That Fresh Threat From Ex-Militants

Penultimate Monday, some ex-militants in Bayelsa State issued a damning threat to the Federal Government to enlist them into the Amnesty Programme within seven days, or they would be forced to return to the creeks and begin fresh attacks on critical national assets as a veritable means of redressing their grievances. The ex-militants claimed that they were denied registration by the Amnesty Office’s Special Inter-Agency  Task Force on the recovery of illegal arms from repentant militants who had surrendered their weapons to the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta.

The ex-militants, who addressed a press conference in Yenagoa, last Monday, to express their displeasure over their non-inclusion in the programme, said they deserved to be registered and documented, having demonstrated repentance by submitting their arms to government. They accused the verification and documentation committee of leaving out a lot of repentant militants who would have benefited from the programme.

A fortnight earlier, a group of ex-militants had gone on rampage, destroying valuable property and looting shops in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, in protest over what they alleged was Federal Government’s failure to enlist them into the Amnesty Programme, having convinced them to surrender their arms in exchange for re-training, re-integration and re-settlement into the wider society.

We recall that just last Saturday in Enugu, the Air Vice Marshal James Gbum-led Inter-Agency Task Force charged with the responsibility of recovering illegal arms and ammunition from ex-militants, handed over 39,880 lethal arms and ammunition recovered from the ex-militants in Delta and Bayelsa states as well as Lacto Marine camp in Akwa Ibom State, to General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen Adebayor Olaniyi, for destruction.

Handing over the weapons, Gbum said the recovery was in response to new claims and agitations by some groups who felt excluded from the Amnesty Programme, recalling that those in the first and second phases of the recovery programme were enlisted in June 2009 and October 2010.

He, however, said that immediately after these two phases, there were serious agitations by some ex-militants, who claimed that they also surrendered arms and ammunition to the JTF and other security agencies, but were excluded from the Amnesty Programme.Consequently, the task force, among other things, carried out reconciliation of the disarmament records, and effected a thorough documentation of the persons that truly surrendered arms to military formations for inclusion in the Amnesty Programme.

In doing so, the task force said, it strictly verified and reconciled the disarmament records and documented qualified ex-militants, who truly submitted weapons to security agencies after painfully scrutinising the claims of ex-militants to ensure that their records showed beyond reasonable doubt that they truly disarmed to security agencies.

The Tide is, therefore, worried by the recent threat of looming return to arms by people who claim to have actually disarmed and repented from their disturbing activities. We caution the aggrieved youth to exercise maximum restraint and understanding, and avoid acts capable of escalating the deteriorating security situation in the region.

If for nothing, they should show appreciation to the Federal Government for initiating and sustaining the Amnesty Programme, which has greatly empowered thousands of our youth. Although, the Federal Government reasons that the programme may not have succeeded, according to plan, we do believe that significant success had been recorded since the commencement of the programme in June, 2009.

For instance, peace and reasonable security have been restored, wanton killings and kidnapping have reduced, crime rate has dropped, crude oil production has increased and government revenue has gone up, infrastructure development projects are springing up here and there, jobs are being created with more foreign investors streaming into the region, and local economies are reinvigorating. These are tangible benefits of the Amnesty Programme.

We, indeed, commend thousands of youth who leveraged the opportunities provided by the first and second phases of the Amnesty Programme to reintegrate themselves and contribute meaningfully to national aspirations and development. But it is also clear that government’s capacity building and empowerment schemes alone cannot provide employment and safety nets for every jobless youth in the region, albeit, the nation.

This is why we urge others, including the aggrieved persons not included in the Amnesty Programme, to take advantage of the many skills acquisition and economic empowerment initiatives of all tiers of  government and those of other non-governmental bodies in the region to empower themselves. Threats of arms struggle simply because they are yet to enjoy government’s largesse now is uncalled for, and therefore, unacceptable.

Time has indeed come when the youth from the region that long jettisoned militancy and kidnapping, must wholeheartedly embrace sustainable, respectable and decent livelihood. This is the only way we can enjoy the atmosphere of peace and sustainable development the region has achieved over the last three years.

Let the youth give peace a chance.