On the Edge commentaries present selected, sharp viewpoints on current issues from ACAS members and friends.  As always, the views expressed do not represent ACAS official positions; they are provided to stimulate progressive discussion and debate. 

This analysis of the struggle over oil in Nigeria seems terribly important to us in its own right and in the context of the war for oil that the US and Britain are currently waging against Iraq.  A recent New York Times Business page article (22 March 2003) looked at the problem in Nigeria in terms of the threat to US oil supplies, over and above the interruption of Iraqi oil, of which the US buys 90%, and the lingering effects of the Venezuelan strike.  

The "struggle for Warri" between Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic groups has been going on for decades.  Over the years, it has been worsened by partisan political decisions by government and the increasing struggle to control oil revenues and oil company handouts by the elite of the three ethnic groups. For instance, in the immediate post-independence period, the redesignation of the Olu (King) of the Itsekiris as the Olu of Warri by the Action Group-led Western Regional government, sparked conflict in the area.  This is because parts of Warri, a major oil producing area, has been inhabited by the three ethnic group even before colonial rule.  The other ethnic groups considered the redesignation to be a ploy by the Yoruba (many anthropologists believe that Itsekiri is a sub-division of the Yoruba ethnic group) dominated Western Regional government to hand over Warri to the Itsekiri. 

More recently in 1997, the creation of Warri South Local Government Area and the location of its headquarters led to renewed fighting.  The military government first located the headquarters in Ogbe-Ijoh (an Ijaw town), but later moved it to Ogidigben (an Itsekiri town). By April of that year, about 1,000 people had been slaughtered in the conflict.  The current round of conflict is not unrelated to the impending election and attempts by the elite of the ethnic groups to position themselves for post-election allocation of political offices.  

Perhaps the most important reason the conflict has been oil. Political decisions only exacerbate it.  The three ethnic groups evaluate political decisions in terms of how it will affect their access to oil revenues. The oil companies have not helped matters by playing one ethnic group against another and even dividing ethnic groups.  

Many studies have been conducted on this conflict and numerous reconciliation efforts have been undertaken, but to no avail.  The bottom line is that no one single ethnic group owns Warri.  The elite know this.  But as long as there is oil and gas in the area, they will continue to deny this fact and try to claim exclusive ownership. The result is the constant slaughtering of innocent people. 

Suggestions for an ACAS position: 

1. reaffirm the need for government, oil companies and elite of the three ethnic groups to stop dividing the people and to pursue peaceful co-existence; 
2. insist that leaders of the three ethnic groups must return to the numerous peace initiatives they had been party to and to keep faith with them; 
3. government should become more serious with conflict prevention measures that many studies of the conflict have suggested; 
4. in the build-up to the election, government should take more preventive measures and take intelligence reports more seriously to stop further bloodshed; and 
5. government and politicians should ensure that the electoral process is free and fair and desist from manipulating the emotions of ordinary people in their bid to win power.  

The problem is whether the lure of oil money will let the elite do the right thing.

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