Full Project – ASSESSMENT OF GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING CONFLICT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN NIGERIA
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Conflict is as ancient as the family structure and occurs in a wide variety of areas of life. It is a process that occurs when one party or group believes that another party or group has adversely impacted, or is going to adversely affect, something important to the first party (Robbins and Judge, 2010). Allowing conflict to grow may be a severe concern, as it can produce chaotic situations that make it practically hard for individuals to communicate or coexist peacefully.
Thus, it is critical to discover measures to mitigate and potentially prevent conflict from resurfacing in society. The management or settlement of conflict is contingent upon how people with the ability to affect the course of events handle them and on how the post-conflict development process is managed. On these grounds, conflict management policies must be predicated on assumptions about the causes of war and the prerequisites for peace. A misunderstanding of the underlying causes of conflict might result in inadequate conflict management policies.
There are numerous causes of conflict; they range from non-recognition of others’ claims to the nature of distribution, actions that foster mutual distrust, polarization of relations and hostility among groups engaged in apparently competitive interaction within a country, or even frustration caused by unsatisfied human needs, whether physical, psychological, social, or economic. They may also emerge as a result of the expansion of identity when groups demand more involvement and rights.
Since the establishment of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic on May 29, 1999, the situation has deteriorated into a perilous state. Nigeria has experienced several violent communal or ethnic conflicts throughout the country’s first three years of democratic governance, while some ancient ones have found new vigor. These include the Zango-Kataf conflict in Kaduna State; the Tiv-Jukun conflict in Wukari, Taraba State; the Ogoni-Adoni conflict in Rivers State; the Itshekiri-Ijaw/Urhobo conflict in Delta State; the Ife-Modakeke conflict in Osun State; the Aguleri-Umuleri conflict in Anambra; the Yoruba-Hausa conflict in Sha Fulani-Sawaya conflicts in Bauchi State; Fulani-Irigwe and Yelwa-Shendam confrontations in Plateau State; and Hausa-Yoruba clashes in Lagos State’s Idi-Araba. Ethnic and intercommunal violence have infiltrated the nation to the point that there is scarcely any area that has remained untouched (Imobighe, 2003). The Federal Government has enhanced security in some of these localities, but by failing to prosecute individuals guilty for these atrocities, government officials have failed to end the pattern of killings. In all, just a handful culprits have been apprehended (Human Right Watch, 2011). The Federal Government has established several committees and commissions of investigation throughout the years to study the sources of conflict, but their conclusions and occasional government white papers have mostly been shelved.
It is necessary to emphasize that so-called ethnic, religious, community, and intercommunal confrontations, among others, sometimes have a political overtone. This is because politicians regularly use ethnic, religious, and other social divisions in order to garner support during elections or protest their loss, resulting in intra or intergroup violence. That is why elections, as a central aspect of politics, are always fraught with conflict and bloodshed. A
Reflecting on previous Nigerian elections reveals the undeniable reality that violence has entrenched the country’s political tradition since independence (Inokoba and Maliki, 2011).
However, conflicts in Okene Local Government Area (the headquarters of the Ebira Tao people) take on a new level of significance due to their recurrent character and implications for national security. Due to Ebiraland’s important position as a gateway to the North-South-East portion of the country and its proximity to the capital city, disputes in this region are a national issue. Indeed, war has been highly damaging and disruptive to transportation and social life in the region. The Ebira Tao people of Kogi State are claimed to be a homogeneous community with a same language, culture, and mythical ancestry (Tenuche, 2002). However, numerous violent clashes between Ebira gangs have escalated to a hazardous level. The sporadic mayhem resulted in the loss of lives and property, social conflict, disruption of family and community life, and distrust, as a result of the employment of lethal, sophisticated, and lightweight weaponry, gun running, and availability to narcotics and deadly substances such as cocaine (Tenuche, 2002).
1.2 Statement of Research Problem
This research evaluates the assessment of government strategies for managing conflict in Local Government Area in Nigeria
Contending forces manifesting in groups engage in struggles, sometimes violent, thereby leading to loss of lives and property. Okene local government area of Kogi State in Nigeria has had its own share of incessant, violent conflicts. Over the years, a number of measures have been advocated by the government as panacea to the issues that give rise to such conflicts.
1.3 Research Questions
The following are the research questions:
What are the nature and causes of conflicts in Okene local government area of Kogi State?
