Now,let's get this cleared.There are true militants & there are profiteers.The true militants are a product of the Niger Delta crisis,viz: the crisis of development and the crisis of instability.The true militants are those fighting to put issues related to the abject state of the Niger Delta in the National Agenda.They are people trying to ingrain the sorry state of human existence in the Niger Delta in popular consciousness.They are people that want the Nigerian state to pay attention to the goose that lay the golden egg.They are people that want the Oil multinationals & their partner the Nigeria state to protect our environment,even as they steal our Oil.This is what sustainable development is about,after all.The true militants are freedom fighters.The militants dont ask 4 ransom.now let's talk about the profiteers.

The profiteers are those who ve taken undue advantage of the crisis to pursue their parochial interest.They are those who are in the struggle for their personal aggrandizement.They are those who ve turn the Niger Delta crisis into a business.They are the once who kidnap people for ransom.They are the once who kidnap innocent little children,who do not know anything about the crisis.They are the once who ve turn the crisis into venture to achieve personal ends However,you should know that,anywhere there is fake,there is an original.Cus the fake is only an imitation of the authentic.

For more on this,read

Ibaba,S.Ibaba, "UNDERSTANDING THE NIGER DELTA CRISIS",Port Harcourt:Amythst & colleagues publishers,2006.


I am tired of quoting Godsson.But I just cant help it.lol

well said..
couldnt have said it better, Ribadu may have fought and won turbulent corruption wars, that doesnt make him above d law and due process. Its time fr us to shove away sentiments and be realistic. Even though Ribadu was tagged to be Obj's watch dog, that doesnt change the fact that the awareness was not created...certain individuals might have been victimised though but the fear of EFCC has been instilled on the minds of greedy politicians and i believe that has gone a long way in acheiving postive results in the fight against corruption

Insentivity of leadership of Niger Delta has immensely contributed to the show of shame in that region. Moreover the people of the region, too, seem not to be ready to get themselvews extricated from  the schakle of backwardness and poverty as they contiunue to help these rogues to power. They must now rise against the traitors that parade themselves as leaders in that region. These leaders tactically collude with the power that be in the centre to further impoverish the hapless niger Deltans. What have they done with the huge financial resources they have drawn  from the federal purse to advance the economy and political stability of the region?

Buddyflex,I must commend u 4 ur clear understanding of the ND crises.Many folks here seem 2 misunderstand the crux of the crises.They are looking @ the symptoms rather than looking @ the ailment.Just 2 reiterate,let me state it here that the so called militants are not part of the crises but an offshoot or offspring of the crises.

The ND crisis is a crisis of UNDERDEVELOPMENT,caused by unbridled ethnic chauvinism & ethnic based political domination,that ve given those with access to State power,the opportunity 2 exploit & expropriate those without power.In this case,the Niger delta happened 2 be the victims.This crisis of underdevelopment,which is characterized by the Niger Delta masses living in abject penury,while the whole country grow fat from the Petro-dollar, which is earn through activities that ve many negative externalities for the ND people.The frustration that comes out of this(the crisis of Underdevelopment)was/is what ve led to the 2nd crisis-the crisis of INSTABILITY.The crisis of instability has taken various forms.Namely,intra & inter communal & ethnic conflicts,Youth restiveness,hostage taking,insurgence(which some of u call militancy),sabotage of the Fed Govt interest in the area,etc.

You cannot understand the Crises without putting it in its proper perspective like this.Some of u ll ask,"is he then saying the Niger delta ruler ain't part of the problem?"I ain't saying that.I'm only saying,u should look past the smoke(flame)& see the fire.Buddyflex talked about a pre-independence agreement to develop the area.Yes the Willinks Commission report said the ND should be declared a SPECIAL AREA 4 development,but nothing was done.
For those of you talking about Militancy,ve u ever asked urself why there weren't militancy B4 1999?Have u taken the time out 2 ask urselves why the once peaceful ND people,who actually fought in the side of Nigeria during the 30 Months Civil war,decided to be agitating all of a sudden?It's called CONSCIOUSNESS in Marxism.

I guess,in our heart of hearts,we know the parasites in the Nigerian body polity.Thus reactionary elements that ve continually opposed change in this country.Those who dont want to contribute anything but want to hind under a bastardized & stifled federal structure to arrogate far more than their fair share of the 'common wealth'.The denial of truth does not take its true essence from it.However,they should remember what Karl Marx(1818-1883)says"those that make peaceful change impossible,make violent change inevitable.

