DO THE NEEDFUL AND QUICKLY TOO

“ Usually panic is associated with fire outbreak as many could hold themselves, neither do they compose and or react positively and decisively to the benefit of all victims of the outbreak. Most delay and get confused, to the extend that a commonly and regularly used door and locks could no longer be opened easily. While some react to put off the fire at the same time save lives and properties, some turned off electrical appliances including computers. Some resort to the use throwing of water, in cans or from various containers. One man said, ‘Maybe we should just wait.’” Despite the hesitancy of others, while exclaim loudly against any delay. There would a lot of agitations in minds such as “We need to get out of here now!” “If anyone falls, pick him up and keep moving,” “We’re all going to make it!” gingering all to make.

    In case of fire outbreak endeavour to be close to the floor, and move quickly to the nearest exit. Most times difficulties of view are posed by serious smoke making it hard to see, and at the same time the smoke is been inhaled causing choke in the chest and a possible collapse. Leave behind personal items. Seconds can make the difference between life and death.

    when it come to the disaster cause be an earthquake. Get under sturdy furniture or next to an inside wall. Expect aftershocks, and get outside and away from buildings as soon as you can. Trained rescuers may not arrive for hours, so try to rescue others if you can.

    In some countries that are close to the sure, suffer a lot as it concerns rush of water on the coasts. If the water suddenly rushes away from the shore, move quickly to higher ground. Expect more and larger waves.

    In a tornado or a hurricane. Go to a storm shelter without delay.

    In a flood. Stay out of flooded buildings. Avoid wading in or driving through water. Floodwater can contain sewage and conceal dangers, including debris, open manholes, and downed power lines.

    Did you know? Two feet [0.6 m] of moving water can carry a car away. Most deaths in a flood result when people try to drive through moving water.


    If the authorities order evacuation, leave immediately! Let friends know where you are, or they may risk their lives looking for you.
    A family listens to a radio

    If authorities order evacuation, leave immediately!

    Did you know? Text messaging may be more reliable than telephone voice service.

    If the authorities direct residents to remain at home or shelter in place, stay inside. In case of an outdoor chemical, biological, or nuclear accident or attack, stay indoors, turn off ventilation, and seal all doors and windows. In a nuclear event, go to the lowest internal part of your building to reduce exposure to radiation. Listen to local TV or radio news. Stay indoors until authorities announce that the threat has passed.

WAY TO FINANCIAL BREAKTHROUGH

Pathway could be described as route, a system, a method or a process of achieving a giving task or assignment.

FINANCIAL FREEDOM

This refers to the ability to be financially self-sufficient. The ability to be in control of your finances. Combining the two phrases together gives us a clear meaning of the subject of discussion. That is; pathways to financial freedom mean the process, methods or ways of achieving financial self-sufficiency or be in total control your financial life. In other -way pathways to financial freedom could also mean what could be done to ensure that financially you are not under tension or pressure or stress.

WHAT DO I DO TO GAIN FINANCIAL FREEDOM

To be free from debt and to have what is sufficiently enough to meet your need; the following recommended steps should be taken.

1. BE WILLING, READY, AND ABLE TO TAKE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Are you   ready to   accept responsibility for  changing your financial situation? Do you believe that you can and will change the way you make financial decisions? Can you identify at least one benefit you hope to gain by changing your money management behaviour?

2.ASSESS YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION

Start your journey with a self-assessment designed to motivate you. Find out what is your current financial position. Use this simple quiz to help you assess your current financial situation. Complete the test by filling in always, some time or never. Then do the scoring at the end of the parameter provided to see how you are faring.

3.    CLEARING FINANCIAL CLUTTER

Clean up   your financial position by   identifying the following.

Wasteful spending.

* Area of financial stress. That is area   where you   have overloaded your finances and start cutting down.

* Check your debt profile and decide how to clean it up.

* Note the parasite.

* Check the direction of your spending: i.e. consumption or investment tended.

4. SET SMART FINANCIAL GOALS 

Before you think about setting goals, review the five parts of SMART goals.

S

A smart goal is specific.  It pinpoints something you want to change to achieve.

M

A smart goal is measurable. You can measure or count a SMART goal.

