Agitations and militancy in the Niger Delta region have been blamed on years of neglect and failure by successive governments to address squarely the development challenges of the region.
This is the view of some concerned Nigerians at a book presentation in Abuja as they lamented the continuous pollution of host oil communities in the region.
Nigeria’s Niger Delta is one of the largest wetland areas, with a unique but fragile ecosystem. It produces more than 90 per cent of the crude oil that is the lifeblood of the Nigerian economy.
However, following more than four decades of oil exploration and production by international oil companies, the area has been left with massive environmental degradation.
As a result, the farming and fishing communities of the region watched their yield decline dramatically over the years.
“God Is Not Here”, a book authored by Elsie Dennis, tells the frustrating narrative of the people of oil rich Niger Delta.
A sad commentary on how in the midst of what should be plenty, only suffering and anguish has been reaped.
The writer portrays interventions so far done have been about “interest” rather than about people and the improvement of the Niger Delta region.
A story of how law and order have given way to the state of nature. Love is lost. Life is short and brutish. Humanity is reduced to nothing.
So the people of the Niger Delta are saying , “Is God really here?”
