CONFLICT AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN NIGER DELTA REGION: AN IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY
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CONFLICT AND
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN NIGER DELTA REGION: AN IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL
PRODUCTIVITY
ABSTRACT
This research
work is based on conflict and conflict management in Niger Delta region:
implications for educational productivity using practical situations to
investigate if really education can be productive in regions associated with
persistent crisis. Moreover, it sought to highlight some of the problems the
people of Niger- Delta region have suffered as a result of the crisis, to find
out why the conflicts have persisted and the ways by which these conflicts can
be managed or controlled for there to be
educational development in the Niger-
Delta region.
Data were
collected from the administration of questionnaire, oral interview and group
discussion used for literate adults, illiterate adults and local gatherings of
Niger Delta adults respectively.
Findings revealed
that the crisis in the Niger-Delta region has tremendous negative effects on
the economic, social, political and overall development of the area.
Furthermore, it was shown that there is a falling standard of education in the
region. In addition, it was discovered that lack of employment opportunity,
illiteracy and the poor and unhealthy living conditions of the Niger Deltans
have promoted the conflicts in the
region. Moreover, it was revealed that all round development in the
Niger Delta region will help promote peace and stability.
Finally,
recommendations were given in an attempt to proffer solutions to the persistent
conflicts in the Niger- Delta region.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Conflict is
part of human existence when there is need for social change, but the conflicts
that breed unhealthy killings, deprivation and affects social security is
inhuman and should be resisted and rejected.
With a
population of about 140 million and more than 250 ethnic groups, Nigeria is
Africa’s most populous nation.
The
Niger-Delta region is a network of creeks, lagoons, and mangrove swamp forests
with deposits of hydrocarbons. It is estimated that about 2.5 million barrels
of crude oil is produced daily from Niger-Delta region. This productivity level
puts Nigeria as Africa’s largest oil producer and sixth largest in the world.
In addition, these findings and production contribute to make Niger-Delta
responsible for almost 95% of Nigeria foreign exchange earnings and 90% of it’s
revenue (CBN, Annual report 2003). Invariably, Niger-Delta is very important
and strategic to Nigeria and the international community.
Initially,
Niger-Delta region comprised only six states of Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross
River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states spread across the coastal fringes of Nigeria.
Today, the term Niger-Delta region has come to symbolize all the states
producing crude oil with Abia, Imo and Ondo states added to the previous six.
Due to the
complexity and multifaceted nature of the situation of the oil-producing
communities in Nigeria, it is more apt to describe it as one with “crisis
within crisis”. Inter and intra community relations in the Niger-Delta have, of
recent, been characterized by a high level of conflict and violence. Beginning
in December 1992, the conflict between Ogonis and the oil infrastructure
escalated to a level of greater seriousness and intensity on both sides.
Military repression escalated in May 1994. On May 21, Soldiers and mobile
policemen appeared in most Ogoni villages. On that day, four Ogoni chiefs (all
on the conservative side of schism within MOSOP over strategy) were brutally
murdered. In May 1994, nine activists from the movement which would become
known as ‘The Ogoni Nine’ among them Ken Saro-Wiwa, were arrested and accused
of incitement to murder following the death of four Ogoni elders. Saro-Wiwa and
his comrades denied the charges, but were imprisoned for over a year before
being found guilty and sentenced to death by a specially convened tribunal,
hand-selected by General Sani Abacha, 10thNovember, 1995. The activists were
denied due process and upon being found guilty, were executed through hanging
by the Nigerian state.
The Warri
ethnic war between the Ijaws and Itsekiris which started in March 1997 claimed
hundreds of lives, violence and conflict have also been reported between the
Urhobos and the Itsekiris, and between
different Isoko communities in Delta state different Ijaw communities in
Bayelsa state. The Ogonis have also clashed with the Andonis while the Ijaws
have clashed with the Yoruba communities in Ondo state. Inter community
violence has also been reported in Akwa Ibom State. The level of hatred and
suspicion among the different communities in the Niger-Delta has thus been on
the increase since about 1990 onwards. In an article titled “The coming war in
the Delta”, Ken-Saro Wiwa (1990) had indeed forewarned about the festering of
inter-communal conflicts in the Niger-Delta area. As he put it then:
…..About
three weeks the smouldering war in the Delta claimed its first lives, six dead I, twenty injured. I had foreseen it
way back in 1988, and given ample warning. I fear that war is to come if action
is not taken promptly to diffuse the situation…. I must warn the Delta
communities to abjure violence in the just struggle for their rights…
The ‘worse
is to come’ that Saro-Wiwa warned about has not only indeed arrived, it has
deteriorated to a situation where the various communities in Niger-Delta are
characterized by tension, violence, mistrust and attempts by each community to
demonstrate that it is first among the exploited and despoiled victims of the
Niger-Delta.