A

A smart goal is achievable. Setting goals too high can lead to frustration.

R

A smart goal is  rewarding.

Reaching the goal should be a reward for your hard work.

T

A smart goal is trackable. Set milestones and schedules for your goals.

5. SET A TIME FRAME FOR YOUR GOAL

Set short-term, mid-term and long-term goals

Personal financial goals will differ in the length of time needed to achieve them. Short-term goals are priorities that can be accomplished within two years. Be sure every goal has a specific purpose, an amount that it will cost, and a realistic target date. Mid-term goals are priorities that can be accomplished within two to five years. Make sure your goals are realistic and flexible, if you set your goals too high, frustration will keep you from reaching them. Long-term financial goals are priorities that may take more than five years to accomplish. Most long-term goals require regular savings.

6.    PREPARE    FOR EMERGENCY

Expect the unexpected. Unfortunately, bad things sometimes happen to good people. In fact, bankruptcy filers often site an "unforeseen" event as the cause of their financial demise. In addition to long-term savings, financial experts agree that consumers should aim to have three to six months living expenses saved for emergencies. By learning to expect the unexpected, you can keep a minor financial setback from turning into a major financial crisis.

7.    SECURE    YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE

Don't despair if you are behind on your retirement goals. If it is any consolation, you aren't alone; studies show many households are not adequately prepared for retirement. Here are some things to consider when assessing your retirement savings: Take advantage of available resources.

Participate in your company's retirement plan, particularly if they have a "matching funds" program. Not participating in this type of program is literally leaving money on the table and passing up significant tax advantages. If a company program is not available to you, consider establishing an Independent Retirement Account (IRA).

Seek professional guidance. A trusted planner can help you to determine the amount to withhold. They can also help you determine your tolerance for risk and map out a comprehensive strategy that will bring you closer to your financial goals. Take an active role. When you enrol in a retirement plan, you spend time researching your investment options in order to make informed decisions. Yet most people fail to actively manage their accounts by rebalancing their allocation of assets when market conditions change. Rebalancing your portfolio every year to keep the percentages where you want them is the key to maximising returns and minimising risk. Also, if you have experienced a raise in compensation, consider increasing your retirement savings. Finally, avoid cashing out early. Remember, if you withdraw money from your RS A, you will have to pay tax. In addition to providing your family with the basic necessities of life, you may feel responsible for their overall financial well-being. One of the best ways to care for your family is to be sure that you are prepared if something were to happen to you or another member of your family.

Perform a health insurance checkup.

Find out exactly what services are covered and learn what preventive services are offered while performing your health insurance check-up. Ask if there limits on medical tests, out-of-hospital care, mental health care, and prescription drugs. Research your premiums and co-payments. Explore the difference in cost between using doctors in the network and those outside it. Find out if there a limit to the maximum you would pay out-of-pocket. If you do not have health insurance,' seek assistance from Medicaid or your local state-sponsored plan.

Perform an auto insurance check-up.

Auto insurance pays for damages, injuries and other losses specifically covered by your policy. Most states require vehicle owners to purchase liability insurance, which covers bodily injury and property damage. Read your policy carefully while performing your auto insurance check-up to know exactly what it covers Pay special   exclusions.

FACTS ABOUT NIGER DELTA OF NIGERIA

The Niger Delta has so occupied the local, national and international newsstands for the past 19 years that many people are beginning to think as if it is the only delta in the world. This is not correct as there are several other deltas. A delta is a triangular alluvial deposit at the mouth of a river caused by the tidal currents. Be that as it may, some deltas (i.e. 1,2,4,5 and 10 in Table 1-1) are not in the tropics.  These distinctive characteristics are common to all the deltas of the world.

In this study, we have selected for investigation ten major deltas (wetlands) of the world and their locations are at Table 1-1.

