This is an article I wrote on my other blog in July when the events described occurred. I think it’s still relevant so I have moved it here. Enjoy:

I read this article online: cnn.com. It talks about the acceptance of the amnesty offer the Nigerian Government has extended to “militants” in the Niger Delta.

This hits close to home for me, because I hail from the Delta. I never lived there, but both my parents are from around Warri, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the region. I have family there. Plus the crisis has huge implications for the wealth and stability of Nigeria. Things are at at interesting point right now.

The problems in the Niger Delta are not new. There have been ethnic tensions since the 19th Century. There was quite a bit of violence in the late 90′s between the ethnic groups in the area. While I was used to violence, suppression, fear, injustice and corruption at this time (Military Regime in power…comes with the territory), it was usually the “Security Forces” or Secret Police against the people. This was different, however. This was a fight between regular citizens.

Why? Wealth and power; to get it, or to hold on to it. It’s the same thing that happens everywhere else where a group of people are mistreated or deprived of what is rightfully theirs. It is acutely unpleasant to watch others enjoying what you believe should be yours. This experience can only get worse if you are suffering; if you can’t feed your children. There is bound to be an escalation.

That is the story of the Niger Delta Militants. If you view the communities around…the places where the oil is gotten from, most don’t even have basic amenities, like electricity or running water. How can that be when there is so much money being made? Exploitation, Mismanagement, Greed. You can blame the Energy Companies for only so much. At some point we have to take responsibility. Most of that responsibility must be shouldered by the leaders. Most haven’t just lined their pockets, they have stuffed them. I think Nigerians have accepted that leaders will take something for themselves, but one would hope that they would also do some of the work they are supposed to as well. They don’t,usually. So, the money hardly trickles down to the people at the bottom. The people under them watch this, then attempt to get in the same position, so they can do the same while they have the chance. That’s the general situation.

When we have a build up in violence as we have had lately, it is addressed by the Government with full force, finally. However, fixing the UNDERLYING issue never seems to be a major concern. No plan seems to be in place, even though this problem has been there for ages. It’s the same mistake that we all make in our lives, often attacking the symptoms while leaving the real cause in place. There can be no lasting solution until we address that cause.

So now we are here. An important militant leader is being held; Amnesty is offered; money is offered. The Government says they will put in the effort to address this issue, once and for all. Once again, people start to hope that something concrete will happen this time. Perhaps, a proper structure will be put in place to ensure that these areas finally get the development they deserve.

We’ll see…