Addressing Post-Amnesty Concerns, Hopes, Fears

At long last, the cloud of doubt that hovered over the possible success of the amnesty granted Niger Delta Militants by the federal government has given way to a mixed grill of hope, fear and huge expectations. In the days preceding October 4, 2009, the deadline set for insurgents to embrace the olive branch, many Nigerians expressed palpable skepticism over its plausible outcome.

In fact, some even called for extension of the date by about three months to enable stakeholders of the Niger Delta and militants alike, understand details of the post amnesty package.

Amidst that uncertainty however, a good number of militant leaders and thousands of their followers in various states had demonstrated their willingness to give the President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s federal government a chance to address the very concerns that informed the near recurrent unrest, sense of marginalisation and actual economic oppression.

Among the last set of insurgents who surrendered their arms were the leader of Camp 5 Militant Group, Government Ekpemupolo – a.k.a. Tompolo, reputed to be the most dreaded militant. He gave up his arms in Warri, while Ateke Tom, leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante Force presented his lethal armoury to government officials at the Port Harcourt Tourist Beach. In like manner, followed other militant leaders of the South-Western axis in Ondo State.

Thus far, only the Movement for the Emancipation Of The Niger Delta (MEND) has declined the Amnesty offered by government and threatened to soldier on.

That, notwithstanding, the frenzy with which a good number of militants battled to beat the October 4, 2009 deadline, all of who eventually surrendered their arms, portends nothing short of a huge success and indeed a victory for all Nigerians.

The Tide commends the federal government, particularly the Amnesty Committee and also the insurgents for agreeing to give peace, reason and good conscience a chance.

This, no doubt, places on the Federal and State governments enormous responsibility and fresh challenge to prove to both Nigerians and foreigners that the talk about post-amnesty package was not a fluke. We say so because of the need to avoid any hitch that would make nonsense of the October 4, success story and the sigh of relief that permeated the entire country.

To ensure that, we insist that the Federal government should, without delay, unveil the post-amnesty package, complete with specifics and deadlines, as was given to the militants. Such specifics must include how to re-integrate both the militant leaders and their followers into the civil society and make them useful to themselves.

Another is the urgent need for a Niger Delta Summit that would address in a lasting manner the recurring issues responsible for the near endless cases of unrest and disruption of oil production in the area.

In the short term, however, the Federal government should start the implementation of the Technical Report of the Niger Delta which it duly commissioned the Ledum Mite Committee to articulate and  also consider review of the Derivation Fund accruing to oil bearing states.

Understandable, as the Federal government obvious disappointment of the MEND stance may appear, The Tide believes that further dialogue would be required for both government and MEND to smoothen areas of discontent, if for nothing else, against the backdrop of the biblical search for the lost sheep and the spirit of total reconciliation.

All these, if addressed holistically, we believe, would help the Niger Delta region and indeed Nigeria know enduring peace necessary for development and stability and that way, clear the gloomy air of socio-economic marginalisation, political oppression and ethnic subjugation accountable for the protest of the Niger Delta peoples.