Table 1-1 Major Deltas of the World

S/No	Name of Delta	Location	Size
1.	Mekong Delta	China – Asia	49,520 kilometres
2.	Mississippi Delta	United States of America – North America	3,705 kilometers
3.	Niger Delta	Nigeria – Africa	70,000  square kilometers
4.	Nile Delta	Egypt – Africa	3,349,000 square kilometers
5.	Yangtze Delta	China – Asia	Not available
6.	Pearl Delta	China – Asia	Not available
7.	Okavango Delta	Angola – Africa	16,000 square kilometers
8.	Orinoco Delta	Venezuda – South America	2,140 square kilometers
9.	Mahakam Delta	Indonesia – Asia	Not available
10.	Mackenzie Delta	Canada – North America	1,738  square kilometers

The deltas of the world have been undergoing major socio-economic and political changes since the beginning of the 1970s, but dramatically from 1990s. These changes have fundamental bearings on the environment, institutions, and processes of governance, as well as the security, norms and values of the local communities. The changes equally pose challenging tasks in a variety of ways by raising issues of structural, institutional, legal frameworks, human capacity and infrastructural development, human (social) rights, resource control, and management that make the deltaic regions fragile and volatile. The changes and challenges require strong political will and prudent governance in harnessing the resources of the area and at the same time redressing the problems facing the deltas in the interest of long-term consolidation.

There is no doubt that the greatest problem facing the deltas is that of environment posed by the different terrains and industrialisation programmes. Thus, it has become more and more obvious that a pan delta strategy has to be applied as the problems reveal similarity(Etekpe A, 2007:122). This is important because apart from the Niger Delta that has been in tumult, the present relative peace in the other deltas is not a guarantee that all is well. Pearl delta in Southern China, for example, is described as “notoriously polluted”, and a potential “trouble spot”.

Although much has been written about the Niger Delta, Toby, Gabriel (2008:22-23), a one-time Deputy Governor of Rivers State’s vivid account of it requires rehearsal;

Before the oil, the Niger delta communities existed as autonomous political entities with trade links with European countries. They managed their resources and were their own masters. The Portuguese, the Dutch, the French, the British did not find the political independence of these communities conductive of their quest to establish a foothold in the Atlantic and unfettered trade links with the hinterland. There were great rivalry and competition amongst them.

Toby went further to narrate how the region became one of the most leading slave markets in West Africa. By 1830 when the slave trade was abolished, palm oil and kernel took over. Between 1834 and 1850, the Niger delta exported about 18,000 tonnes of palm oil to Europe and earned £800,000 out of the total £1,500 earned by Africa in the export of oil. Between 1950 and 1960, Niger delta produced over 2,100,000 tonnes of palm oil and 4,654,000 tonnes of palm kernels and exported 233,918 tonnes of palm oil to Europe. Indeed, the Niger delta was dominant in the production of palm oil and kernel that enhanced the wealth of Nigeria. It should be noted that during this period, the region retained all the proceeds and paid appropriate taxes to the federal government as the country applied the principle of derivation.

Palm produce remained one of the foremost foreign exchange earners of Nigeria until 1973 when the country started recording an unprecedented boom in its crude oil trade, thanks to the Arab-Israeli war of that year.

Throughout the 1950s which were the period of self-government under colonial supervision; and the 1960s, the independence years, palm produce generated the country’s revenue among other cash crops.  But by 1973, crude oil started generating far much more revenue than the agricultural products beyond the imagination of the nation’s authorities; cash crop production was neglected as manna was literally falling from heaven.  And since then, crude oil has not ceased flowing.  Why strain yourself to labour on a farm to get money when you can scoop out crude oil, sell it, and make ten times more money than you make from your farm products?  That was the situation.

The production of palm produce and other cash crops was abandoned because of easy money from crude oil.  Trade in palm produce did not dwindle.  It was neglected.  Thus, the Niger Delta region continued to be the economic live-wire of Nigeria from the pre-colonial times to the present era. Paradoxically, the region that has propelled Nigeria to the position of the 7^th largest producers of crude oil in the world remains “poor, backwards and deliberately neglected.” As Adesina, Dabo (2009:1-2), put it, “after 53 years of oil discovery, the region is even more impoverished than before; and the federal government blames oil companies for the Niger Delta crisis….” The crisis or paradox as explained by Moffat and Linden (1995:527), “whereas the Niger Delta is the richest part of Nigeria in terms of natural resources, extensive forests, good agricultural land and abundant fish resources, the region’s potential for sustainable development remains unfulfilled and its future is being threatened by environmental degradation and deteriorating economic conditions which are not addressed by the present policies and actions”. Moffat and Linden concluded that “thirty-nine (now fifty-three) years of oil development have not brought significant benefits to the region.…”

The Gross National Product (GNP) per capita in the Niger Delta is below the national average of USD1.25. Out of the total population of 21 million in 2006, 11.74m were unemployed and over 70 percent were living in rural communities characterised by a lack of development, stagnant agricultural productivity, negligible opportunities, tenuous property rights, and high mortality rate.

