Militancy threats: Crafting institutionalised responses to address grievances in Niger Delta
What is known to have a root for several forms of aggression in the Niger Delta region at the wake of militancy responses in protest of what was described as agitations against neglect of their land amid degradation of the habitats, has begun to assume newer dimension. The protest of the perceived neglect had forced into existence the formation of militant groups who in their attempt to propel the attention for demands for amnesty had seen bellicose attacks launched on oil facilities, while in some dimensions the dynamics took the turn of kidnapping expatriates for ransom. At the height of aggression in protest for their demands, blowing up oil facilities had created clogs of inconsistencies that led to the crumbling of oil productivity bringing the profile of production to the ebb – a development that saw Nigeria’s accruals from oil heading downwards.
Since the struggle was premised on some justifiable grounds laying claims to demands for compensation for the destruction of natural habitats which have almost eroded the possibilities of artisanal occupation as fishing and farming for livelihood, the negotiation for cease fire was more rational for the government to address the grievances. This has moreover been given some institutionalised structural responses by establishing such bodies as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the year 2000 and further still the larger framework of a separate Ministry for the Niger Delta region in September 2008, to see to the development of the region.
Although the need to secure a cease fire was successfully achieved in 2016, it is now apparent that grievances from emerging dynamics are springing up with threats of resurgence of militant actions. The signals of resurgence of militancy aggression wore a new face as a militant group on Sunday owned responsibility for blowing up a oil facility operated by the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in Ogba-Egbema-Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. The new militant group in the Niger Delta region under the aegis of Bayan-Men which blew up the oil well, OB5, (Obiavu-5) claimed their action was triggered by an alleged failure of NAOC to deal directly with their host communities.Owning the attack on the facility which as at Sunday still have the inferno razing on the facility after a few days, the General of the Bayan-Men in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital, on Sunday had said their aggression was borne by a refusal of the oil firm to allow the natives to benefit from their operation in the area. Alleging that the firm was given to divide and rule tactics, the group demanded that the oil firm deal directly with the 27 communities of Omoku, according to the Federal Government’s resolution, threatening that a failure would attract stiffer aggression on the firm’s facilities.
He was quoted: “The only thing we want Agip to do is to deal directly with the 27 communities of Omoku, according to the Federal Government resolution. We don’t want Agip to be negotiating with anybody. They should deal with the communities. If they continue like this, what we have done now is small to what we will do if they continue. They should not keep us together and treat us like one. They should treat communities individually. We are not joking. We are not interested in killing anybody. Our interest is that they must do the right thing else we will keep blowing up their facilities. We are giving them 24 hours to start the process of doing the right thing.”
The call for intervention has been a quick submission from different quarters. The fear lies in the strains that such disturbances would constitute to oil production which remains Nigeria’s mainstay. In a reaction obtained, the Coordinator-General of Omoku Community Youth Leaders Forum, OCYLF, Comrade Ekeuku Pureheart, who confirmed the ugly development had called on the Federal Government and its relevant Agencies to intervene swiftly before the situation degenerates into uncontrollable circumstances. He was quoted to have said: “Federal Government intervened a long time ago. Now some uncontrollable boys and some militia groups have blown up Agip oil well, OB5. Obiavu-5 is the name of the oil well. The boys are still threatening that if Agip does not engage directly with the communities of Omoku and give them what is due them that they will do more. We are calling on the Federal Government and other relevant agencies to intervene before things get out of hand. This may cause a drop in production. The government does not need any situation that will result in to further drop in production to occur.”
Panic over resurgence of militant activities have recently been taking course as threats from aggressive groups have begun to zoom off very recent. It would be recalled that threats of return to aggression by militants have recently greeted the South-south – a development that has attracted the attention of the Federal Government. In June, a group of militants known to be responsible for aggressive attacks on Nigeria’s oil infrastructure — the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) — had vowed to resume bombing of oil installations across the Niger-Delta region to protest what it described as the government’s neglect of the region. In a statement published on its website on June 26, the group had said “This operation shall be coded ‘Operation Humble’ aimed at bringing down targeted oil installations in the Niger Delta capable of humbling the economy into permanent recession.”
In a reactionary statement on June 27, President Muhammadu Buhari had said: “In addressing your call for immediate restructuring, the National Assembly whose responsibility it is to ensure that our constitution responds to the call for a restructured Nigeria, has already concluded regional consultations and as soon as they finalise the process, necessary action would not be delayed on my part.” Calculated attacks of the group on many oil fields and terminals in 2016 were recorded to have hit hard on oil production in the Country, pushing down the profile to as low as 1.4million-1.5 million barrel per day.
In April, no less than nine militant groups in the Niger Delta, under the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA), had threatened to shun the ceasefire agreement with the Federal Government and resume armed agitation over an allegation of diversion of oil money by their State governors. Alleging that President Buhari has ignored their demand to stop the payment of 13 percent oil derivation fund to State governors in the region, the group had threatened the face off would lead to bloodshed and crumbling the nation’s oil economy. The groups had faulted the payment of the derivation funds to State governors within the region despite protests and suggestions that it be paid directly to the oil producing communities in the region in order to attend to their needs and improve their welfare.
One ‘Major General’ Johnmark Ezonebi, also known as Obama, who spoke on behalf of the groups had threatened after an emergency meeting held in Delta State, that they would soon end the ceasefire they agreed with the Federal Government on August 21, 2016 if the payment of the derivation funds to the governors continues. He was quoted: “There is deliberate abandonment and neglect by the governors of the South-South states who are receiving over N180 billion to N200 billion yearly from the federation account as payment of 13 percent derivation funds from the Federal government on behalf of the oil producing communities in the region as part payment to develop the oil producing communities, but the governors have channelled the funds into their pockets with their cronies and turned deaf ears to the people. But we have strongly resolved that we will soon resume fresh hostilities in the creeks in retaliation for our anger and furious protest as we advise President Buhari to henceforth stop the payment of this money to the South-South governors and channel the 13 percent derivation funds to the oil producing communities; that is the only way out for the interest of peace in the region.”
Following the most recent attack, it has become pertinent for the Federal Government to swing swiftly into action to address the sprouting wings of turbulence with emergency. The need to address the rousing wings of factors spurring the grimy grievances is paramount with immediate instruments to keep situations in check, to guide against situations degenerating into uncontrollable circumstances, which by all means would incontrovertibly further worsen conditions for the Country’s economy.
The undesirability of any form of disturbance capable of interrupting oil operations towards the end of grounding production to a low ebb cannot be overemphasied, particularly at a time like this when the economy is stiffened with strains of dwindling revenue amid rising expenditure demands. Beyond immediate intervention, it has thus become pertinent for the Federal Government to fortify measures of institutional responses to address the fundamental factors of concern informing the grievances over the threats of aggression by aggrieved parties in the region. This is mostly important to pave way for structural parameters to address new concerns brewing from recent dynamics apparently overshadowing and outgrowing the arrangements which guided negotiations for cease fire. The need to upgrade structural standards to meet new demands has become paramount, while the significance to sanitise the subsisting institutionalised framework as the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs which have had their share of mismanagement records is pertinent.
