Militants Photo: Sun News Publishing

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Elder Statesman, Senator David Dafinone, has identified five major factors fuelling the crisis in the Niger Delta region, even as he predicted that the problems in the area will continue unabated until those problems are addressed.

In an interview with Daily Sun, the second republic lawmaker listed such problems as challenges of minority rights in a multi-ethnic country, poor government at the federal and state levels, theft of crude oil, poor fiscal federalism and the criminalization of politics in the country. According to him, these social ills must be sufficiently addressed before peace can be guaranteed in the region.

His words: “These facts above have contributed greatly to the lack of basic infrastructural facilities for the well being of the people. It is a pity that oil companies are not doing much to alleviate the suffering of their host communities.

Large scale theft of crude oil by politicians and top military men and other vices such as corruption are contributing factor to the unending crisis in the region. It is a known fact that introduction of violence as an instrument of securing legitimate political power has played a significant role in inflaming the crisis in the area. Thugs and gangsters of political enforcers have proliferated the region. This phenomenon which has been dubbed the criminalization of the political process is currently on exhibition at the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission.”

Dafinone counselled President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to engage the restive youths in the region in productive dialogue, warning that adopting a military campaign against the militants would yield no positive fruits.
He suggested that a quiet programme be developed with the restive youths as well as other stakeholders in the region to achieve a workable solution to the bloody mayhem that has devastated the area for years now.

He also suggested that the Nigerian state should adopt an action plan for the reconstruction and development of the region, saying that several plans and studies produced over the years had shown that the area needs urgent developmental attention.
While noting that it would be unnecessary and counter-productive to demonize all the militants and their leaders, Dafinone accused some top military and political leaders of deliberately fuelling the Niger Delta crisis for selfish pecuniary reasons, saying such unpatriotic people gain a lot from the crisis as they steal oil products from the area.