While
drawing attention to the increase in the level of inter and intra community
violence, it needs to be emphasized that the relationship between the
communities in the Niger-Delta was characterized by conflict.
The
researcher is interested in investigating the conflicts in the Niger Delta
region and see how the conflicts in the Niger-Delta areas can be effectively
managed by the eradication of the problems faced by the people in the zone.
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM.
The people
of Niger-Delta region have suffered gross social and economic infrastructure
neglect, poverty, frustrations, ecological catastrophes and other deprivations
despite their contributions to the Nigeria prosperity. It is important to note
that the persistent crisis in the Niger-Delta region has affected educational
productivity to a great extent. Conflict puts the vulnerable children at
terrible risk. It can displace children, destroy schools and break down
educational system. Without intervention, children can be denied access to good
and safe education. Good education rarely survives major conflicts as seen in
the Niger-Delta region. Students and teachers often have to flee as school buildings
are destroyed or taken over by armed forces, essential education financial
resources get diverted towards military action, teachers’ salaries are diverted
and materials stop reaching the schools. In the Niger-Delta region, conflict
has forced many families to flee their homes, and end up living in temporary
accommodation where there is no access to schools. The constant movement
creates problems for education making it impossible to establish schools. As
the conflict continues, the hope of going to school fades, and the need for
educational development slows down as attention is shifted on how to resolve
the conflict. This study is designed to investigate the implications of
conflict on the educational productivity in Niger-Delta.
1.2 PURPOSE
OF STUDY
This study
centred on the implications of conflict on the educational productivity in the
Niger-Delta regions. Although, there are many reasons and counter ones for
these conflicts, the investigator showed the root cause of the problems and how
to effectively curb the problems of the inhuman activities occurring in the
zone. This study found out if such conflicts are necessary. Therefore, the
study examined:
1 The
reasons for conflicts and the effects on the educational productivity in the
Niger-Delta region of Nigeria.
2 The ways
by-which these conflicts can be managed or controlled for there to be
educational development in the Niger-Delta region.
3 The role
of education in reducing the persistent conflicts in the Niger-Delta region.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
following research questions were answered during the course of the study:
1 Are
socio-economic and cultural factors responsible for the conflict in the
Niger-Delta region?
2 Is
political factor the reason for the conflict in the Niger-Delta region?
3 Is
attitudinal factor the reason for the conflict in the Niger-Delta region?
4 Has
conflict affected the educational programmes of students in the Niger-Delta
region?
5 Is
provision of employment in the Niger-Delta region a solution?
6 Is
dialogue among factional leaders a solution to the Niger-Delta conflict?
7 Is
rehabilitation of families of the areas in Niger-Delta a solution?
8 Can
education help in reducing the persistent conflict in the Niger-Delta region?
1.4 THE HYPOTHESES
The
following hypotheses were used for the study to corrobate the findings of the
research questions thus:
1
Socio-economic and cultural factors have no significant effect on the
Niger-Delta conflicts.
2 Conflict
has no significant effect on the educational programmes of students in the
Niger Delta region.
3 Provision
of employment has no significant effect on the management of conflicts in the
Niger-Delta region.
4 Dialogue
among factional leaders has no significant effect on the Niger-Delta conflicts.
5 Education
has no significant effect in managing the conflicts in the Niger-delta.
1.5
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Since this
study centred on the implications of conflicts on the educational productivity
in the Niger-Delta region, it’s findings will help enlighten the society on the
effects of conflict on educational development and what to be done so as to
manage the situation in order for there to be development in the society at
large.
This study
will help awaken in the government the need to critically look into the plight
of the Niger-Delta people. Furthermore, this study will intimate and alert the
Niger-Delta people that conflict is not good for educational productivity and
development of the area, as well as provide useful information for those who
wish to research into this field of study.
1.6 SCOPE OF
THE STUDY
This study
is limited to only the Niger-Delta indigenes, the ‘youths and adults’ such as
parents, married and singles alike resident in Niger-Delta region.
1.7 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The
following theories were used in the course of this study.
Human Needs
Theory
Psychologist
Abraham Maslow (1954), was noted with the hierarchy of needs in which he
categorized human needs according to their order of urgency as follows:
physiological needs; safety needs; aesthetic needs and self actualization
needs. He believed that all people are driven by the desire to attain
fundamental human needs. But conflict theorist like Herbert Kelman and John
Burton adopted Maslow’s ideas to conflict theory when they ascertained and
suggested that these needs underlie many deep-rooted and intractable conflicts.
A denial of one or more of these essential human needs will, therefore, result
in conflict and the affected victims will however; fight indefinitely to ensure
the achievement of and attainment of the needs.
It is
however imperative for society to adjust to the needs of people and not the
other way round. Burton (2006), said ethnic minorities must be given an
autonomous status if violence is to be avoided; decision-making systems must be
non-adversarial if leadership roles are to be collaborative
It must be
noted that there is a distinction between individual interest and human needs.
