As part of efforts to end youth restiveness in the Niger-Delta Region, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua issued a proclamation in 2009 for the commencement of a comprehensive demilitarisation of the area and a return to serenity. Tagged Amnesty Programme, by design and scope, it was aimed at mopping up arms from restive youths, re-orientate and train them in areas of learning and vocation. OLAOLU OLADIPO in this piece attempts to appraise the programme.
The media parley was hurriedly convened, in the words of the organisers to ‘put the records straight’ on sundry issues that had been thrown up regarding the operations of the Amnesty Office. It was a frantic move by the Dr. Kingsley Kuku’s office to douse tension as well as to give necessary clarifications on the activities of the all-important office.
A day earlier, some youths from the Niger-Delta region barricaded the busy Abuja- Lokoja express way protesting the manner in which the Amnesty Programme was being managed.
In their numbers, the youths while disrupting vehicular and commercial activities along the road which is the gateway to the Federal Capital Territory alleged that some top management staff have perfected plans and had even went ahead to exempt them from the programme since its commencement.
The attendant negative publicity as well as the inconvenience suffered by commuters on the road gave rise to the press briefing, which Kuku himself addressed. At the well attended media parley, he read out the successes of his office.
Perhaps, Kuku’s greatest worry stemmed from an impending probe of his office by the Federal House of Representatives, who upon a resolution reached after debate regarding upsurge in the wave of militancy in the South South region by supposed militants who have also threatened to cripple oil production in the country based on sundry issue, amongst which is the manner in which the programme is being managed.
Worried by the development, members of the House of Representatives, during one of their plenary sessions, mandated the National Assembly’ Joint Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, and Public Safety and National Security to investigate the performance of all agencies connected with the management of the programme.
As part of its terms of reference, the House also asked the committee to summon relevant stakeholders with a view to fashioning out a comprehensive and integrated solution to the Niger Delta problem and report back within two weeks.
At the media parley, the embattled Kuku said his office is saddled with the task of disarming, demobilizing and re-integrating the over 26, 358 ex-militants who embraced the programme in October 2009 after the late President Yar’Adua issued a presidential proclamation for the commencement of the programme.
He added that over 20, 000 ex-militants enlisted in the pilot scheme after they have been formally demobilized at a camp set up by the office in Obubra, Cross River State just as about 6,166 enlisted and were to be demobilized by December 20th, 2011.
A further breakdown showed that about 7,556 of the militants were placed on skill acquisition programme both at home and abroad but some broad spectrum of the region seem unimpressed by the performance of the Kuku-led office.
Apart from the youths who vented their spleen in Lokoja, some others who do not have the courage and the wherewithal for such a journey have been shouting to the rooftops in their localities.
For instance, a prominent ex-militant, Mr. Timi Frank has faulted the programme saying it has not met the expectations of the people. Addressing a press conference in Lagos recently, Frank alongside other ex-militant accused the Amnesty Office of bias and prejudice in its operations.
“It is unfortunate that it is still the same old story, nothing has happened positively to the region since our brother came to power. The case is even made worse when you consider that some of our sons are in what could be considered as plum appointments.” Frank said.
Making specific reference, he faulted the implementation of the ongoing Amnesty initiative for ex-militants in the region saying it (the programme) has become ineffective.
According to the group, the programme has become a drain pipe for the Federal Government as the committee saddled with the implementation has not really justified the huge amount of funds that have been made available to it by the government.
“The Amnesty Programme has failed; the evidence is there for all to see. We now have renewed violence in the region as youths are now blowing up oil facilities. If the programme has succeeded as we are made to believe, the situation would not have been like this.” He said.
Warning of the dangers of failure the youths stated that the task of coping with the scourge of Boko Haram and militancy in the Niger-Delta region would be too much for the government to bear.
“There is favoritism in the way the programme is being run and managed. Huge amount of monies were collected and are not properly accounted for, very sad. I wish on behalf of our various groups urge president Goodluck Jonathan to probe the programme before he releases any money to them.” He said.
On the way forward, the group urged the president to facilitate a well thought out review of the entire project for it to meet the desired objective of stemming the tide of youth restiveness in the region.
“There is the need to rework the project. The president has demonstrated the will by adequately funding it but those who are implementing are not doing well.” The groups stated.
According to them, a comprehensive probe of the project should be undertaken by government before the release of the sum N11 billion being proposed as the supplementary budget for the project.
More specifically, the Itsekiri ethnic nationality, under the aegis of Itsekiri National Youths Council, INYC, has forwarded a petition to the House of Representatives over alleged exclusion of former militants of the Itsekiri extraction from the amnesty programme.
The petition which was presented on the floor of the House by the member representing Warri Federal Constituency, Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, has been referred to the House Committee on Public Petition.”
The petition, signed by Messrs David Tonwe and Isaac Dorsu, National President and General Secretary, respectively, to the Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, reads “we are constrained to draw your attention to the deliberate refusal of the Presidential Special Adviser on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, whose office is saddled with the responsibility of implementing the post-amnesty programme in the Niger Delta region, to accommodate ‘qualified’ youths of Itsekiri extraction into the post-amnesty programme, despite the fact that these former armed youths had surrendered all illegal arms to the then amnesty committee.
The group alleged that “from media reports over 23,000 former armed youths have benefited from the post-amnesty programme. It is now clear to us that Mr. Kuku is least interested in accommodating any ‘qualified’ youth of Itsekiri extraction into the post-amnesty programme, and the reason for this anti-Itsekiri position can, among others, be located within the context of the inter-Ijaw and Itsekiri differences.
“Given the extent to which he is prepared to go in denying any Itsekiri youth, irrespective of meeting the necessary requirements for participating in the post-amnesty programme, we are constrained to humbly seek the intervention of this House.”
Sounding a note of caution, Chairman of the Niger Delta Nationalities Forum (NDNF), Mr. Manager Seigha warned that the amnesty programme should carry out its task devoid of partisan politics saying the scheme is particularly aimed at youth development in the region.
Perhaps, the office would have to do what could be termed a re-assessment appraisal of its operations as a means of addressing the numerous complaints emanating from? various quarters if it must succeeds and be seen to have succeeded.
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