Niger Delta Distress

international | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Tuesday February 21, 2006 10:13 by M.M. Mc Carron - osi

Political and Economic Confusion

Nigeria and the Niger Delta- the Oil Delta.

There has been considerable concern about the distress in the Niger Delta at the present time.

An analysis of the situation is called for.

Among factors to be considered is the proposed change of Constitution of Nigeria to assure the current President a third term.

A secnd consideration might be the arrest of an oil state Governor in London where he had no political immunity. While alleged charges are possible, one would question why the British authorities felt confident enough to carry out an arrest at this particular time of a person who would be sympathetic to the plight of his Ijaw people who regard this arrest as a humiliation smacking of colonial interest.

It is worth noting that the Ijaw activist group MEND while into material destruction is not looking for money in exchange for hostages.

The Ijaw population is about 6 million in the Niger Delta while Ogoni is half a million.

There is criminal bunkering supposedly carried out by a wide range of criminal interests.

The Dirty Trick of agitating local disturbance in order to give excuse for militarisation should also be examined.

Meanwhile the local population suffers distress coming from abuse of power on all sides by those in possession of it including the oil companies who are in partnership with the government through their joint ventures. Silence would be Treason.