After 30yrs of trading with Nigeria,I am very upset for my many Nigerian business partners, and friends, to see the Delta area of Nigeria fall into such chaos. Here at last do we see a chance for Nigeria to pull itself out of the malaise it has been in for many years, with the help of the billions of dollars of oil money. And what do we see!!! Criminals again robbing the ordinary Nigerian of there rightful share in Nigeria's wealth.

I do not believe that the Nigerian government should try and negotiate from weakness.It should be a combination of both stick and carrot. A hard military crackdown, combined with a carrot to investment in the area. It all sounds very simple when written down, and we know the facts belie reality. The under investment in Naval equipment, lack of training in this type ( dare I say ) warfare.You are right to suggest that what is happening is an attack on Nigeria's sovereignty and integrity.The UK's special forces motto " Who dares Wins " is never more appropriate for the Nigerian Government to act.

This is not a problem that suddenly started overnight. This is the result of various problems that have been building up from the time of independence of the country and the root source of the main problem is TRIBALISM that has dominated the polity since independence. TRIBALISM caused the first coup, it caused the second coup, it caused the civil war, it dominated the rule of Gowon, it dominated the rule of Shehu Shagari, it dominated the rule of General Buhari, it dominated the rule of Gen. Babangida, it was the cause of the annulment by June 12, 1993 of the free election in the country. TRIBALISM was very dominant of the polity during the Abacha's rule. Some of the casualties of TRIBALISM in the polity include the destruction of the civil service, the police, the army, the educational system, the health system, the Railways, the Airways, Ajaokuta steel mill, NEPA(the power system), NNPC, etc. Attempts By Gen. Muritala Muhamed to eliminate TRIBALIS from the polity caused him his life. Attempts by President Olusegun Obasanjo to eliminate TRIBALISM from the polity made him an outcast and a laughing stock. The new casualty of TRIBALISM, which may be the last before a complete breakdown unless the correct solution is found, is the security of the country. A DRASTIC REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION THAT WILL ELIMINATE TRIBALISM FROM THE POLITY IS NECESSARY. REDUCTION OF THE 36 STATES TO 6(SIX ONLY) STATES THAT CORRESPOND TO THE SIX GEO-POLITICAL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTRY IS, PROBABLY, THE ONLY REALISTIC FIRST STEP.