ETHNIC CONFLICT AND NATIONAL STABILITY IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF OBASONJO’S REGIME). A RESEARCH PROJECT MATERIAL ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
ABSTRACT
For the country Nigeria, the years 1999-2003 was years of great suffering caused by ethic crises. In the Northern part of the country, the ethnic conflict between the Muslims and Christians was climaxed with the introduction of shaira law in some Northern States. At the Southern part of Nigeria also a lot of ethic crisis has been witnesses among the various ethic conflict that blew across Nigeria between 1999 – 2003, which has left in its trail unprecedented human, economic, social and ecological disasters. Exacerbating this is the public perception that the government has been insensitive and slow in addressing fundamental issues affecting Nigeria, such as poverty alleviation, resource distribution, infrastructural development and security. An air of anxiety and uncertainty continues to pervade the Nigeria society despite the democratic administration that is in place. In view of these, this work was carried out to look at those factors that have been responsible for the various ethic upheavals that have plagued the country since the new democratic era. It is believed that these factors which ranges from class struggles, economic inequality and the incompatibility in political and economic allocations have intensified the occurrence of ethic conflict in the country, thereby hampering the national cohesion and stability in the country. Thus, the resultant effect is the level of underdeveloped and insecurity that is prevalent in Nigeria.
This work was solely undertaken to rescue Nigeria from the strange hold of ethnic conflict.
It is our conviction that we can diffuse ethnic tensions by educating the ruling class and the masses alike on the need to place humanity and nationality above ethnicity and to resist the urge to mobilize ethic sentiments for destructive ends.
For it is only when the country is stable that it will attract investors, since nobody or cooperation will like to invest in a trouble nation.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Our country Nigeria was created by the British colonialist who performed the task of bringing the various ethnic nationalities together in 1914 to form a single nation state, right from creation Nigeria has been a plural society made up of three major groups of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, while the minority groups include, Efik, Igala, Tiv, Jukun, Urhobo, Ijaw, Ibibio etc, infact, recent studies puts the figure at about 374 ethic groups (Otite, 1990:26).
Thus, consequent upon the cultural heterogeneity of Nigeria, there has aroused though times of different kinds of ethnic conflict. This conflict had at times, pitched the Hausa’ against the Igbo’s in a very violent conformation. The introduction of Sharia legal system in the North them cause serious conflict in some state in the North equally in the southern part of the country, the Yoruba and the Hausa have also confronted each violently.
There are also evidence of the various intra-ethnic conflicts witnessed among the minority groups, like the lfe-modake, TIV, Jukun, and the constant clashes that has become a daily occurrence in the Niger Delta regions of the country. The various conflicts that have taken place shows that the unity of the country is at stake.
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