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Background Evaluation
Change is a constant that cannot be overlooked in
any sector of present day life, it is worthy to note that change that pertains
to present political spectrum has increasingly become a source of concern,
given various spate of crises, rebellion over unpopular government activities
and religious uprising all in the bid to shape the political landscape of both
developing and developed economies.
It is important to note however that order itself
is a crucial objective in developing countries and given the quest to
meet up with world standards of modernization and sustainable development,
rising expectations due to literacy, education and the spread of media comes to
play and in turn a reprisal role when it comes to economic and political
issues.
Political change through protest and all form of
crises has become the modus operandi in our present society, as citizens see it
as a tool for making government listen to their views and in the extreme cases
cause a change in the power seat of government. The surge for drastic political
change is mainly characterized by violence and the effects more widespread than
the causal agent of the revolution. In the name of popular opinion, drastic
measures by pressure groups inciting citizens to fight believed social endemic
problems peculiar to individual nation state has probably not employed the
right approach, looking at sentimental and egotistical views that have been
presented most time during various forms of rebellion
Rebellion translates into revolution which in turn
leads to a shift in the political sphere, causing little or minor changes that
might not be ecological and socially sustainable and universally just.
Rebellion/Revolution has the potential to tip the balance to produce
fundamental political change, which might lead to the consolidation and
reconfiguration of political power.
This research will go in-depth on the primary
causal agent of revolutions/rebellion and its fundamental change on the
politics of Nigeria (case study) while comparing it with other uprisings in
various parts of the world currently under massive revolution or still in the
process of anti government activities. The spate of rebellion and revolutions
over time has been attributed to altitudinal changes on the part of both the
government (in terms of new and unfavourable policies and decisions) and the
governed who are mostly fed up of anti people policies that promises a better
life for the future without realistic plans for the present.
- Definition of Key Concepts
Political Change: changes that occur within the
political system that either creation of stable, democratic political systems
or destroys the stability of a political process.
REVOLUTION: A revolution (from the Latin word revolutio, "a turn around") is a
fundamental change in power or organizational
structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time. Revolutions
have occurred through human history and vary widely in terms of
methods, duration, and motivating ideology.
Their results include major changes in culture,
economy,
and socio-political institutions.
REBELLION: Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a
refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a
range of behaviours aimed at destroying or replacing an established
authority such as a government or a head of state. On the one hand
the forms of behaviour can include non-violent methods such as the (overlapping
but not quite identical) phenomena of civil disobedience, civil resistance and non-violent resistance. On the other hand it
may encompass violent campaigns.
Causal Agents of Revolutions
It is however worthy to note that the
various causes of revolution which stimulates the process of political change
ranges from feudalism, economic depression, monarchy system, dictatorship,
fascism, communism, famine, natural disaster, anarchism, persecution,
corruption, class struggle, capitalism, corruption and other vices that are
peculiar to individual nation state.
In a country like Nigeria, corruption is
the common denominator of the problems and ills which plague the country, and
like the very tiny threats of the mould which infests your piece of bread or
other food items, it has invaded and permeated all levels and sections of life
in Nigeria.
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Background to the Literature Review
For
the basis of this research, I will be focusing on a causal agent (corruption)
pertinent to the case study in retrospect (Nigeria). Corruption as an endemic
has resulted to major uprisings in the country right from the start of
democracy. One major uprising that caused a major political change in Nigeria
is that of Niger Delta Militant revolts. It is argued by most scholars that the
uprising in the oil rich Niger-Delta region in no small way contributed to a
major political change that saw a shift of power from the three major ethnic
groups (Hausa Igbo Yoruba) that has continuously ruled the nation right from
independence. The shift from this status quo to a minority group (ijaw) is seen
as a major political change in the fight for resource control by indigene
ethnic groups and also jostling for the highest seat in the country. There was
also the creation of various ministries and directorates in the country that
never existed in the political space of the country.
