CLASS DYNAMICS IN A NEO-COLONIAL PETRODOLLAR ECONOMY

ABSTRACT

 The neo-colonial social formation has certain structural characteristics that are at the epicentre and the recipe for the perpetual violent conflicts in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Its capacity in respect to the relations of production has transformed the neo-colonial state into a state capitalism coated in the garment of authoritarianism through defederalisation and depoliticisation process and lastly has instituted the militarisation of the class dynamics in the region. The region is characterized with mass poverty and underdevelopment amid in prosperity sourced by its oil wealth, and these have given vent to the pervasive revolutionary pressures to revert the status quo that is devoid of equity, liberty, and justice, to a social formation that could provide a good life for its citizens.  Thus, the region has become a heated crucible for endless violent conflicts despite several conflict resolution mechanisms adopted to douse the fray nerves of the revolutionary class. It is against these backdrops that the Research attempts to interrogate the mechanisms of the peace settlement documents and to investigate the class dynamics and the social forces that inform the peace decision processes of the documents. The hypotheses are that the neo-colonial economic characteristics, the relations of production, the nature of effectiveness of the distribution mechanisms, and the dominant class interests are the causes of the violent conflicts in the region. The survey research method is used with questionnaires and interviews as sources of data collection. Class theory is adopted as the theoretical framework. The judgemental Sampling Technique is adopted for ascertaining information from respondents. The findings are that the peace documents are not in tune with the political agitations and declarations. Therefore the conclusion is that the violent conflicts in the region would be an endless phenomenon. Hence, the recommendations anchor on the premises of social revolution in which the structures of the neo-colonial social formation would be overhauled through sovereign national conference.