Effectiveness of Nigeria's Amnesty Programme in Peace Restoration in the Niger Delta (original) (raw)
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Amnesty Programme in Nigeria: The Impact and Challenges in Post Conflict Niger Delta, Region
The Niger Delta crisis has been a major threat to both socioeconomic activities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The amnesty is now six years since it implementation however, this study seeks to capture the impact and challenges of the amnesty programme in post conflict Niger Delta region. The qualitative and quantitative method sampling procedure was used for this study. This research study was carried out in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa state, Nigeria. The purposive sampling method was used for this research because of the nature of militancy activities in the area. More so, in-depth interview with youth's leaders, community members, elders and relatives of ex-militants was carried out in the area. For decades, the people of the region have long been neglected, marginalized and lacked the basic infrastructure. Since then, the agreement made by the Federal Government is still unfulfilled. Therefore, there is urgent need for the FG to address the problems in the region.
This paper intends to examine peace building efforts in post-conflict Niger Delta. The conflict which has affected oil production in Nigeria. This is also because oil is the main stay and a major source of energy in Nigeria. The study tends to look at the method, causes and assessment of the amnesty programme. The study covers a time frame between 2009 to 2015. The qualitative method is adopted and the use of secondary data will be employed for data generation and analysis as well. This study will reveal individual or group involved in the conflict. It will further proved that persistent neglect, deprivation and marginalization without development or compensation, high level of unemployment, environment degradation, uneven resource distribution and lack of basic amnesty. It was these problems that led to the emergence of militancy in the region for the past years. The study also reveal an attempt made by successive Nigeria Government to establish different commission to look into the Niger Delta issue, the DDR programme, security implications and its challenges in the Niger Delta clearly indicate that until the root cause of the region is achieved there will not be enduring peace, security and stability in the environment.
The Niger Delta Crisis: Taming Violence beyond the Amnesty
2013
The declaration of Amnesty to the Niger Delta Militants by the Federal Government of Nigeria was acknowledged as the needed roadmap to the Niger Delta crisis. It was expected to draw out the militants from the creeks for skill acquisition training and rehabilitation, end violence and pave the way for a comprehensive development of the long neglected Niger Delta Region (NDR). Despite the seemingly overwhelming acceptance of the package by the militants, trademarks of violence reminiscent of the pre-amnesty era are still the lots of the NDR. Against this background, this study was undertaken with the objective of investigating the factors that are responsible for the renewed violence in the region with a view to finding solutions. Using a survey design, we administered questionnaire on 293 ex-militants to elicit information on their socio-demographic background, belief in amnesty, fear about amnesty, perception of amnesty by deserters, as well as the push and pull factors to militancy...
Amnesty Programme and Security Situation in the Niger Delta Region: An Assessment
Journal of Psychology & Sociological Studies Vol 2,No 1, 44-63 ©Author(s) 2018, 2018
This study was carried out to assess the implementation of the Amnesty programme with regards to restoration of peace in the Niger Delta region. This study becomes necessary given the importance of the region to economic prosperity and well being of Nigeria. Given the nature of the main objective of the study, content analytical method was employed to review published records (official publications, articles from reputable journals). After critical examination of available records, it was found that the Amnesty programme is just a scratch on the surface of the underlying factors that triggered the conflict; it was also found that the programme was lopsided in approach as victims of environmental degradation who were not members of militant groups were totally excluded from enjoying benefits accruing from the programme; that there was obvious corruption in the management of the programme as its handlers expended about 80% of the programme's budget in consultancy services among others. On the basis of the findings, we recommended as follows: that the root causes of the Niger Delta agitations such as poverty, underdevelopment, environmental degradation, unemployment among the youths, etc should be frontally tackled by government; that government should demonstrate political will by ensuring immediate end to gas flaring in the region; that government should ensure the sustenance of Amnesty programme by expanding its scope and ensuring regularity in the payment of stipends to repented militants, etc.
The Amnesty Programme and the Challenges of Ending Youth Militancy in Nigeria’s Niger Delta
Insight on Africa, 2012
The Amnesty introduced by the late President Umaru Yar Adua in 2009, no doubt brought some respite to the crisis in the Niger Delta region. However, there remain strong concerns on how to sustain the relative peace that has been achieved so far. The Amnesty was preconditioned on the surrender of arms and renunciation of militancy to be eligible for inclusion in an Amnesty programme for rehabilitation and reintegration, which included monthly allowances and training for the ex-militants. Despite the progress made through the amnesty, it has been characterised by various challenges which could reverse the gains of the programme if not properly managed. The paper examines the amnesty programme from its inception under late President Yar Adua, and what it portends for the youth, including those that are not/were not militants. The paper is qualitative in terms of its methodological approach. It argues that the amnesty programme should go beyond dealing with the problem of militancy and should include youth that were not militants, but who also have a stake in the region. The paper concludes by recommending that ending youth militancy fundamentally depends on the commitment of the government as well as other stakeholders to address the developmental challenges in the region, as this holds more promise of sustaining peace. This to a large extent depends on a leadership that takes seriously the issue of governance, development and environmental justice, which have eluded the region for decades.
SOCIO-POLITICAL IMPACT OF AMNESTY PROGRAMME ON THE NIGER DELTA AREA IN NIGERIAN STATE.
