GOVERNMENT AND THE MANAGEMENT OF SECURITY CHALLENGES (A STUDY OF NIGER DELTA REGION)

ABSTRACT

Security concern have existed since time immemorial. But the challenges has never been as readily manifested as they are presently. This is rather disconcerting. Moreso, because some of the security challenges and problems we encounter daily in the contemporary society are almost entirely unpredictable.  Indeed, rapid growth and use of mechanical arts, applied science, and revolutionary dynamics of society apparently blend well with the desperate nature of the criminally minded to increase the spate of threats to life and properties, a state which has assumed omnipresent and digital dimensions of crime in our society. The aim of this study is to examine government and the management of security challenges: A case study of Niger Delta region. Governments all over the world are accountable for the provision of security and well – being of their citizens through the use of instruments of state power including defenses and security agencies, backed – up by enabling laws. For instance, the 1999 constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria outlines the role of government and relationship among levels of government in security management. In the last two (2) decades the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria has suffered my raid of internal security challenges namely: kidnapping and hostage taking for monetary gains, murder and political assassinations, armed robberies, cult-related criminal activities, communal clashes, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment under development, subversion and so on. The development of different militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) which specialize in kidnapping, vandalization of oil pipelines, bombing of major oil refineries and oil installations others include illegal possession of fire armed arson and five outbreaks and boundary disputes. This work used an exploratory and formulative statistics (including reviewing of literatures, survey and an analysis of insight stimulating cases) to analyze government and the management of security challenges. The study however focused on security challenges arising due to corruption, inefficiencies in the law enforcement agencies.  This study adopted the theory of x – inefficiency as theoretical framework, the study recommends that their should rapid development of the Niger Delta region through the provision of infrastructural facilities,  and the dismantling of the huge social infrastructure on which militancy in Niger Delta rests, that is a reform of the extant petroleum laws and related policies. The government should establish a credible institution to check the corrupt practice of governors, local government chairman, chiefs, community leaders, and youths in the Niger Delta region and the destruction of the Niger Delta environment by the MNOGS should be addressed by the Nigerian state.

TABLE OF CONTENT

CONTENTS                                                                                                  PAGES

TITLE PAGE--               --          --          --          --          --          --          --          i

DECLARATION             --          --          --          --          --          --          --          ii

CERTIFICATION           --          --          --          --          --          --          --          iii

DEDICATION               --          --          --          --          --          --          --          v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --         --          --          --          --          --          --          vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS              --          --          --          --          --          --          vii

ABSTRACT       --          --          --          --          --          --          --          --          x

CHAPTER ONE:

1.0       INTRODUCTION          --          --          --          --          --          --          1

1.1       BACKGROUND OF STUDY       --          --          --          --          --          1

1.2       STATEMENT OF PROBLEM     --          --          --          --          --          6

1.3       RESEARCH QUESTION             --          --          --          --          --         7

1.4       PURPOSE OF STUDY                --          --          --          --          --          8

1.5       SIGNIFICANT OF STUDY          --          --          --          --          --          8

1.6       SCOPE OF THE STUDY             --          --          --          --          --          9

1.7       LIMITATION    --          --          --          --          --          --          --          9

1.8       DEFINITION OF TERMS           --          --          --          --          --          10

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1       CONCEPTS OF SECURITY --     --          --          --          --          --          11

2.2       HUMAN SECURITY --   --          --          --          --          --          --          13

2.3       THE LIST OF THREATS TO HUMAN SECURITY IS LONG,

BUT CAN BE CONSIDERED UNDER SEVERAL MAIN CATEGORIES --  15

2.3.1    FOOD SECURITY          --          --          --          --          --          --          15

2.3.2    HEALTH SECURITY      --          --          --          --          --          --          17

2.3.3    ECONOMIC SECURITY                        --          --          --          --          --          18

2.3.4    ENVIRONMENT SECURITY      --          --          --          --          --          19

2.3.5    PERSONAL SECURITY  --          --          --          --          --          --          22

2.3.6    COMMUNITY SECURITY   --    --          --          --          --          --          22

2.3.7    TERRITORIAL SECURITY  --     --          --          --          --          --          23

2.4.1    HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE NIGER DELTA  SECURITY

            CHALLENGES               --          --          --          --          --          --          23

2.4.2    MANIFESTATIONS OF THE SECURITY CHALLENGES

            IN NIGER DELTA          --          --          --          --          --          --          25

2.5       CAUSES OF NIGER DELTA CRISES       --          --          --          --          30

2.5.1    POVERTY AND DEPRIVATION OF THE MEANS OF

LIVELIHOOD    --          --          --          --          --          --          --          31

2.5.2    ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE   --          --          --          --          --          32

2.5.3    LACK OF DEVELOPMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT      --          --          35

2.5.4    HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS --          --          --          --          --          37

2.5.5    BAD GOVERNANCE/CORRUPTION     --          --          --          --          38

2.5 .6   ALLEGED INSINCERITY OF THE FEDERAL

            GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA                --          --          --          --          40

2.5.7    DIVIDE AND RULE TACTICS  OF OIL COMPANIES       --          --          41

2.5.8    THE KILLING OF KEN SARO-WOWA AND EIGHT

            OTHER OGONI PATRIOTS       --          --          --          --          --          42

2.6       CONSEQUENCES OF THE SECURITY CHALLENGES

            IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION                        --          --          --          --          44

2.6.1    (I) GOVERNMENT       --          --          --          --          --          --          44

2.6.2    INTERNATIONAL SUPPLY OF CRUDE OIL        --          --          --          45

2.6.3    (III) DOWNSIZING OF COMPANIES EMPLOYEES        --          --          45

2.6.4    LULL IN BUSINESS ACTIVITIES             --          --          --          --          46

2.7       DRIVING FACTORS THAT INCREASE THE SECURITY

            CHALLENGES IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION              --          --          48

2.7.1    DRIVING FACTORS THAT CREATE INSECURITY:

            ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES OF VIOLENCE, AND POORLY

            TRAINED SECURITY FORCES   --          --          --          --          --          49

2.8       PAST AND PRESENT GOVERNMENT MEASURES

            TOWARDS TACKING THE NIGER DELTA SECURITY

            CHALLENGES               --          --          --          --          --          --          52       

2.9       THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK  --          --          --          --          --          57

2.9.1    APPLICATION OF THE THEORY TO THE STUDY          --          --          59

CHAPTER THREE: 

3.0       RESEARCH METHODOLOGY   --          --          --          --          --          61

3.1       RESEARCH DESIGN      --          --          --          --          --          --          61

3.2       POPULATION OF THE STUDY  --          --          --          --          --          61

3.3       SAMPLE TECHNIQUE  --          --          --          --          --          --          62

3.4       SAMPLE SIZE               --          --          --          --          --          --          62

3.5       METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION       --          --          --          --          62

3.6       VALIDITY OF RESEARCH INSTRUMENT           --          --          --          63

3.7       RELIABILITY     --          --          --          --          --          --          --          64

3.8       METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS             --          --          --          --          64

 

CHAPTER FOUR:

4.1       DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS             --          --          --          65

4.2       DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS      --          --          --          --          --          73

 

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1       SUMMARY      --          --          --          --          --          --          --          75

5.2       CONCLUSION  --          --          --          --          --          --          --          76

5.3       RECOMMENDATION  --          --          --          --          --          --          77

            REFERENCE     --          --          --          --          --          --          --          79

            QUESTIONNAIRE         --          --          --          --          --          --          83