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2000: Committee for the Protection of Peoples' Dignity

Nigeria

Background


Nigeria

The conflict over Nigeria's vast oil wealth, which accounts for over 90% of the country's export earnings, has been raging for over forty years. Under the military dictatorships of Babangida, Abubakar and Abacha, community-led protests over the destruction of their environment and livelihoods caused by oil drilling were often brutally put down by the military and the dreaded mobile police forces (MOPOL).


In addition, very little of the wealth generated by the drilling has ever filtered down to the communities, creating massive resentment and anger.

Communities have also been pitted against each other over the small amount of compensation that is entitled to them and oil companies have been complicit in some of the region's most notorious incidences of violence. Even the transition to democratic rule has offered little comfort for the region, with extrajudicial killings by security forces and inter-communal conflicts over land and compensation rights still commonplace. In 1998 a company contracted by the US multinational, Chevron, arrived in the Ngor Okpala/Uratta region of Imo state to conduct seismic tests to ascertain whether there were any oil fields in the area. Fearing that the arrival of the oil companies into the area would lead to the destruction of their environment and the exploitation of their communities, a number of youth groups emerged to demand the cessation of tests until adequate arrangements were made to protect their interests.

Packaging a series of demands, which included compensation for any damage done to the environment, these groups warned the company that they were willing to resort to violence if their needs were not met. In the past, throughout the region, such threats had resulted in tragedy. In November 1999 in the village of Odi in the Niger Delta a group of youths went on a rampage, killing 12 policemen in response to what they say was the failure of the government to fulfil its promise of relief for the region. As a result of the murders, the army was sent in and the town was completely destroyed, resulting in dozens and possibly hundreds of deaths.

Involvement


Responding to the escalating tensions in the area, the Committee for the Protection of People's Dignity (COPPED) in association with its partner in the region, the Eastern Youths Democratic Forum, arranged to meet the groups of youths in Ngor Okpala and Uratta.

COPPED was set up in 1995 by a group of student leaders from the University of Lagos in response to Sani Abacha's clampdown on the rise of student activism. COPPED's aim was to re-invigorate the youth of Nigeria who through years of intimidation and violence at the hands of the junta were becoming increasingly disenchanted and marginalized. Since 1995 its range of activities has been broad, from campaigns against university campus gangs and AIDS awareness outreach programmes to conflict prevention and human rights advocacy.

The first hurdle that COPPED faced was whether or not it would be welcome in the area. Fortunately, COPPED's student background and large youth membership worked in its favour. The University of Lagos Student Union had been a key pro-democracy force during Abacha's rule, earning it the respect of young people throughout the country. This reputation gave COPPED essential leverage when meeting the youths face to face for the first time.

COPPED's next task was to dispel the potentially explosive rumours, accusations and misconceptions that popularly circulate when oil is discovered in an area. This 'truth telling' they see as the first step to clearing a path for the non-violent resolution of the conflict. Importantly, this includes the historical background to oil exploration in Nigeria and how it has been used by successive dictatorships to divide communities.

A second element of their talks with the youths revolved around the lessons that could be learnt from other communities that had been through similar experiences. With an extremely poor communications infrastructure and a history of animosity between certain ethnic groups, communities in the region have had little chance of learning from each other's experience with oil finds. This has led to many similar crises appearing throughout the region, some in very close proximity to one another. COPPED believe that by increasing people's spatial and historical awareness, similar disputes stand a better chance of being resolved peacefully.

Lastly, COPPED began to teach the youths some basic negotiating skills. The confrontational approach that had been adopted by the youths was explained by COPPED to be counterproductive and would not help them towards their stated goals. Thus COPPED impressed upon the group the need to retract their demands and allow the oil company to 'anchor' ie complete their seismic tests, so that they (and the community) could ascertain what, if any, oil existed beneath their soil.

With a long history of collusion between multinational oil companies, the state and the security forces, COPPED emphasised the importance of not scaring the company off. Such a move would have limited the opportunity for a transparent and open consultation process and may have unwittingly pushed the oil company towards more clandestine and provocative methods.

The final stage of the process was to invite members of the youth groups to participate in the democracy and human rights courses, which COPPED have run in various conflict prone areas throughout the region. With the curriculum built around the core concepts of 'democracy and good governance' 'justice and the rule of law' 'conflict prevention and resolution' and 'gender issues' the idea was to institutionalise non-violent approaches to conflict and thereby reduce the probability of such conflagrations occurring in the first place.

Outcome


After hearing the case put forward by COPPED the youth groups decided to retract their threat of violence. However, this may well be a temporary peace. 'We need support to hold and consolidate peace' says Peter Claver Oparah, Secretary General of COPPED. 'Our task is Herculean and we are only just able to keep the peace in this area. If the oil exploration and drilling continues without proper consultation with the local communities these youth groups will certainly resort to violence.'2

While the overwhelming majority of protests by communities in the Niger Delta and beyond have been peaceful, many of which have been met with massive violence, the worrying trend is the tendency of communities to 'fight back' when provoked or threatened.

The case of Odi, and many others, shows how the commercial exploitation of the region, without adequate recompense for the affected communities and coupled with severe environmental degradation may lead to a growing number of groups who, seeing no alternative, will resort to violence to achieve justice.

Peter Claver Oparah says that 'youths remain the engine room of a vibrant population as well as the conscience of every nation. Where there is no way, it is up to the youths to chart a new pathway through which the people can walk into freedom.'3 This is what COPPED set out to achieve back in 1995: to galvanise the youth of Nigeria to chart a better course for their country. They remain true to their vision today. While democratic rule has returned to Nigeria much work remains to be done. With adequate support COPPED may well become a potent force for change in Nigeria.

Internally displaced: Unkown

Refugees: Unkown

Deaths: Unknown

Cost of involvement: $100,000

Annual Budget of COPPED

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Footnotes


1. According to a recent World Bank study, 23% of countries where at least 1/4 of the economy depends on exports of primary commodities experience violent conflict. Conversely, countries with no exports of primary commodities have less than 1% chance of violent conflict. The link - that countries which depend heavily on natural resources for their income remain underdeveloped (since governments are reluctant to invest in education or industry) and more prone to corruption and conflict - can be seen most clearly in Nigeria.

2. Personal communication with Peter Claver Oparah, October 10th 2000.

3. Internal COPPED document.

For More information:

An excellent resource on Nigeria's environmental problems

The COPPED website