Major Conflict in Niger Delta and Political Change in
Nigeria
Conflict
in the Niger Delta arose in the early 1990s over tensions between foreign oil corporations and a number of the Niger Delta's minority ethnic groups who felt they were being
exploited, particularly the Ogoni and the Ijaw. Ethnic
and political unrest has continued throughout the 1990s and persisted as of
2007 despite the conversion to democracy and the election of the President
Olusegun Obasanjo government in 1999. Competition for oil wealth
fuelled violence between many ethnic groups, causing the militarization of nearly the entire
region by ethnic militia groups as well as Nigerian military and police forces (notably
the Nigerian Mobile Police).
Victims of crimes became6 fearful of seeking justice for crimes committed
against them because of growing "impunity from prosecution for individuals
responsible for serious human rights abuses, which created a devastating cycle
of increasing conflict and violence". The regional and ethnic conflicts
were so numerous that fully detailing each is impossible and impractical.
However, there were a number of major confrontations that deserve elaboration.
The ethnic unrest and conflicts in the region (such as those between the
Ijaw,urhobo and Itsekiri), coupled with a spike in the availability of small
arms and other weapons, led increasingly to the militarization of the Delta. By
this time, local and state officials had become involved by offering financial
support to those paramilitary groups they believed would attempt to enforce
their own political agenda.
It
was noticed however that with successive militarization of the polity,
government became quite aware of the need to quickly nib the crisis in the bud
as various groups forming individual government were beginning to form
individual and self acclaimed government, on one hand to fight for the course of
getting resource control and on the other hand create a state of Niger Delta,
which by law is illegal giving the sovereignty status of Nigeria. Groups
like Niger Delta
People's Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Niger Delta Vigilante (NDV) movement for
the emancipation of the Niger Delta were a strong force in the revolution
process to cause major political change in the country.
Taking
the initiative of not allowing the country disintegrate and after much pressure
with the use of both the military and police, the government of the day led by
Olusegun Obasanjo led the move to listen to the issues been raised and
therefore created and instituted the Niger Delta
Development Commission (NDDC) in 2000 with the sole mandate of
developing the petroleum-rich Niger-Delta region of southern Nigeria. Since its
inauguration, the NDDC has focused on the development of social and physical
infrastructures, ecological/environmental remediation and human development.
The
Inability of the commission to perform their statutory objective heightened the
unrest in the region with renewed agitations in form of kidnappings and
killings right from 2002 down to 2009, giving birth to more militia groups in
the region. The introduction of the amnesty program was a timely intervention
in 2009 by then president Umaru Musa yar’ Adua
It
will be accurate to say that the pressures from rebellion activities of
militants in the Niger Delta region, made the government of Olusegun Obasanjo
in 2000 to commence the reform process with the establishment of the Oil and
Gas sector Reform Implementation Committee (OGIC) chaired by Rilwanu Lukman.
With the recommendations of this committee, the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)
was drafted in 2009 during the administration of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
The Legislation was all encompassing to establish legal and regulatory
framework, institutions and regulatory authorities for operations in the
upstream and downstream sectors and for purposes connected with the same.
This
bill though still not passed into law contains various changes in oil
exploration concerning Nigerian Content, Indigenous oil content, fiscal
provisions, health safety and environment among other things which in a large
extent covers the issues raised and fought for by Niger Delta Militants during
the Uprising in the Region.
- Amnesty
Programme and effects in the political Sphere
The
need for an end to the amnesty programme came to light with the change of
government, and on June 26 2009, granted unconditional amnesty in the Niger
delta lasting for a period of 60 days which started 6th August 2009
and ended 4th October 2009.
January 1st Subsidy Probe in Nigeria
(Evaluation/Findings)
In
looking at street protest and its impact in advancing democracy, human rights
and social justice, the January 1st 2012 removal
of subsidy and subsequent protest/complete strike takes prominence. Series of
protests that began in Nigeria on Monday, 2 January 2012 in response to the
fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government of President Goodluck and formed
a new revolution of change in Nigeria by Nigerians home and abroad seeking for
an end to corruption in Nigeria’s economy by occupying public spaces home and
abroad while protesting and airing their views. The 120% increase in the price
of Petrol, Corruption in Government & public service, inhuman treatment of
Nigerians by Government & Security agents and High rate of poverty among
other social vices formed a cause for citizens to engage government in the
process of making needed changes in the political system.
