SOCIO-ECONOMIC, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF RESTIVENESS AND RELOCATION OF OIL COMPANIES FROM WARRI AND ENVIRONS

Abstract

The discovery of natural resource in Warri Metropolis and the presence of oil companies improved socio-economic activities in the region. This enhanced socio-economic standard of living of the people of Warri and Delta State in general. Never the less, these benefits are short lived with the relocation of oil companies. Relocation was subject to incessant activities of youth militias (hostility) and ethnic rivalry. The region now experiences retrogression in an erstwhile booming economy. This heightened the level of poverty, tension, psychological trauma and criminality in the region. Although several researches have evaluated the benefits and effects of oil companies in the region, none have documented the socio-economic, psychological and health implications of relocation of oil companies from Warri and its environs. Thus, this study highlighted the socio-economic, psychological and health implications of oil companies’ relocation from Warri and its environs. The functionalist, social action, strain and conflict theory was used in the explanation of core variables. Data collection was triangulated with the use of in-depth interview, key informant and questionnaire. Data was analyzed using chi square and cross tabulations. Finding revealed that, frequent inter/intra communal crises and hostility arising from multiple demands of youth militias popularly known as “deve boys†were major cause for the relocation of oil companies from Warri. This relocation has increased hardships, trauma and level of criminality such as robbery, rape, cybercrime popularly known as yahoo, “gang starism†and harlotry. The study concludes that the presence of oil companies if well managed was more of a blessing than a curse. It therefore recommends that measures be put in place for reinjection of multi-national companies into the region to revamp the socioeconomic activities and better the socio-economic and health conditions of the people in the region.