Following the foregoing gloomy scenario, the people became restive, and some angry youths resorted to militancy. This degenerated into the proliferation of militant groups that slipped into criminality in form of destruction of oil installations, oil pipeline vandalization, kidnapping, and hostage-taking. As the federal government counter-insurgency failed, President Yar’Adua proclaimed amnesty for the militants and pleaded for a peaceful negotiated settlement of “the Niger Delta Questions” in May 2009.

This study is to apply a pan delta approach to reviewing and recommend proactive strategies that would be adaptable to the deltas of the world. The study is not a rehearsal of existing literature, but a discussion on some of the “unfinished themes” on deltaic regions, with emphasis on the Niger Delta worth pursuing with utmost vigour and dedication. The essence is to enhance the political competence of the local communities and strengthen the capacity of the civil society for the long term consolidation of sustainable development, conflict resolution and peace-building.

REFERENCES:

Commission for Racial Justice, United Church of Christ (UCC): Toxic Wastes and Race in the United State: A National Report on the Racial Land: Socio-Economic Characteristics of Communities with Hazardous Waste Site. New York: UCC.

Colson, Elizabeth (1953). “Social Control and Vengeance in Plateau Tonga Society. Africa 23.

Dappa – Biriye, Harold .J.R. (1995). Minority Politics in Pre-and-Post Independence Nigeria. Port Harcourt: University of Port Harcourt Press.

Davis, Kenneth Culp (1979). Discretionary Justice:A Prechinimary Inquiry. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Derefaka, Abi & Okorobia, Atie M (2007). The Future of the Niger Delta: The Search for a Relevant Narrative.  Port Harcourt: Onyoma Research Publications.

Dickson, David (1974). The Politics of Alternative Technology.  New York: Universe Books.

Ekpebu, L.B(1991). Development Strategies for the Niger Delta. Ibadan:  Africa Humanities Monographs 10.

Etekpe, Ambily (2007).          Minority Politics in Nigeria: The Case of South-South and Middle Belt Regions. Ibadan: Kemuela Publications.

Etekpe, Ambily (2007).          The Politics and Conflicts over Oil and Gas in the Niger Delta: The Experience of the Bayelsa State.  Port Harcourt: TowerGate Resources.

Etekpe, Ambily (2009).          African Political Thought & Its Relevance in Contemporary World Order. Port Harcourt: Harey Publications Company.

Etekpe, Ambily(200). “The Niger Delta Development Commission and Peace-Building in the Niger Delta”. The National Development Review, Lapai,

Fatogun, Dapo (1979).“In Nigeria: An Uneasy Optimism”. New Horizon 

 Human Capacity and Infrastructural Development

In the absence of planned human capacity and infrastructural development, as well as industrialisation, the economy of the Niger Delta is driven largely by the informal sector. About 95 percent of the informal enterprises are a sole proprietorship, focusing on trade and commerce, and provision of services. It is estimated that there were about 2,377 SMEs in the region by December 31, 2004.

Although the public sector in the Niger Delta states is dominating, the proportion of people it employs is small considering the amount of money that flows thereto. As stated in the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan (2004:18) “the public sector employed only 10 percent”. The NDRMP went further to state that the highest proportion of people are engaged in subsistence agriculture, forestry and fishing (44.2 percent), trade and commerce (17.4 percent), education and health (7.1 percent), and a combination of other activities (13.9 percent).

