Niger Delta militants and drum beat of war

For many years, resources from crude oil have muzzled the capacity of Nigeria to be creative on ways to manage funds, grow wealth and invent ideas for nation building. It has rather infused in successive leaders and the led, the spirit of stealing, profligacy and waste. Today, there is a flip to the adverse, which pre-conditions Nigeria to a sudden economic recession that comes as recompense and a torment for the country that failed to be frugal in times of plenty.

Although economic diversification is gearing up as a bailout from the recession bedeviling Nigeria, yet, oil still counts as an immediate avenue for succour to propel the economy for implementation of budgets.

The 2016 budget proposal of N6.07 trillion is anchored on a crude oil benchmark price of $38 per barrel and a production estimate of 2.2 million barrels per day. Regrettably, production capacity had dropped drastically to 1.679. The glut in the international crude oil supply has also continued to peg the price of crude oil at less than $40 per barrel, accounting for the gross shortfall in the revenue generated from oil.

The activities of the Niger Delta militants have worsened the already bad scenario. It has limited the scope of government to generate sufficient funds. There is no luck in sight for Nigeria yet amid the sustained hostilities in the oil producing communities, where armed militants are holding sway. The immediate alternative for Nigeria is to call the aggrieved militants to a round table for dialogue.

The government has not been sitting on its oars. Weeks ago, it convened a round table with elders from the Niger Delta who tabled a 16-point demand as way out. President Buhari had promised to study the demands and get back to the elders. But the militants who continued to claim responsibilities for destruction of major oil facilities appear implacable. Hours after the elders and the government jaw-jawed; a group of militants blew up an oil facility in Delta State. They also destroyed repaired oil export facilities in different states. These have induced a heavy haemorrhaging of the nation’s economy.

If dialogues with the militants are considered germane and necessary, what may have eclipsed the plans by the government for that is the confusion and bedlam in the camps of the restive youths? Militant groups are disproportionate in number, all operating independently. Not one would imagine yielding the ground to the other. Efforts to make them bond as a major pressure group to engage the government in talks had consistently proved abortive. Elders from the zone who position themselves as mediators only command a modicum of respect from the war mongering militants. By this, the dilemma of the government could only widen by the day.

All along, Nigeria has seen the need to attend to the basic demands of the people of Niger Delta. In response, the government scrapped OMPADEC and replaced it with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). NDDC commissioned projects on Health, Education (offer of scholarship to students, etc), constructed roads, bridges and culverts. It also offered employment opportunities to some youths, provided potable water, transportation and others. Oil companies too had joined in building facilities.

Again, Amnesty programme also came along as a remedy for disengaging the youths of the Niger Delta from acts of brigandage and militancy. Many who embraced the tool had taken up paid jobs. Constitutionally too, Nigeria conceded 13 percent of revenue from oil to states in the Niger Delta. In addition,President Buhari had launched the Cleanup of Ogoni land to address the problem of environmental degradation.
To cap it all, Nigeria, in 2011, supported the clamour by the south-south to produce the Nigerian President and hence ensured the ascension of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan into power.

What is most regrettable is that the militants are putting wedges before every effort by the rest of Nigeria to reach a truce with them. Of late, they are beating war drums, offering hints that their intransigencies are meant to preparing the south-south zone for secession!

Wisdom demands that timely advice and suggestions must be offered from time to time. The seemingly implacable militants should be mindful that in all situations, every hostility, no matter how deep and intense always end at a round table.

Militants should remember too that though the destruction of the Nigerian economy is their main target, truth is that their own zone will bear the consequences of their bombing of oil facilities.

Painful as it may sound, the world is frantically preparing to do away with fossil oil. Countries with eyes on the future have been investing heavily on solar energy. It is a matter of time before petroleum loses its relevance.