RAMPAGE ON THE MANGROVES:: A Blessing or A Curse

By Perekeme Odon

Oil Spillage & Gas Flaring in Bayelsa state

The Federal Republic of Nigeria commonly referred to as Nigeria is a federal constitutional republic in West Africa, bordering Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. 

Its coast in the south lies on the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. It comprises 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, where the capital, Abuja is located. Nigeria is officially a democratic secular country.

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

Modern-day Nigeria has been the site of numerous kingdoms and tribal states over the millennia. The modern state originated from British colonial rule beginning in the 19th century, and the merging of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1914. The British set up administrative and legal structures whilst practicing indirect rule through traditional chiefdom. Nigeria became a formally independent federation in 1960, and plunged into a civil war from 1967 to 1970. It has since alternated between democratically elected civilian governments and military dictatorships, until it achieved a stable democracy in 1999.

Nigeria is often referred to as the "Giant of Africa", owing to its large population and economy. With approximately 182 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world.

General Yakubu Jack Gowon

The country is viewed as a multinational state, as over 500 ethnic groups, of which the three largest are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba; these ethnic groups speak over 500 different languages, and are identified with wide variety of cultures, inhabit it. The official language is English, although many local languages such as Hausa, Youruba, Igbo and Ijaw are also spoken.

Nigeria is divided roughly in half between Christians, who live mostly in the southern part of the country, and Muslims in the northern part. A minority of the population practice traditional. Its currency is the Naira.

Oil was discovered in Nigeria in 1956 at Oloibiri, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa state, and Ogoni land in Rivers state in 1958 respectively after half a century of exploration. The discovery was made by Shell. Nigeria joined the ranks of oil producers in 1958 when its first oil field came on stream producing 5,100 bpd. After 1960, exploration rights in onshore and offshore areas adjoining the Niger Delta were extended to other foreign companies.

Col. Odumegwu Emeka Ojukwu

In 1965 the EA field was discovered by Shell in shallow water southeast of Warri. In 1970, the end of the Biafran war coincided with the rise in the world oil price, and Nigeria was able to reap instant riches from its oil production. Nigeria joined the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1971 and established the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) in 1977; a state owned and controlled company, which is a major player in both the upstream and downstream sectors.

Apart from petroleum, Nigeria’s other natural resources include natural gas, tin, iron ore, coal and limestone, niobium, lead, zinc and arable land.

Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro

Petroleum production and export play a dominant role in Nigeria's economy and account for about 90% of her gross earnings. This dominant role has pushed agriculture, the traditional mainstay of the economy, from the early fifties and sixties, to the background.

Major Events in the history of the Nigerian Oil and Gas started in 1908.Nigerian Bitumen Com pany & British Colonial Petroleum commenced operations around Okitipupa. Also in 1955, Mobil Oil Corporation started operations in Nigeria. In 1956, Shell Changed name to Shell-BP Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, and 1958 first shipment of oil export was embarked in Nigeria.

Competition for oil wealth has fueled violence between many ethnic groups, causing the militarization of nearly the entire region by ethnic militia groups as well as Nigerian military and police forces.

Chief Harold Dapp-Biriye

In view of the exploitation of the people and resources of the Niger Delta Region, Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro; a Chemistry graduate and one-time Student Union President at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1964/65 session, formed the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF), and translated the struggle for self determination and resource control initially pursued by Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye and his contemporaries through constitutional measures into armed battle by unilaterally declaring independence for the Region,  Niger Delta Peoples Republic, on February 23,1966 first in Africa.

However, his NDVF was crushed after 12 consecutive days of intensive fighting with the Federal troops at Mbiama River in the present Rivers State. Following the crushing of the insurrection by the Federal Government, Isaac Boro, as expected was incarcerated, tried for treason, and sentenced to death on June 21,1966. He was later pardoned by General Yakubu Gowon on August 4,1967. Along with his Lieutenants, Retired Captain Owonaro and Nothingham Dick.

Sir Ahmadu Bello

From 2004, violence hit also oil industry with piracy and kidnappings. In 2009, a presidential amnesty program accompanied with support and training of ex-militants proved to be a success. Thus until 2011, victims of crimes were fearful of seeking justice for crimes committed against them because of a failure to prosecute those responsible for human rights abuses.

Nigeria, after nearly four decades of oil production, had by the early 1980s became almost completely dependent on petroleum extraction economically, generating 25% of its GDPC, this has since risen to 60% as of 2008.

Despite the vast wealth created by petroleum, the benefits have been slow to trickle down to the majority of the population, who since the 1960s have increasingly been forced to abandon their traditional agricultural practices.

Annual production of both cash and food crops dropped significantly in the latter decades of 20th century. Cocoa production dropped by 43%. Nigeria was the world's largest cocoa exporter in 1960. Rubber dropped by 29%, cotton by 65%, and groundnuts by 64%.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo

In spite of the large number of skilled, well-paid Nigerians who have been employed by the oil companies, the majority of Nigerians and most especially the people of the Niger Delta states and the far north have become poorer since the 1960s.

The 1970s and 1980s saw the government's empty promises of benefits for the Niger Delta peoples fall through, with the Ijaw and Ogoni growing increasingly dissatisfied and their environmental, social, and economic apparatus rapidly deteriorating.

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) was formed in 1992. MOSOP, spearheaded by Ogoni playwright and author Ken Saro-Wiwa, became the major campaigning organization representing the Ogoni people in their struggle for ethnic and environmental rights. Its primary targets, and at times adversaries, have been the Nigerian government and Royal Dutch Shell.

Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe

The current conflict in the Niger Delta arose in the early 1990s over tensions between foreign oil corporations and a number of the Niger Delta's minority ethnic groups who feel they are being exploited, particularly the Ogonis and the Ijaws. Ethnic and political unrest has continued throughout the 1990s despite the conversion to democracy and the election of the Obasanjo’s government in 1999.

Nigeria was the world's tenth largest oil exporter. This abundance in oil reserves has resulted in widespread exploitation. The Niger Delta region encompasses about 8% of Nigeria’s landmass. The Niger Delta is the largest wetlands region on the African continent.

Ken Saro-Wiwa

Oil drilling in the region began in the 1950s. In the beginning, the oil drilling in the region really stimulated Nigeria’s economy and was extremely beneficial to the country. Numerous multinational corporations established oil operations in the region and made a conscious effort to violate any environmental or human rights regulations.

Shell began drilling in the Niger Delta region in 1956. Over time, Shell’s presence in Nigeria has become more and more detrimental. This negative consequence is a result of thousands of oil spills, human rights violations, environmental destruction, and corruption.

Oil Spillage in Bayelsa state

When petroleum is discharged into the soil, the soil becomes acidic which disrupts the photosynthesis process and kills the trees because their roots are not able to attain oxygen. Moreover, the fish population has also been negatively affected by oil drilling.

Oil Pipelines in Rivers state

The region is home to over 250 different fish species, 20 of these species are found nowhere else in the world. If oil spills continue at this rate entire species will become extinct and the entire Nigerian fishing industry will be abolished.

The oil and gas sector accounts for about 35 per cent of gross domestic product, and petroleum exports revenue represents over 90 per cent of total exports revenue.

Today the Nigerian nation is boiling and asking whoever has an answer to tell them if crude oil is a curse or a blessing to the nation and its inhabitants.