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Amnesty: Matters Arising

Published by toyin on Tagged Counsel, Governannce, Nigeria

The conclusion of the Presidential Amnesty program to disarm militants in the Niger Delta witnessed a flurry of activities at the 12^th hour with the acceptance of the deal by Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo. With his coming on board, the ranks of the repented militant’s commanders swell to about 17. Earlier on, the likes of ‘General’ Boyloaf, Soboma George, Tom Ateke etc had accepted the offer and led their followers to submit their ammunitions publicly.

What was witnessed in the region in the last two months in terms of the sheer number of weapons recovered is a testimony to the dire security situation in that part of the country. When one considers the fact that the recovered (submitted) weapons may be a tip of the iceberg in reality, it then becomes glaring that the Federal Government cannot celebrate yet. As a matter of fact, I absolutely concur with the President when he said that the hard work is really just beginning.

There are many questions begging for answers regarding the reintroduction of the militants into normal life and integrating them back into a society that at best is confused on how to view their (mis)advanture. What are the criteria to define someone as a militant? What happens after their surrender and registration? Who are the people to be responsible for the conducts of the ex-militants? Apart from paying them monthly salaries, what other measures are in place to ensure they are engaged in sustainable employments within a reasonable time? I believe appropriate answers to these question would determine the overall success or otherwise of the program.

I remember vividly that a major fulcrum for cessation of hostilities and attacks on oil installations in the region during the government of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo was the demand for the unconditional release of Mujahid Asari Dokubo whom many saw as the rallying point of the struggle. He was eventually released by President Yar’Adua but the violence rather than reduce became more pronounced.  

Dokubo, when being interviewed by Channels Television said he could not guarantee peace in the Niger Delta. He made quite a revelation on the genesis of the crisis. He said that it all started during the political campaigns for different offices in the region in 2002 when massive weapons were procured by politicians to ensure victory through foul means at the polls. At the end of the day, the boys employed to do the dirty jobs were abandoned by their sponsors. When it became clear to most of them that they were being gradually hunted down, they took to the trenches and the rest as they say, became history.

The second instance was when a whole lot of dust was kicked up over the arrest and subsequent trial of Henry Okah, the leader of MEND, the major umbrella body of militancy in the Niger Delta. He was said to be wanted on gun running charges in Angola and the Federal Government having discovered his roles in the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta decided to hold on to him, get all necessary information and probably jail him. However, the increased tempo of oil installations attacks and violence in the region forced the hands of the government to have a rethink.

The eventual release of Henry Okah culminated in a unilateral ceasefire from MEND but not until Atlas Cove in Lagos was bombed. That singular deed greatly damaged the reputation of the organization and almost ruined the goodwill and sympathy they enjoy among the press.

It was almost a faith accompli that MEND would become factionalized as soon as the amnesty program picked up tempo. While Jomo Gbomo, MEND’s spokesperson continued to describe the various repentant commanders as usurpers or declaring that permission was granted for others to accept the offer like in the case of Boyloaf, the emerging trend was that the government was on the verge of a major breakthrough in this protracted problem. Not many people were impressed when Jomo claimed that the public surrender of weapons supervised by the towering Governor Sylva of Bayelsa was a charade.

Having come to this stage, with the Minister of Finance testifying to the country’s improving crude supply and of course greater earnings, the FGN must move quickly to commence developmental initiatives in the region. The goodwill currently being enjoyed by the Federal Government must not be frittered away on the altars of politics and lethargy. There’s the need to be decisive in implementing the blue print for the development of the region.

It must be clear to the President that not all people want sustainable peace in that part of the country. For such people, the insecurity and the chaos in the region is to their benefit and they would do anything to maintain the status quo.  The earlier a marker of government’s intension is set the better. As has been demonstrated elsewhere, the management of peace is even more crucial than prosecution of war!

October 17th, 2009