Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
ResourceControl,CorruptionandViolenceintheNigerDelta
19
environmentalimpactoftheiroperations,afailingmostvisiblysymbolizedby
SPDC’scontinuedpracticeofgasflaringintheDelta
13.
ThecorehumanrightsandgovernanceissuesfacingtheDeltatoday,how-
ever,donotrevolvearoundtheoilcompanies.Theyrevolveratheraroundthe
revenuesgeneratedbytheoilindustry,thedivisionofoilrevenuesbetweenthe
NigerDeltaandtherestofNigeria,andthewaysthatmoneyhasbeenusedand
misusedupanddowntheline.
In1969,Nigeria’sconstitutionprovidedthat50percentofthefinancialre-
sourcesgeneratedinternallybyNigeria’sregionalgovernmentswouldremainin
theirownhands,withtheremainderpassedontothefederalgovernment.Thisis
referredtoasthenderivation”principle.Derivationhaslongbeenseenasan
importantfeatureofNigeria’sfederalsystem,asitguaranteedregionalgovern-
mentsasubstantialmeasureoffinancial-andthereforepolitical-autonomy
fromthecenter
14.
Nigeria’smilitarygovernmentschippedawayatthederivationprincipleuntil
itwasvirtuallyeradicated-by1989thederivationpercentagehadbeenreduced
toonepercent,leavingthefederalgovernmenttoallocaterevenuestothestates.
Inpart,thischangereflectedthecentralizingofpowerthatinevitablytookplace
undermilitarygovernmentsthatlookedwarilyontheideaofrobustlyindepend-
entsubnationalgovernments.Eradicatingtheprincipleofresourcecontrolwas
awayofcentralizingpowerbytighteningthefederalgovernment’scontrolover
thenation’spursestrings
15.
ThedemiseofderivationalsoreflectedthegrowingimportanceofoilinNi-
geria’seconomy.Oilhadcometoaccountfor80percentofNigeria’stotalgov-
ernmentrevenues,buttheNigerDeltaaccountsforlessthan11percentofNige-
ria’stotalpopulation.Politicalleadersinnon-oilproducingregionsofthecoun-
tryfeltquitestronglythatitwouldbeunfairtoallowNigeria’sprinciplesource
ofwealthtoremainconcentratedinthehandsofasmallminorityofthecoun-
try’spopulation.
ThesechangeswerebitterlyresentedbymanyintheDelta,whereoilwealth
iswidelyseenaspartofthenaturalinheritanceofthepeopleoftheregionand
wherefewseeanyreasontoforgivethetrespassesagainsttheidealsofNigerian
federalisminherentinputtingthatwealthunderAbuja’scontrol.Thesesenti-
mentsarecompoundedbyawidespreadbeliefthatgroupsintheNigerDeltaand
especiallytheIjaw-Nigeria’sfourth-largestethnicgroup-havebeenpoliti-
callymarginalizedonthenationalstageandtheirinterestsignored.
13ForgeneralizedcritiquesofoilcompanypracticesintheDelta,see,e.g.,HumanRights
Watch,ThePriceofOil,January1999;I.OkontaandO.Douglas,WhereVulturesFeast:Shell,
HumanRightsandOilintheNigerDelta,SierraClubBooks,NewYork2001.
14R.Suberu,op.cit.
15Ibidem.
