It was for
noble intentions and the need to placate the restive Niger Delta (ND) militants
when former Nigeria’s President, Late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua exercised his
constitutional power by granting amnesty and unconditional pardon to all Niger
Delta militants in June 2009.
On acceptance, the militants were expected to
renounce militancy and embrace the Federal Government of Nigeria’s (FGN) package
for their rehabilitation.
The amnesty
has survived till date, with FGN spending billions to train and empower
ex-militants.
However, what has refused to change is the absolute denunciation
of militancy in the ND, as the amnesty has turned into a festering sore with
more splinter groups emerging from former militancy camps or organizations.
Its
now difficult, if not impossible to establish an effective census of militant
groups in the Niger Delta.
Neither the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) nor
the National Population Commission (NPC) dare venture into such an exercise.
That is the extent Niger Deltans have rubbished one of the very laudable
efforts of government to bring succor to people of the region. Before
Yar’Adua’s amnesty, the Niger Delta paraded militant groups like the defunct
Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF), Niger Delta Vigilante (NDV) and the
Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).
Leaders of these
groups claimed to have embraced amnesty and renounced militancy. But now,
militant groups have duplicated to the extent, even militants themselves are
amazed.
There is the Reformed Egbesu Boys, Egbesu Water Lions and Egbesu
Mythier Fraternity to Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) Adaka Boro Avengers (ABA)
Niger Delta Liberation Front (NDLF) to Former Forest Soldiers, (FFS), aka Isaac
Boro Last Born among others.
And their common denominator is that they are
splinter groups from earlier militancy camps.
Beyond this, the emerging
militant groups differ in almost all nuances, but hold firm to claims of
fighting for the emancipation of the impoverished Niger Delta. Agreed that the
Niger Delta region is the base of Nigeria’s oil wealth.
And since 2006, renewed
agitations for the control of the oil resources of the region has violently
heightened The familiar trademark of militancy in the ND has been bombing or
blowing up of oil installations and facilities, kidnapping or abduction of oil
workers, mostly foreign nationals, and the near blackmail of the FGN with
outrageous demands for cessation of hostilities.
The cost of the ND restiveness
on the economic fortunes of Nigeria has been enormous. But Leaders of the
country, (including South-South leaders) seems confused on the best way to
placate the region.
History is replete with attempts by successive leaders of
the country to genuinely revisit the ND question and their agitations. But the
directionless pattern of the militancy in the region has forced the impression
that the age-long sensation is prompted by greed rather than an honest desire
to salvage the region.
So, even under military dictatorships, Nigeria’s most
dreaded dictator, Late Gen. Sani Abacha, extended solace to the Niger Delta.
Gen. Abacha granted the ND 13% derivation formula; President Ibrahim Babangida
created the Oil and Mineral Resources Producing Areas Development Commission
(OMPADEC) and later on, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) emerged
and in 2008, an independent ministry for Niger Delta Affairs was created.
These
have been efforts of the FGN to redress the perceived injustices in the region.
And to further ice the cake, Late President Umaru Yar’Adua introduced the
Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).
Through it, dozens of repentant militants
have been trained in various fields and others paid monthly stipends.
Some
ex-militants have actually distinguished themselves in their field of study
both within and outside Nigeria.
But it appears the PAP has sparked more
trouble than it was intended to solve.
It is quite strange, that only in the ND
region multiple groups which claim to be fighting a common populist cause have
no uniformity of ideology, cohesion or consensus on any matter.
Each emerging
group has its separate agenda and feels the only way the FGN can listen to its
grievances is by attacking and destroying oil facilities and crippling the
national economy. And from the pronouncements of some of these groups, it is
clear PAP was misconstrued by many as a permanent appeasement, an instrument of
blackmail and a national largesse for the inhabitants of the ND.
Consequently,
most emerging militant groups mouthed that their exclusion in the amnesty
programme is reason for their renewed aggressions. But in the last few years of
FGN’s intervention in the ND, through the special agencies and the ministry
created for the region, over $40 billion have been expended in improving the
lives of people of the region in the last four years.
Minister of State for
Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu dished out this information and no leader
from the region has contested it veracity.
Despite these huge sums expended,
there is little or no impact because of poor utilization. Besides, Buhari has
started the clean-up of areas despoiled by oil spillage, through the
implementation of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland.
Yet, the militants have
remained resolute to hold the country to ransom.
There is no more justification
for this aggressiveness, except it is meant to deliberately distract the
government.
But in advertising a somewhat criminal enterprise and inclination,
which appears to be the second identity of militancy in the ND, they freely
dabble into political issues, each time they list conditions for cessation of
hostilities.
Part of their ridiculous demands include the release of corrupt
politicians like Col. Sambo Dasuki who is on trial for the alleged arms scandal
and the unconditional
release of a secession campaigner like leader of the
Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu and the de-freezing of the
accounts of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo among others.
So, the
struggle is no longer about the emancipation of the Niger Delta or restoring
its dignity as the militants delight in postulating.
It is about vested
personal interests of their sponsored leaders, who identify with government in
the day time, but romance the militants at nights. .
Based on the mounting
pressure on the FGN and with the silent voice of America which is pushing for
dialogue, President Buhari seems to be bending backwards by announcing its
readiness to dialogue with the NDA militants.
And that is where the trouble lies
because further granting of amnesty or recognition of emergent militant groups
and cash patronage by the FGN would instigate fresh problems.
Therefore, the
extension of another amnesty to NDA and even similar other groups in the region
would amount to succumbing to blackmail of the militants.
It would inevitably
give birth to more such militant groups, who would also demand for same
treatment as evidenced by the experiences of PAP under former President
Yar’Adua. In addition, this step would signpost the reward of gangs guilty of
economic sabotage or crimes against the Nigerian state.
Attah, a public affairs
analyst wrote from Yenegoa, Bayelsa State.
VANGUARDNGR
Follow Solenzo Blog on
0 Comments