Man is noted to be aggressive in the pursuit of material (physical)
acquisition, which gives room for conflict as a result of the costs involved.
Due to this, there is the introduction of the necessary legal and bargaining
institutions and established processes. There are however, non-material needs
that do evoke aggression whenever there is injustice and these include needs of
recognition and identity. There is no form of bargaining or compromise as found
with the material acquisition that is possible with respect to the human needs.
For example, what kind of compensation is to be paid in return for youths that
are unemployed in a given area, knowing fully well that if they are employed,
they will be able to meet some of their personal needs? The non-provision of
employment however, does lead the youths into getting involved in anti-social
behaviours that are destructive.
STRUCTURAL
THEORY
According to
the structural theory, further insight into the interplay between people,
power, structure and resource exploitation and degradation in the Niger-Delta
could be gained by employing the theory of structuration. Its major benefit is
that it reveals the dynamics of forces in relation to the individual. The
theory of structuration is a complete view of society by Anthony Giddens (1979,
1981, 1992, 1984; Chokor1988). It analyses society and social relations in
terms of:
1 Social
system;
2 Structures;
3 Agency;
and
4
Space-time.
A social
system is composed of reproduced relations between actors that may be
individuals, groups, companies or collectives. Relations are created through
organized rules or social practices. Structures are seen as recursively
organized rules and resources which people draw on and reconstitute in
day-to-day activities, which enables a system to function. Agency concept
relates to the role of the individual within the society, especially in the use
of structure. There is duality in the structure in the sense that it is both
enabling and constraining. Thus the individual agent may as a result of
unbalanced distribution of power in society, be limited in expressing and
attaining goals. For example, the goals of owning and controlling oil resources
are both hampered by federal laws and legal sanctions but at the same time,
people individually or collectively are not entirely helpless and could modify
structures in the social system by seeking to recognize the rules (e.g. current
and past agitation over the Niger-Delta issues led to the revision of 3%
derivation to 13% as provided for in the 1999 constitution). Space-time on the
other hand, simply demonstrates the fact that actions and decisions have
space-time associations, demonstrating the need to take seriously the influence
of space and time on human relationships. The Niger-Delta, for example, has a
terrain which local people have mastered over time, enhancing thus their
capacity to modify structures by using them to their own advantage in the
process of negotiating social relations and in resisting unfavourable external
interventions.
Conflict
Transformation Theory
The
proponent of the theory is Lederach (1995). The theory assumes that conflict is
caused by real problems of inequality and injustice. This inequality and
injustice is however, expressed by competing social, cultural and economic
frameworks where allocation of resources is often not enough to satisfy all
involved (George, 2000; Solomon and Mngqibisa, 2000). Conflict transformation
arises as an alternative to paradigm of conflict resolution. So, it seeks to
address questions usually neglected by conflict resolution experts such as
structural culture and cultural identity and the role individuals can play in
diminishing the intensity and duration of conflict (Miall, Ramsbotham and
Woodhouse, 1999).
Lederach
(1995) and Rupesinghe (1995) affirmed that conflict transformation emphasizes a
multi-track approach in which it recognizes the need to involve multitude of actors
in a number of roles, in order to establish long lasting peace. The main goals
of the theory include: to change structure and frameworks that cause inequality
and injustice, to improve longer term relationships and attitudes among the
conflicting parties, and also develop processes and systems that promote
employment, justice, peace, forgiveness reconciliation and recognition. The
theory additionally makes possible to address the complexity of the conflict.
Conflict transformation theory recognizes the need to transform the conflict at
a number of levels as identified by Varynen (1991), thus: context
transformation, structural transformation, actor transformation, issue
transformation and individual and group transformation. This theory further
gives recognition to the different roles that grassroot actors perform or
contribute to the process of conflict transformation. The grassroot actors are
believed to play a fundamental role in the process of reconciliation and the
promotion of peace. It is these grassroot organizations that are responsible
for the initiation of reconstruction of properties that are damaged, holding
prayer meetings and vigils, holding commissions, organization of festivals of
culture and art, promotion of contacts amongst parties to the conflict and even
assesses the needs of the community. In carrying out the above, there is the
need to have an evaluation of the underlying assumptions of cultural
differences, foster an environment that encourages forgiveness and equality,
and provision of forum for communication.
1.8
DEFINITION OF TERMS
The
following terms have been operational defined as they were used during the
course of study.
1 Conflict:
Conflict is a situation in which people, groups or countries are involved in a
serious disagreement and argument. It is also the argument related to the
Political, Religious, Judicial, Economy and other spheres of the society.
2 Education:
This is a formal process of teaching and learning usually at school, college or
university.
3 Conflict Management:
It means the various ways to bring to an end the raging war or dispute among
warring factions such as groups, society, states or even nations.
4. Adult: An
adult is a person that is physically mature. It is also, a person that is not
less than 18 years. That is, someone that is 18 years and above.
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