Abstract The Niger delta region of Nigeria, reputed to be one of the most richly endowed delta’s inthe world, contributes about 80% of Nigeria’s national wealth. Years of political andeconomic marginalization, environmental degradation, bad governance and policyinconsistency by the government, and the divide and rule policy of the oil companies ledto emergence of militancy in the Niger delta in the early 2006. The various activities ofmilitants have created a state of general insecurity in the region. The persistent neglect was to result in unrests by thepeople of the area, which eventually almost got out of hand. Long years of neglect and conflict have promoted,especially among youths a feeling of a bleak future, and thus see conflict as a stratagem to escape deprivation. The paper argues that themethods of operation of the militants, which includes kidnapping and hostage taking, blowing/shutting down of oil installationsand facilities, setting off of car bombs, and illegal oil bunkering has negatively impacted Nigeria’s economic development. The government not able to bear the embarrassment and the drop in daily oil production, coupled with the substantial loss of revenues devised the amnesty programme in 2009 as solution to the quagmire. The paper is aimed at examining the circumstances causing the crisis situation in the area, and the attendant consequences to the people of the areas and to the global community, the various effort and programmes of the government in curbing the situation, it attempt the critical analysis of the amnesty programme initiated by the Federal government, its impact at ensuring and restoring durable peace back to the region, it discusses some of the challenges to amnesty programme, it drives out appropriate recommendations as to how the crisis will be given a permanent rest and peace be fully restored to the region of Niger Delta. The study adopted the Marxian political economy approach as its theoretical construct, and used it, in the content analysis of the secondary data on the subject matter. Materials for this paper has been drawn mainly from secondary sources found in libraries and archives in Nigeria, in general and in the Niger Delta in particular; academic and other resources available in the internet, local and international publications. Keywords: amnesty, Niger delta, Oil exploration, pollution, Multinational Corporation, Derivation, Militancy, impact, insecurity, Nigeria.
13 years of the amnesty programme in Nigeria: an assessment of its impact on the Niger Delta region
Journal of Global Social Sciences
The study is aimed at assessing the impact of the amnesty programme in the Niger Delta Region over the 13 years period. The historical method of data collection involving a systematic and critical analysis of secondary data was adopted for the study. The findings indicated amongst other things that while the amnesty programme has succeeded in reducing youth restiveness in the Niger Delta Region, the general state of underdevelopment, environmental degradation, poor infrastructure, lack of sustainable employment still constitute visible features of the Niger Delta Region. The study further noted that the amnesty programme has been inundated by corruption, political manipulation/interference, poor monitoring and evaluation of the programme, delay in payment of stipends to ex combatants, lack of meaningful economic engagement activities for trained ex militants amongst others. Based on these findings, the following recommendations were outlined: there is need for transparency in the im...
Militancy and the Amnesty Program in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria; 2005-2014
IJMRE, 2021
The clamour for resource control by the Niger Delta region has become one of the contentious issues in Nigeria. The desire to address the structural deficiency gave birth to militancy. The study examines the activities of militant, and amnesty programme within the context of understanding justice and equity in the Niger Delta Region of the country. The study employs the use of content analysis to carry out the task which relies only on the use of secondary data collection. The paper argued that amnesty package have focused almost entirely on military and security objective as expressed in the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programmes. The study revealed national loss of income and resources; security challenges; downsizing of oil companies' employees; dwindling foreign direct investment; and destruction of national unity among others as implications of the militancy in the region. The paper concluded by recommending more proactive response to the crisis in the region, an all-encompassing approach, an articulated regulatory framework acceptable to all stakeholders, for there to exist a modicum of Niger Delta security, and by extension, a secured federation.
The Journal of African Development, 2017
The exploitation of natural resources and the associated marginalization of indigenous occupants of areas with such endowments continue to act as major driving forces for conflicts around the world, especially in Africa. In Nigeria’s Niger Delta Region, the major triggers of resource-based violent conflicts have been the subject matter of many academics and policy analysts. With the introduction of several peace strategies especially the Federal Government of Nigeria’s Amnesty Program notwithstanding, pockets of violent activities have generated questions as to the sustainability of the program. This study examines the sustainability of the Federal Government’s Amnesty Program in the Niger Delta Region. The main objective is to provide empirical evaluation of the program in the light of its strategy to deliver peace to the region, not only in the short-term but also in the long-term. Consequently, relying on the philosophy of the relative deprivation theory, descriptive and Chi-Squa...
An Evaluation of the Presidential Amnesty Programme in Nigeria’s Niger Delta Region
WILBERFORCE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, 2018
In 2009, the Federal Government of Nigeria granted Amnesty to ex-militants that haad been involved in armed violence in the Niger Delta. The implementation of various aspects of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) indicated that it offered ex-militants the opportunity to participate in the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) and post-amnesty trainings in on-shore and off-shore. The amnesty programme led to the withdrawal of weapons, de-escalation of violent conflict and restoration of relative peace and security, improved oil production as well as rehabilitation and reintegration of the ex-militants into normal societal life. The outcome of this study revealed that the amnesty programme was bedeviled with faulty foundation, lack of fund, corruption, none involvement of other stakeholders such as communities, oil companies and official armed agents. This rather intensified the struggle for community leadership between ex-militants and other community members in t...