Whereas the general level of development among the medium and large scale industries is low, there are some key industries such as two refineries, two petrochemical plants, one liquefied natural gas and two liquefied petroleum gas plants located in the region, mainly in Port Harcourt and Warri in Rivers and the Delta States respectively. They are, however, not basically meant to develop the human capital of the people, and are either shut down or operating below-installed capacity. Thus, the people have not felt their impact, especially as there are no linkages.

The records we perused show that the primary missions of the NDDC are “infrastructural, economic, environmental, technological, and human resource development as measures to resolve conflicts and build peace in the region” (NDDC Profile, 2001). The Commission then prepared a Regional Development Master Plan in 2004 to “improve the quality of life of the Niger Delta people”. The “Master Plan directly takes on the challenge that the Region which hitherto was underdeveloped, very poor, and turbulent should become Africa’s most prosperous, most peaceful, and most pleasant one ….” This, indeed, requires coordinated action of the various stakeholders in the private and public sectors, the NGOs, and international development partners.

In spite of the huge responsibilities and expectations on NDDC, the federal government has released merely N156.484 billion, out of the total budgeted amount of N436 billion between 2001 and 2009 as shown in Table 1-3. This means the federal government is owing NDDC arrears of about N300 billion. Considering the importance of the region, we do not see why the government should owe the Commission this whopping amount.

Table 1-3: Federal Government Releases To NDDC, 2001-2009 (N000,000)

Year	Budget Allocation	Releases	Releases as % Budget	Release as % Fed. Govt. Revenue
2001	10,000	7,500	75%	1.40%
2002	12,650	11,385	90%	1.85%
2003	10,064	10,064	100%	1.40%
2004	14,000	7,000	50%	1.33%
2005	60,150	17,357	29%	1.20%
2006	96,250	26,130	26%	1.13%
2007	26,565	24,000	19%	1.10%
2008	79,200	19,050	25%	1.30%
2009	27,120	-	-	-
Total	436,000	156,484	-	-

Sources: 1)      Expenditure Department of Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja, June 2004, and   2) Office of the Chairman, Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, Abuja, February 9, 2009.

While the budget releases are glaringly inadequate, the Commission’s expenditure profile is also nothing to justify what have been already released. We feel so because the Commission itself has decided to execute “mundane” programmes/projects, such as the provision of exercise books for primary schools, sponsoring of inter-secondary schools quiz competitions, procuring of dust bills for waste disposal and Kombi buses for inter-city transportation. What we expect is for NDDC to execute capital programmes/projects in the areas of infrastructural and human capital development, construction of inter-regional road networks, and utilities. In Tables 1-4 to 1-6, we have graphically presented completed and on-going projects in the political Niger delta.

Table 1-4: Human Capacity Development Projects Per State, 2002-2005

S/N	States	Mechanical Business	Transport, Health & Safety	Home Management	Building Bus. Skills	Total
1.	Abia	143	21	177	62	403
2.	Akwa Ibom	267	88	296	70	721
3.	Bayelsa	365	55	250	71	741
4.	Cross River	194	20	163	60	437
5.	Delta	294	43	271	81	679
6.	Edo	164	-	149	89	402
7.	Imo	260	-	110	20	390
8.	Ondo	213	25	136	117	491
9.	Rivers	270	101	190	153	714
	Total	2,170	353	1,742	723	4,978

Source: NDDC (2006: 130): Making a Different in the Niger Delta, Feb. 2001- Sept

Whereas on face-value, the programmes/projects in Tables1-4 and 1-5 are impressive, we have observed in our other studies (Etekpe, 2009: 9-11) that the programmes should have been substantially higher in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers state that are the hub of the country’s oil and gas industry. The other observation is in the area of discrepancies between these figures and what are actually on the ground during our field tour of the Commission’s projects as part of this study. We noticed during the tour that some of the supposedly awarded or completed projects could not be physically located and wondered how they would “improve the quality of human capital and infrastructure” in the region.

Table 1-5: Summary of Completed and On-Going Projects, 2002-5

S/No.	Type of Project	No. Projects Awarded.	No. Projects on-going	No. Projects Completed
1.	Buildings	1,139	805	331
2.	Electrifications	316	179	137
3.	Water	283	205	78
4.	Jetties	62	25	37
5.	Roads	156	128	28
6.	Bridges	47	36	11
7.	Canalization	14	13	1
8.	Shore Protection	15	14	1
9.	Erosion Control	6	5	1
	Total	2,035	1,410	625

Source: NDDC (2006: 141): Making a Difference in the Niger Delta, February 2001- Sept.

