the rich and those living below the poverty level, the high rate of political instability that was witnessed shortly after independence in 1960 culminated to several coups and counter coups that plunged the nation into military dictatorship governments which spanned for over two decades.

This is captured in the analysis of David Bevan, Paul Collier and Jan Willem Gunning as they wrote that during the first six years of Nigeria’s independence between 1960 and 1966 the North and South which was carefully allied with each other towards benefiting from the rich oil that had started coming out from the Niger Delta region, subsequently it brought about two military coups that too place in 1966 while at the same time the threat of secession by the eastern region that saw the nation witness a long drawn civil war that lasted between war that lasted between 1967- 1970 with a casualty of about two million lives.

The outcome of these several military regimes were high level of centralization of government at the federal level, while the other tiers suffered, the high level of corruption by the self proclaimed military leaders who co -opted with civilians in embezzlement of public funds without accountability, press censorship and clamp down on opposition groups and gross neglect of the minority and oil producing communities. This was the situation until finally pressures from within and outside the country led to the new democratic wave in 1999.

Off course it is arguable the nation will have to battle with the long neglect of democratic governance and values which had eluded her for years. And prominent amongst this mirage of developmental problems is the Niger Delta region crisis. The region has witnessed increasing newly formed oil minorities social movements, which have progressed from voice protests to armed struggle to present their demands.

This research project will examine the ethnic militia movements in the Niger Delta region and the origin of the crisis, it also examines the tools and resources for this collective action in the Niger Delta region as used by the militia organizations, current force of action and the current media debate.

The character and role of the state is important to this work which have often been criticized as contributing to the phenomena of the militia movements, their responses to the emergence and activities of several militia groups. Finally the project seeks to proffer recommendations which are designed not only to managing these conflicts but also to finding a lasting solution to these violent protests.

1.2     Statement of Problem

Nigeria in Brief Prior to the 1999 democratic change Nigeria’s route to harnessing it’s great potentials in human and natural resources stems from her seeming large population and petroleum wealth which ironically have been stalled by political and economic instability. This has seen the country witness various coups, military dictatorships for over two decades, economic mismanagement of huge oil resources, corruption and leadership styles that have remained questionable.

ETHNIC MILITIA AS SECURITY THREAT A STUDY OF MEND IN WARRI