Corruption in every facet of the Nigeria state is the underlying factor that gave birth to militancy and terrorism in Nigeria, Chris Ekiyor, former president of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and transition committee Chairman of Patani Local government Council, told a Nigerian Colloquium at the Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa.
“The summary of this discourse is that economic, marginalization, frustration and desperation experienced by the greater population of Nigerians is the underlying cause of terrorism and militancy in contemporary Nigeria,” He said.
Ekiyor whose paper falls within the broad thematic topic of the Nigerian Colloquium, Militancy to Terrorism-Whither Nigeria, said despite attempts to attribute terrorism and militancy to religion, economic factors offer deeper insights into the cause of both social malaises in contemporary Nigeria.
However, he emphasised there is a world of difference between terrorism and militancy. Ekiyor said while militancy is a combative approach to the pursuit of a cause, terrorism is “unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government in furtherance of political or social objectives.
He buttressed that while the reasons for militancy in the Niger Delta were poverty and exploitation of natural resources in the region, Boko Haram does not have a clear-cut agenda. Hence, terrorism has led to political instability with concomitant effect on capital flights in some parts of Nigeria
“Businesses and individuals began to perceive Nigeria as a non-stable country and started to move their investments to more stable societies. Capital flight has multiplier effects on an economy. It impedes business investment, economic growth and productivity, spurs inflation and unemployment and negatively affects the living of the people,” Ekiyor said.
Ekiyor said the people of a nation or country state usually have contract with their leaders, especially when such leaders emerge through a democratic process. One of these responsibilities of the state, Ekiyor emphasised, is to ensure the protection of lives and property of the citizens. Some others include protection of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and guarantee of its socio-economic and political stability. He however, noted that terrorism has continuously threatened these functions of the state and has impacted negatively on the very foundation and fabric of the Nigerian state.
He cautioned however, that unless there are concerted efforts at countering terrorism and militancy, the much anticipated economic rejuvenation will continue to elude Nigeria.
life is made more cumbersome by a few people who feel they run the show:forgetting easily that the superiority of man over his fellow man is ephemeral;and that only God is superior and supreme.