SANUNKU!
You all ve said ur bits.Now let's leave the realm of ethnic based sentimentalism and face the existential realities of the contemporary Nigerian Political-Economy.
Shamsuddeen above made some very pertinent points that I cannot ignore.

Firstly,he said "oil is a curse".It seem true if taken on its face value.However,that statement is untrue after further enlightened scrutiny.OIL IS NOT A CURSE.IT IS OUR MISMANAGEMENT OF IT THAT A CURSE.The United Arab Emerate & Bahrain,that are managing their Oil revenues well & diversifying their economies are doing well. Unfortunately,the North ve presided over this mismanagement of every facet of the Nigerian social formation longer than any other region.

Secondly,he was right when he said "most of the Developed States of the world are not oil producing".However,I'll want him to know that that is not entirely true.The US and Russia are Oil Producing States(O.P.S)Russia supplies many European states oil & gas.U can find out more on this.
Thirdly,in as much as I totally agree with him on the need for us to pay more attention to the development of quality HUMAN CAPITAL,I beg 2 humbly disagree with his thesis on Niger Delta oil being a Coincidence.Anybody that know anything about oil exploration & exploitation,& its negative externalities to the host community will not dare say that.It's like telling the people of Jos or Enugu that the destruction of their environment caused by Tin & Coal exploitations were mere coincidence.This is the crux of the matter.It is this belief that Oil is a coincidence,that ve fueled the Northern arrogance that's at the heart of this crisis.You cannot call the degradation of a people's environment,the loss of their culture & tradition occupations & means of livelihood a mere coincidence.Is like going to Rano,Doguwa,Shanono or Beebeji in Kano to destroy their farms & say its a coincidence.

Fourthly,he talked about the looting by Niger Delta rulers.I'll want him to show me 1 Northern ruler from Pre-Independence to date that ve not stole from the Common Wealth.

Also,he said"AS FOR WE THE NORTHERNERS, OUR GRAND FATHERS LIVED BETTER AND IN A MORE PEACEFUL NORTH WITHOUT OIL THAN WE ARE LIVING NOW WITH OIL".Yes they did.They did because they enjoyed 100% of the revenue that come from their produce from 1946-1957 before the Raisman Commission was set up.They enjoyed 50% Derivation % another 30% from the Distributive Pool based on Population & Land Mass.Yes ur Grand Father built ABU & BUK with such moneys.But when Nigeria was an Agrarian economy.So now that we ve an Oil Economy why cant the Niger Delta Children who were suffering when ur Grand parents were enjoying ve their turn?

Furthermore,Shamsuddeen,was right when he said Oil is not everything.Yet it contributes more than 85% of our GNP and over 90% of our Foreign Exchange earnings.
In concuding my Shamsuddeen section,I'd say,We cannot & should not waste our time in attempting to deny the pivotal place of the Niger Delta in the Nigerian Political Economy.

CHEDEE
I dont know what part of the world u re.But definitely not Nigeria of 2008. 90% of the money used to pay the 44 LGA Chairmen(including my favorite Buharin Dala.lolz) in Kano come from the Niger Delta. I think you are joking when you mentioned vegetable etc.Do u think the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,UAE& Quatar  produce food?The Petrodollar that comes from their resource take care of that. Can you show me one state in the North that can survive for 4 months without Federal Allocations?Dan Allah,yaakuri daya!just one.
What share of constitutional right are u talking about?Which constitution?Is it the Constitution that was drafted by the Hausa-Fulani elite to serve their interest?Why is the North so much against true Federalism if they can survive with just Vegetable and other food items?The answer is the North will collapse withing 1 year without oil money.

SIGNALPUTTE
Who cares if the Oil multinationals are relocating to other countries?To the people of the Niger Delta,that's good news.It means that the will witness less Acid Rain,Polution & dislocation of their local economies.
You said other African countries are discovering Oil.How is that the business of the Niger Delta people?Why not tell me that the North has started exporting Oil? 
Please be informed,Tinubu is not and ll never be a Niger Deltan.So his name ve no business in this discuss.As 4 the gravity,only time ll tell.

Khadijah Yarinya DadiIlolz.
I know some Northers are hustlers.But the majority are not.I am waiting for U 2 show me how the millions of Almagiries I see everyday are hustlers.I am waiting for U 2 show me how the Civil servants that come go Audu Bako Secretariate by 2pm for work after Masalashi are hustlers.lolz