The 2,035 projects at Table 1-6 are distributed among the 9 states.

Table 1-6: Summary of Completed and On-Going Projects per State, 2002-5

S/No.	States	Number Awarded	Number Completed	Number             On-going
1.	Abia	160	72	88
2.	Akwa Ibom	335	102	233
3.	Bayelsa	247	70	177
4.	Cross River	64	9	55
5.	Delta	301	135	166
6.	Edo	213	47	165
7.	Imo	196	46	150
8.	Ondo	302	108	194
9.	Rivers	176	33	143
	Total	2,035	626	1,410

Sources: NDDC (2006:142): Making A Different in the Niger Delta, Feb. 2001- September

(iii)    Human Rights: In the Niger Delta, flood plays a significant role in the build up and sustenance of the biota and soil improvement through silt nourishment. The reduction of the sediment load of the major rivers in the region, resulting from construction of dams at the upstream have impacted negatively on agriculture and caused coastal erosion at the river banks. The Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan (2004: 9) pointed out these challenges, and went further to state how the host communities in the region are finding it extremely difficult to cope with “the flood regimes, erosion menace, and associated fluvial processes”.

Going forward, there are 40 Gazetted wildlife reserves and 14 National Parks in Nigeria. Of the numbers, only 7 of the reserves and 2 National Parks (Cross River and Okomu National Parks) are located in the Niger Delta. The Taylor Creek Forest Reserves in Yenagoa LGA has been recently converted into an International Cargo Airport by the Bayelsa State Government and the upper Orashi Forest Reserves in Rivers State is still on the drawing board.

The socio-economic problems are, on the other hand, too numerous, but we wish to summarise them in the following way:

-                     Widespread poverty with about 70 percent of the population living below the poverty level of USD1.25 per day;

-                     A very low level of industrial development;

-                     High rate of unemployment;

-                     Poor health and 20 percent child mortality rate which is amongst the highest in the world;

-                     Inadequate transportation networks and inaccessibility to settlements, especially in the riverine areas;

-                     Absence of electricity supply in many riverine areas;

-                     Poor communications network;

-                     Inadequate educational facilities;

-                     Water and air pollution; and

-                     Ineffective waste management and sanitation facilities.

These and similar violations of human (and social) rights have led to an unprecedented restiveness and violent conflicts in a proportion not found in any other deltas of the world.

The study further finds that the exploration and exploitation of crude oil involve a number of activities that directly affect the lives of the oil producing/bearing communities. The impact is not only limited to the physical environment with its sensitive and fragile ecosystem but the social and spiritual life of the communities. This is so because it touches their relationship with their land as farmers; their swamps, rivers and creeks as sources of water for drinking and domestic use; and their cultural and spiritual life (Otobo, A.J.T,1991).

The oil and gas industry under former President Olusegun Obasanjo was described by Ajaero, Chris (2008:14-21) as a “huge chamber of fraud and corruption”. This is an evidence of self-contradiction that the Nigerian state is largely known for. Ajaero Chris narrated how most of the fraud were committed at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC), Pipelines and Products Marketing Company(PPMC), and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) through the lifting of crude oil and the award of oil blocks. The Audit Report of NNPC between 1999 and 2002, for example, shows that while the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) gave Nigeria a specific production quota, NNPC would produce in excess of the quota, and literally “share the excess proceeds” between the Presidency and NNPC. Based on the Report, we have tabulated in Table 1-7 the level of corruption.

Table 1-7: Unaccounted Proceeds from Excess Crude Oil Production, 1999-2002

Year	OPEC Production	NNPC Actual Production (Barrels)	Excess Production (Barrels)
1999	403,390,000	499,774,775	46,384,745
2000	748,011,000	828,618,101	80,601,101
2001	728,634,000	863,835,184	130,201,184
2002	478,851,000	542,103,211	54,252,271
TOTAL			316,445,271
	Price @ US $25/barrel             =    N515,071,784,460

    Source:   Adapted from Ajaero, Chris (2008:14-21), “Oil Blocks Fraud – A Chamber of Scandals”, News Watch Magazine, July 14.