What are the government‟s strategies for managing conflicts in Okene local government area of Kogi State?
How effective are these strategies in managing conflicts in Okene local government area of Kogi State?
1.4 Research Objectives
The research seeks to achieve the following objectives:
To examine the nature and causes of conflicts in Okene local government area of Kogi State.
To evaluate the government‟s strategies for managing conflicts in Okene local government area of Kogi State.
To analyze the effectiveness of government strategies for managing conflict in Okene local government area of Kogi State.
1.5 Research Significance
Conflict has dysfunctional and disruptive impact on society such as anarchy, loss of lives and wanton destruction of property, dislocation or dismemberment of family ties and the diversion of scarce resource from developmental to less notable ends (Imobighe, 2002; Garuba, 1998; Bouma and Singleton, 2004). Unfortunately, research on conflicts and its management is nearly non-existent in many developing countries. Where such research exists, researchers themselves have to deal with serious challenges. It is often undertaken on an ad-hoc basis with rigid financial budgets and without adequate institutionalized structures. In many countries, there is a complete lack of empirical research, in others, it is dangerous to study conflict because powerful groups in the society or the state fear discovery of their involvement.
This study focuses on the evaluation of government‟s strategies in managing conflicts using Okene local government as a case study. Although quite a lot of works have been conducted on Okene (Ebiraland), as far as the researcher knows there is no significant work on the evaluation of those strategies employed by governmnet in managing conflicts which is within the scope of this study. This study shall contribute in closing up some of the gaps existing in the current literature in the area of study. Some researchers and historians have carried out studies on Ebiraland; however, only very few of these works gave little consideration in evaluating the strategies for managing conflicts in the area. In addition, the region is a microcosm of Nigeria, thus, solutions profer to conflicts in Ebiraland can be applied in resolving conflicts at national level. The significance of this study therefore, lies in the fact that it intends to make significant contribution to the literature on strategies of managing conflicts in Nigeria and Okene in particular.
1.6 Research Assumptions
The followings are the proposed explanation based on limited evidence, used as a basis for further investigation in the course of the research:
Violent conflicts in Okene local government area are caused by clannish sentiments,
chieftaincy tussles, masquerade festivals, political positions and youth unemployment.
Government strategies for managing conflicts in Okene local government area were not effective.
The success of strategies employed in managing conflicts in Okene local government area depends on the will to implement remedies.
1.7 Scope and Limitations
The study covers the evaluation of government strategies for managing conflicts in Okene local government area of Kogi State (1999 – 2007). The research begins from 1999, a year which is significant in Nigeria history as it ushered in the Fourth Republic under the democratically elected government of President Olusegun Obasanjo and ends in 2007, a year which ended the first administration of the Fourth Republic. The analysis will evaluate government strategies for managing conflicts in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State.
This research is contemporary and politically sensitive. The researcher therefore was confronted with the problem of interpretation of the actions of conflict groups as well as strategies for managing conflict by the Kogi State government as some of the strategies initiated are still on-going process. Another problem encountered was the scanty information on managing conflicts in Okene local government area. However, effort was made to ensure that the rationale behind the actions of conflicting groups and strategies for managing such conflicts are enunciated, which was basically through exhaustive literature review, questionnaires and interviews.
1.8 Definition of Key Concepts
Some key concepts have to be defined or clarified in order to prevent any problem of confusion and misunderstanding along the line as the research work proceeds. These are:
Conflicts: It is a Latin word for clash, fight or confrontation among parties whose means or ends are incompatible. It can also be seen as violent expression of dissatisfaction against prevailing situations among communities within a country or region.
Conflicts management: It is an attempt to reduce, downgrade, contain or cope with conflict, since it can hardly be resolved. Conflict management involves conflict resolution and transformation when necessitated, and it is more of a long-term arrangement involving institutionalized provisions and regulative procedures for dealing with conflicts whenever they occur.
Strategies: This refers to plans designed to achieve a long-term aim. Conflict management involves a long-term arrangement; hence, strategies or plans need to be employed in order to achieve the desire goals.
1.9 Chapters Organization
This study is organized into five chapters. Chapter one is the introduction. Chapter two dwells on literature review and theoretical framework. The third chapter examines the methodology of the study, and the fourth chapter is the presentation and analysis of data. Chapter five is the summary, conclusion and recommendations.
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Full Project – ASSESSMENT OF GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING CONFLICT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN NIGERIA