A Comparative Assessment of the Socio-Economic Dimension of Niger Delta Militancy and Boko Haram Insurgency: Towards the Security-Development Nexus in Nigeria
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UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND For the Degree, of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In Development Studies A Comparative Assessment of the Socio-Economic Dimension of Niger Delta Militancy and Boko Haram Insurgency: Towards the Security-Development Nexus in Nigeria FACULTY OF ARTS Candidate: James Ojochenemi DAVID Student number: 201549487 Supervisor: Prof John Akokpari Co-Supervisor Dr Mandla M Masuku DECLARATION I, David James Ojochenemi, hereby declare that this dissertation is my own original work and that all sources have been accurately reported and acknowledged, and that this document has not previously in its entirety or in part been submitted at any university in order to obtain the same academic qualification 09/05/2019 ------------------------------------- ------------------------------- James Ojochenemi David Date 9 May 2019 ……………………………………. ……………………………….. Supervisor: Prof John Akokpari Date ………………………………………………. ………………………………. Co supervisor: Dr Mandla M Masuku Date ii DEDICATION To God Almighty, the source and summit of all wisdom and knowledge, for the various miracles that accompanied this project into fruition. To my Beloved family, for the spiritual and material support. To all the victims of insurgencies in Nigeria. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My earnest gratitude goes firstly to God, the source and summit of all wisdom and knowledge, for His unending love and care over me during this study. I remain highly indebted to my supervisors Prof John Akokpari and Dr Mandla Mfundo Masuku for undertaking to supervise this study. Your careful observation, critical comments contribution, guidance and care towards the successful completion of this project is deeply appreciated. May God’s favour replenish you and your Family? I extend heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Mr and Mrs Rose Ebube, Mr Daniel David, Mr and Mrs Rita Shaibu, Mr and Mrs Monica Apeh. There is no better support like the support of Family. Thanks for the prayer, fasting, care and material contribution towards the success of this project. God bless you immensely. A special appreciation goes to the Department of Politics and International Studies where this project was initiated. Additionally, appreciation goes to the librarians of the University of Zululand for all the support. I am deeply grateful to Dominic Okoliko, who has been a friend “that is closer than a brother” for demonstrating his friendship through many sacrifices to ensure the success in this project. Special thanks to Fr Kevin O’Hara of St Patrick’s Missionary Society for his caring support for me and the material contribution to this project. Your many years’ experience in the Niger Delta contributed in an unquantifiable measure to the success of this project. Thank you. Special thanks for Fr Charles, Fr John Roche, Mr Ilesanmi K Damilola and Dr Longmam Pienswang, Dr and Mrs Joy Obaje, Miss Zamahlubi Radebe, Miss Lavinia Haikukutu for the caring and friendly support. Special thanks and appreciation go to Prof and Dr Mrs Isike for their moral and caring support in face of my many challenges. You are deeply appreciated. Special thanks to Benjamin Maiangwa for his kind assistance each time I ran to him for help and most especially for the review and words of encouragement that often resuscitate hope and invigorate me in the face of challenges and discouragement. iv I am sincerely grateful to all the respondents without whom this study would not have been possible. I want to sincerely thank the staff of SACA in Yanegoa, including Mr Abba Ayemi, Mr Williems Shades, Mr Chidi Usanga, and Mrs Irene Njoku, and members of the Ikarama, Imirigi, and Ikoroma Communities in Bayelsa State, as well as all those whose names cannot be mentioned herein for ethical reasons. May God Almighty reward you all in abundance for your direct and indirect contributions to this study v ABSTRACT This study critically explores, in comparative terms, the socio-economic dimension (drivers and effects) of Niger Delta Militancy and Boko Haram insurgency, within the ongoing debate on the nexus between security and development. Using the mix of Root Cause and Rational Choice theories (2RCs), the study through qualitative methods, demonstrates the relative implication of socio-economic causes and effects of both insurgencies, based on evidence from interviews, available video documentaries and literatures. Acknowledging the weak, however irrefutable, connection between security and development, the study underscores that the social and economic dimension of both insurgencies must be factored into a long-term recovery plan, despite the seeming religious façade of Boko Haram. The study demonstrates that while poverty, for instance, is necessary but insufficient in explaining conflict, its persistence amidst affluence and economic growth suggest that it significantly determines the hopelessness, angst and lack of trust in the system that often nudges some citizens to seek alternative means of redress. Such means may be ethnonationalism or religion as suggestive of the Niger Delta militancy or Boko Haram insurgency respectively. In addition, both insecurities have been hijacked by certain individuals for self-benefiting ends. This hijack is somewhat driven by personal rational calculus and oiled by the pan-Nigeria “socio-economic neediness” among the masses. In this regard, while the masterminds manipulate this ‘socio-economic neediness’, the lower ranks (of these insurgencies) derive immediate economic or political benefits from participation through criminality. Meanwhile, the study found that socio-economic causes are more easily identifiable in the Niger Delta insurgencies as compared to Boko Haram’s, especially from the standpoint of legitimate grievances. For the Boko Haram insurgency, the socio-economic underdevelopment in the northern region are ideologically manipulated to mobilise wide support for the insurgency through monetary inducement, leveraging on the vulnerability of the populace. This is especially compounded by the lower level of education among it ranks of foot soldiers and general level of human underdevelopment across the region. The implication of Nigeria’s mono-cultural economy for the country’s development trajectory and the current instabilities are explored to illuminate what, why, and how the resultant socio- economic underdevelopment could be related to both insurgencies. Accordingly, the popular criticism of the socio-economic dimension that often allude to the relatively higher level of vi poverty in other parts of the north compared to Borno is critically revisited. This is done by demonstrating that Boko Haram is hardly a Borno or North-east phenomenon exclusively. Indeed, the historical and ideological resonance of Islamic extremism of Boko Haram, across the entire northern region, strongly reinforces this view. The study further demonstrates how the protracted insurgencies, among other agitations in the country continue to inhibit Nigeria’s overall development, creating an endless circle of conflict. Hence, in contributing to the attainment of a durable and sustainable resolution, this study advocates that adequate and improved redress of the socio-economic dimension, among the other notable undeniable dimensions must take place. In this regard, the study critically engages the mix of defence, diplomacy and development (the 3D) as used in other conflict regions in the world, to decipher possible ways forward. Minding context dependence of such policy frameworks and the difficulty with transferability however, the study ultimately seeks only to draw adaptable lessons, especially its accents on inter-agency cooperation (human and material resource) in comparable insurgencies. Herein lies the security-development nexus in Nigeria, given the deepening human insecurity and underdevelopment spawned by both insurgencies vii Contents UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND ................................................................................................ i DECLARATION ....................................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ..........................................................................................................................iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. vi LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. xii LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................. xiv CHAPTER 1 .............................................................................................................................. 1 GENERAL BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION .................................................................... 1 1.0 Background to the Study ...................................................................................................... 1 1.0.1 The Sources of Conflict in Africa ................................................................................................ 5 1.0.2 Conflict Prone Colonial Legacy ................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Research Problem