The Niger Delta crisis is still raging. Every right thinking Nigerian sees this as a major problem, but also a complicated one. The consequences of a deepening and escalation of the crisis is too serious to be imagined.
As people die and some get displaced, and income to the economy dwindles, we are beginning to witness a journey to the precipice. But in such circumstances are the qualities of exceptional leadership required to help us navigate this peculiar terrain.
The latest development of this crisis is the blow up of Chevron oil facilities, reducing Nigeria’s oil production by another 100,000 barrels of oil per day. The cost of this can easily be quantified. However, the daily cost in lives, especially lost lives, displaced lives, displaced villagers and a threatened people cannot be estimated. This crisis is of the greatest national scale, but nothing we have seen in government, both at the executive and the House of Assembly has shown that this matter deserves all the seriousness that can be mustered.
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For instance, some members of the National Assembly have been reported to have made very loose and flippant statements about the people of the Niger Delta and the renewed hostilities in the region. It is senseless to underestimate the gravity of the situation that we face and to belittle the pent up anger of the people of this region. Why most people from the Niger Delta and Nigerians in general believe what is happening has gone beyond legitimate agitation for oil resources, a display of inept and inconsiderate leadership will only worsen the already bad situation. This is the time for the demonstration of exceptional leadership by making calm and measured statements.
Indeed, it is a testament to lack of leadership on this crisis that we have had many government officials make statements on the issue. Members of National Assembly have been making statements, as well, those in the executive arm. In times of crisis as this, it is important that those that are qualified to speak are few and that these few have been adequately briefed on the dimensions of the crisis and the way they should speak in public so as not to inflate the crisis. This goes beyond execution of the “war” but a demonstration of exceptional leadership credentials.
Exceptional leadership calls for the recognition that this crisis is a reflection of years of neglect. It is another matter whether the agitation is now carried out appropriately or not. It does mean we cannot start to look at the crisis from the angle of the effects, which is the criminality of the militants of the region, but rather start from the angle of why this much anger, and we can then begin to solve the crisis because we have examined the deep and fundamental causes of the present situation. Whether it accepts it or not, the present government must acknowledge that previous administrations had consciously ignored the “rantings” and “noise” from the Niger Delta. Exceptional leadership from Mr President requires him to convince the people in the Niger Delta that they will not be ignored in his own dispensation.
Finally, the demonstration of exceptional leadership by the president requires him to do things differently from the way it has been done in the past. Every successive government has always seen the solution to the crisis in the Niger Delta in the force of the military. This has not worked in the past and it will not work now. Every successive government has used two to three weeks to bring militants under subjection and once normal oil production resumes, the Niger Delta is once again put at the back of government agenda and business. Mr President will have to change this perception by demonstrating exceptional leadership on the issue of the crisis in the Niger Delta such that when the current hostilities subside, the long term solutions are visibly sought.
Since the consequences of a lingering crisis are simply unimaginable, we call for exceptional leadership in these trying times.