The Table 1-7 shows the excess of N515.07 billion stolen. Hamman Tukur, Chairman, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) confirmed the high level of corruption when members of the Commission visited President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua at Aso Rock, Abuja. He told the President that the Commission had found that Nigeria lost N555 billion between December 2004 and April 2007 that would have accrued to the Federation Account or invested in human capacity and infrastructural development in the Niger Delta. He also stated that while NNPC accounts for kerosene, petrol and diesel, it does not account for the proceeds from the sales of oil and LPFO. Fatigue, Dapo(1978:11-12) has stated that this and similar high level of corruption is an abuse of the human rights of the Niger Delta people. He then asserted that the “oil boom” is now becoming “an uneasy optimism”. For Uwechue, Raph (1977), the scenario calls for “a time for pragmatism”.

In essence, the Niger Delta region experiences a combination of natural and human abuses. The human abuses range from outright corruption, flooding and erosion to sediment deposition that has affected the hydrological balance of water flow.

(iv)    Resource Control and Management: The economic activities of the communities are in two main categories, namely:

-                     Those in land-based areas, especially the northern delta who are involved in farming, processing of palm fruits, and hunting, and

-                     Those along the rivers and creeks who are involved in fishing, trading, commerce, and distilling and distribution of native dry gin (ogogoro).

In addition to crude oil and gas, the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, Abuja (Sawyer, Stella 2008:144-115), has identified the following resources in the region:

§     Bayelsa State: Clay, gypsum, limestone, uranium and lead/zinc.

§     Rivers State     Glass sand, clay, marble and lignite.

§     Delta State:       Marble, glass sand, gypsum, lignite, iron ore and kaolin.

§     Akwa Ibom State:          Clay, limestone, lead/zinc,         uranium, salt and lignite.

§                       Cross River State:      Limestone, uranium, manganese,   lignite, lead/zinc and salt.

§     Edo State:                Marble, clay, limestone iron-  ore, gypsum, gold, dolomite, phosphate and bitumen.

To recall, the country adopted a federal structure of government in 1954 and allocated resources on the basis of the principle of 100 percent derivation. With the discovery of crude oil from 1956 and the consequent neglect of agriculture and other minerals, the country by 1970, deliberately reduced it from 100 percent to 45 percent. This was further reduced to 20 percent (1975), 2 percent (1982) and 1.5 percent (1984). The people reacted to the abrogation of the principle of derivation, and it was slightly adjusted upwards to 3 percent in 1992 and “not less than 13 percent” in 1995. To formalise it, “resource control and management” was made a constitutional matter. Under Section 16 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, “all revenues of the federation are to be  paid into the Federation Account from which it is allocated to the 36 states, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and 774 statutory Local Government Areas(LGAs) in the country.”

As we have discussed in other studies on the “Politics of Resource Allocation and Control.…”(Etekpe, A,2007:10-37), the prominent components of the principle for the allocation of resources have now shifted to equality of states, landmass, population and national interests.  Presently, the revenue allocation formula is thus: Federal Government(48.5 percent), States(24 percent), LGAs(20 percent), and Special Funds(7.5 percent). In essence, the revenues are now shared vertically among the three tiers of government and horizontally among the states and LGAs.

We wish to emphasise that gas has started making considerable contributions to Nigeria’s earnings. In 2001, gas that was usually flared earned for the country USD1.20 billion. There are an estimated 124 trillion cubic feet(tcf) of proven natural gas reserves from on shore and offshore fields. Unfortunately, 75 percent of the associated gas is still flared and 12 percent re-injected to enhance oil recovery.

REFERENCES

Sawyerr, Stella (2008). “Preparation for Sunset in the Oil Fields”. Tell Magazine, February 18.

Seznick, Philip (1957).  Leadership in Administration: A Sociological Interpretation. New York: Harper & Row.

Semenitari, Ibem (2005).“The Wing of Change” Tell Magazine, March 7.

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