201. The activities of dissident groups not only call into question the legitimacy and sovereignty of the state, but they have also succeeded in imposing an almost permanent climate of restiveness on the Niger Delta region in particular, and on Nigeria at large. Rather than a mere localised debacle, the Niger Delta question has since proved to have a global scope and resonance, as its impact on the global oil economy consistently shows. For example, the seizures of oil platforms by militant elements in the Niger Delta in April 2005 cut global oil output and forced the price of oil in the global market up to US$57 per barrel – an unprecedented price in the history of the global oil industry at the time. Similarly, in December 2005, Shell’s oil pipelines near the coastal city of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, were sabotaged with high explosives by a group of insurgents known as the Martyrs Brigade, substantially cutting the company’s total production quota. The resulting inferno claimed many lives and destroyed even more properties. 202. All these trends have complicated the Niger Delta crisis, with a resultant tendency for the legitimate claims of the Niger Delta to be reduced to a situation requiring the use of security forces to restore law and order to the area. For example, the federal government of Nigeria has on a number of occasions responded with military operations such as Operation Flush Out 3 (involving the army, air force and navy) that are intended to curb the activities of insurgents and the militia. The government’s use of force has not been entirely successful. The reliance on the police and army has unfortunately aggravated rather than alleviated the situation. The state of affairs is worsened by the fact that key state institutions such as the army, police and judiciary are usually permeated by ethnic interests to such an extent that the state’s actions appear to be barely rational. 203. While military operation is a short-term measure to quell the unrest in the region, there is an urgent need for the federal government to provide political and legal solutions for the political, economic and environmental grievances that have been the root cause of conflict for decades. Stakeholders also raised the issue of outstanding funds due to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) since 2001, which impedes its ability to fast-track elements of the NDDC Master Plan for development of the region. 204. Peace in the Niger Delta region is critical to the survival and economic revival of the Nigerian state. Unless grievances relating to economic inequality, environmental degradation and social injustice are resolved, the region will continue to be plagued by unrest. The federal government and state governments in the region, the NDDC, the multinational companies as well as local citizens all have a responsibility to bring peace to the region. The Council of the State 205. 86 The CRM learnt of an innovative structure in Nigeria known as the Council of the State which may be useful in the context of the management of diversity and the resolution of issues of national importance. The Council of the State consists of the following persons: the president, who is the chairperson; the vice president, who is the deputy chairperson; all former