Individuals
expressed displeasure over the un popular decision by government to take the
only means of succour seeing that premium motor spirit (PMS) or petrol
as it is popularly called in the country is a major means of survival, given
the state of the Nigeria’s power system which can be regarded as below capacity
or non existent in some parts of the country. The high level of distrust and
disconnect between citizens and government became a matter for concern and a
serious bridge to solve this problem was and is still a main contention among
discussions in the country.
Major Policy Change
The
subsidy protest which lasted for about one week brought out a lot of worms from
the coffers of both government and regulatory bodies of the oil sector. Civil
society push and indeed the entire nation brought the price of PMS
to N97 as against N141 before the protest. There was a renewed call to actually
probe the subsidy regime seeing the large budget going in to subsidy alone at
the expense of other basic needs to help further the fight against poverty in
the country.
There
was need for the setting up of an adhoc committee by the house of
representative to verify and determine the actual subsidy requirements and
monitor the implementation of the subsidy regime in Nigeria. This was
particularly to avert a clear and present danger of descent into lawlessness.
The
subsidy regime from 2006 through to 2008 can be said to be tolerable as PMS and
house hold kerosene (HHK) being N261.1b in 2006, N278.8b in 2007 and N346.7b in
2008. (Five) companies including NNPC were involved in 2006, (ten) in 2007 and (Nineteen)
in 2008 as against the aggregate figure of one hundred and forty in 2011. The
Ad-Hoc Committee in the line of their duty to unravel the corruption in the
sector and with Nigerians watching on to see the results of the probe held
Public Hearings from 16th of January, 2012 to 9th of February, 2012, taking
sworn testimonies from 130 witnesses, receiving information from several
volunteers, and receiving in evidence over 3,000 volumes of documents. The
political spectrum was beginning to change with calls for the prosecution of
some high government officials especially the Minister of Petroleum resource
that was seen to have overseen the subsidy system that brought so much
loopholes and opportunities for marketers to rip the country dry.
This
series can be tagged under non violent revolution given that citizens came
together to pass a common message which affects both the poor and the middle
class in the country. The use of protest and civil resistance has become a
verifiable tool in the hands of Nigerians who believe that it is the only
method of engagement that government understand. Some civil society and labour
groups have however employed the use of advocacy and lobbying in the past but
it seem to cause little or no change or out rightly slow the process of
implementation.
Main Findings/Conclusion
There
is a prevalent need for political actors to respond to yearnings for good
governance in their individual country. The increasing use of protest, violent
and non-violent in the cause for revolution is a time bomb not only ready to
explode but already destroying and arranging the political sphere of some
countries looking at the Arab spring.
Democratic
procedures are destroyed in an effort to bring down unpopular government
policies and also re arrange the political spectrum through unlawful protests.
It can however be seen that cases of violence usually pioneered by street
protest are usually aimed at government structural re-arrangement which is
merely changes in the holders of political power and not a complete overhaul of
the system or change from the style of leadership.
Constitutions
are still maintained with slight changes were necessary as most forms of
protest/rebellion has been on a particular part of governance and government
head or structure.
Recommendations
- Seeing the
need to reconstruct the ideology of mass protest and rebellion which most
times leads to full fledge revolution, there is a need for both
government, civil society members and citizens alike to seek constitutional
ways of redress to help tackle the menace of loss off lives and
properties in the fight for revolution.
- The targets of
revolutions must be shifted from just a personality like The President
within the government to a complete overhaul of the political system, to
avoid;
- Promoting
individuals/personal interest as against general and consensus views,
and;
- The recycling
of individuals having same political agenda/view but with a different
political backing, which amounts to putting ‘old wine in a new bottle’.
- The ‘no going
back stance by government is disheartening and should be discouraged.
Government must learn to retreat on unpopular decisions taking or better
still not engage in unpopular decisions to help forge cordial relationship
with the citizens of the country.
Bibliography
Niger Delta
Technical Report 2009
Articles on
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Revolutions fuelled by ethnic agitations has been a main stay in
Nigeria
looking at the array of ethnic groups in the country, all trying to fit
in the
political sphere.
[4] occupy Nigeria Campaign during the
subsidy protest in January 2012
Protesters occupying
cities in Nigeria to express displeasure on subsidy removal
and subsequent fuel
hike
Price slash, which
was a first step to resolving the fuel hike revolt
