A RAY OF HOPE IN THE OIL RICH NIGER DELTA

By Innocent I. Edemhanria

For some years now, the Niger Delta has been literally turned to a war zone as militants held the nation to ransom. From their various camps in the Niger Delta creeks, the militants who were armed to the teeth, destroyed vital oil installations and kidnapped expatriate oil worker, most of who have had to flee the country while many oil companies shot down operations in the area. Their violent campaign took a huge toll on the nation’s oil output and earnings as Nigeria’s oil production was reduced to 1.2 million barrel per day from its OPEC 2.4 quota. The import had been a blow on the economy and total disruption of life in the Niger Delta Region.

As it is now, the amnesty deal between the federal government and the militants has provided a ray of hope for the restoration of peace in the troubled region. For some weeks, there has been cessation of hostilities in the region to create a conducive atmosphere for dialogue among stakeholders to pave way for meaningful development. Many Nigerians both at home and in Diaspora have hailed the bold step taken by the Yar’Adua administration to quench the crisis in the Niger Delta, describing it as a positive means to achieving peace and development in the region.

So far, notable, powerful and influential militant leaders have embraced the amnesty programme of the federal government. They include Ateke Tom, popularly known as godfather, Leader of Dreaded Niger Delta Vigilante Services (NDVS); Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), Leader of Ijaw Youth Leader Forum and the commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) In Delta State; Farah Dagogo, MEND Commander in River State; Soboma George, Leader of the Outlaws and Tom’s former second in command; Ebebiwakei Victor, popularly known as Boyloaf, MEND commander in Bayelsa State who led 32 commanders in Bayelsa State to embrace the amnesty; Solomon Ndigbare popularly known as Osama bin Laden; and Sobomabo Jackrich, popularly known as Egbripapa. These militant leaders together with their followers have all embraced the amnesty programme.

Ateke Tom and Government Ekpemupolo were the last of the war lords to embrace the amnesty. Tom used the accession of Nigeria’s 49^th independence anniversary to surrender. He promised President Yar’Adua that he will return to the creek shortly to mobilize members of his group for the disarmament ceremony in Port Harcourt, a promise he fulfilled to the latter.  Tom was believed by some to have the strongest and most disciplined group in the commonwealth of the Niger Delta struggle; he had about 500 fulltime fighters under five field commanders with an extended capacity for about 5000 in times of crisis and unquantified number of ammunition.

While Tom and members of his team were surrendering their arms and ammunition in Port Harcourt on October 3^rd, Tompolo another dreaded militant leader, had to succumb to pressure to embrace the amnesty, and the Amnesty Implementation Committee facilitated a meeting between him and the president in Aso Rock. Tompolo, who surrendered a mind blowing war arsenal, was received in a carnival-like reception at the Osubi airport in Warri before moving to Oporoza where thousands of people also gathered to receive him.

Now that the federal government has moved beyond amnesty phase, its major challenge is how to reintegrate the repentant militants into the society. Already, Nigerians have suggested a post amnesty development programme that should be urgently implemented by the federal government. The Niger Delta Elders and Leaders Forum led by Edwin Clark however expressed their worries that as it is now, there appears to be no concrete evidence of integrated plans for effective and adequate reorientation, reintegration and rehabilitation of the militants who have embraced amnesty. They called on the federal government to immediately commerce massive development of the Niger Delta to provide urgently needed infrastructural development and employment should also commence forthwith as this is the only way to sustain and ensure the irreversibility of the current peace gains.

The militants have played their part; it is now left for the federal government to evolve a post amnesty programme that will bring about rapid development of the region. Already, the post-amnesty era in Nigeria may have started yielding results, as the European Union (EU) recently  pledged 190 million euro (about N41 billion) to the programme recently offered militants in the Niger Delta by the Federal Government to disarm. This was disclosed by the Director General of European Commission (EC), Mr. Stefano Manservisi, in Abuja during an interactive session with newsmen. He further described the success of the package as a turning point in the history of Nigeria. He, on behalf of the EC, welcomed the initial success of the amnesty progrmme.  He then urged the government of Nigeria to continue the efforts of sustainable rehabilitation and reintegration of the former militants, including the support of the communities and noted that it is not only a question of implementing the amnesty, but preparing an integrated development plan for the Niger Delta.

The post amnesty plans of the federal government were given more boast on Wednesday, 28^th October, 2009, when the Federal Executive Council approved about N200 billion for execution of 44 projects in the nine states that make up Niger Delta Region. The states are Akwa Ibom, Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, Delta, Imo, Ondo and Rivers. The projects will cover construction of bridges, roads, hospitals, provision of portable water, environmental impact assessment among others.

President Umaru Mua Yar’Adua had earlier promised when he received Ateke Top in Aso Rock, Abuja, that his administration understands the challenges of the Niger Delta region and the challenges the people are facing, and said that in a few years, say five years or so, people will see the kind of development that would have taken place in the region.

However, given the serious governance challenge in Nigeria as well as the issue of corruption which is now endemic in our dear country, one begins to doubt if these funds will yield the desired result, more so, against the background that the N200 billion projects for Niger Delta will be executed by NDDC. Is there any guarantee that such huge chunk of money will not go the way of previous interventions? If the activities of NDDC as well as other agencies and commissions charged with administering oil revenue are not guided by the principle of transparency, accountability and a proper procurement system, then we will continue to remain where we are.

At this point, let me reiterate that if care is not taken, the steps so far taken by the federal government may not yield the desired result. Therefore, there is the need to manage this opportunity, this amnesty deal has offered. In my mind, a post amnesty summit is urgently needed now which will bring together stakeholders to discuss the way forward for the region. Issues relating to the Niger Delta Technical Committee Report, Petroleum Industry Bill, Electoral Reforms, Constitutional amendment should be looked into as they relate to the post-Amnesty.

Innocent I. Edemhanria is the programme officer of ANEEJ