Terminate amnesty programme, risk dire consequences in Niger Delta, stakeholders, NDPF and others warns FG

TRACKING ___A foremost war lord from the oil rich Niger Delta region, Bristiah Columbus and former commander of the Niger Delta volunteer force NDPF, has warned the Federal Government of Nigeria against alleged clandestine moves to jettison the Amnesty Programme, saying it will engender dare consequences.

Commander Columbus gave the warning in a telephone conversation with TrackNews Online on Saturday.

He said the Ijaw nation has been “reliably informed that there are clandestine moves by power players within the corridors of power at the presidency to abruptly terminate the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

“The move, if materialised by the enemies of peace, will be viewed as an ethnophobic propensity of the present government against the Niger Delta people,” he averred.

The war lord went memory lane how the late President Umaru Yar’Adua came up with the programme and the terms of reference guiding the programme.

According to him, “in case the plotters of the evil coup fail to know, the Amnesty Programme is a mutual agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Niger Delta people.

“The bargain is for the agitators to lay down their arms to accept the offer of Presidential Amnesty which has hitherto outlined terms and conditions to be complied with by both sides.

“The Amnesty Programme is a well-thought-out developmental programme of the then government of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua with different segments.

“The Programme was phased into three segments which are: Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration for the first segment; Rehabilitation for the second segment while Strategic Implementation Work Plan (SIWP) for the third segment.

“Granted that the first segment has successfully been carried out. However, we are still in the second segment which is the rehabilitation process.

“Engaging the youths on vocational training or sending people to school as well as the empowerment programmes are all part of the rehabilitation processes.

“There is no time limit as to when the Programme will be terminated especially when all the segments have not been executed.

“The third phase has not been attended to which is strictly for the massive development of the region.

“None of the developmental master plans initiated in the Programme has been implemented.”

The Ijaw leader further lamented unfulfilled promises to develop the Niger Delta with infrastructure, saying the agreement the region had with the FG was beyond the monthly stipend N56, 000 being paid ex-militants who embraced peace.

“Where is the N1.5trn Coastal Highway already awarded before Yar’Adua’s unfortunate death in 2009? What about the East-West Road which is now abandoned by this present government?

“What about the Federal Government, Multinational Oil Companies and Private Sectors tripartite agreement to massively develop the riverine communities which was duly incorporated in the Amnesty offer?

“The agitators did not accept the Amnesty offer simply because they agreed to be paid N56,000 for a period of time. May we remind those in government to check their records?

“The first meeting between the top echelons of the Niger Delta freedom fighters and late president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua which had heralded the smooth kick-off of the Amnesty Programme, the agitators tabled their demands to Yar’Adua who beat his chest that he would not disappoint the Niger Delta people.

“All terms and conditions discussed in that meeting were documented by the Federal Government and they formed part of the Amnesty Programme.

“The government has not fulfilled its own part of the bargain since the boys laid down their arms for oil to flow freely into the nation’s coffer,” he stated.

Commander Columbus, however, reiterated that any attempt to discontinue the programme “without fulfilling the conditions stated therein is a breach of trust and agreement and it cannot go scot-free without being visited with dire consequences.”

“The world is watching us. Niger Delta crisis is a global issue. This was the reason why the agitators had earlier insisted that they wanted UN representatives to witness the truce. People should not pursue a personal ambition to endanger the corporate existence of Nigeria. hope that Niger Delta e will not be blamed for any breakdown of law and order. Let us be wary of our actions Lest we will jeopardise our corporate coexistence,” the group warned.

In his words, former Chairman of Ijaw Youth Council Western zone, comrade David Reje we Reje said, we are even paind that the Amnesty office is now occupied with notherns and other person that doesn’t understand the problems and sufferings our people.

I urged President Buhari to name a substantive Presidential coordinator for the Presidential Amnesty, warning that the Ijaws would not tolerate an alleged appointment of a person of non-Niger Delta extraction to head the office. We have also been brifed that the committee set up by National Security Adviser (NSA) to oversee the office for the past few months has submitted their and recommended that the Amnesty scheme should be ended. We don’t wanted to draw conclusion on it because we know president Buhari will not accept such dangerous report from the said committee.

Comrade David said, they are angry as a people because the Federal government is pushing them to the wall, especially in the light of the recent sack of Prof Charles Dokubo, and the Presidency’s refusal to name a substantive coordinator for the programme.

The former IYC leader further said “ As Ijaw Youths, we will shut down the Oil sector if Buhari allows these desperate elements in the presidency to hijack the Amnesty Programme like what they are doing to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the NDDC. Our demand is that Mr President should for the sake of peace in the Oil sector appoint a coordinator immediately from among competent Ijaw people. We are watching the fold of events as we will not hesitate to shot down all the Oil platforms in Ijaw lands. Do not blame us should there be break down of law and order in the region.”

In a similar statement, Commander Ogboro Clement alleged that the Federal government is provoking the Ijaw people to anger, warning that “ we will not accept the government turning the Amnesty programme to a northern affairs in order to pay political followers”, and “ the boys will go back to the creeks.”

Nigeria’s current Oil production stands roughly at about 1,955,000 barrel per day which has shown a steady and consistent progress in recent times. However, crude oil production in the country fell for the third month in a row in December 2019 to a new low of 1.5m bpd, against a target production level of 2.18 million bpd at $57 per barrel, which was used as benchmark for the 2020 budget.

Recall that the last time militants in the Niger Delta issued similar threats, Oil production went down all time low as 750,000 per barrels, in 2016. That was when a group called NDA reportedly claimed responsibility for the crisis in the Oil rich region and the larger Gulf of Guinea region. Militants had attacked Oil facilities, gas infrastructure and installations listing a number of terms as conditions for cessation of hostilities including continuation of the presidential Amnesty programme.

Luckily, Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo’s dynamic and most proactive shuttles to the creeks in the Niger Delta was said to have calmed angry nerves and helped restored normalcy. In the 2020 budget, the federal government projects that about N3.73 trillion would account for accruals from oil revenues out of total revenue of N8.1 trillion revenue projections. The country’s output however declined drastically by 95,000 bpd between November and December, 2019 following figures released by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

“Producing below the OPEC production quota and below the benchmark of 2.18 million bpd is not good for Nigeria’s revenue,” Charles Akinbobola, an energy expert said in Lagos.

Mr. Peter Iseimokumo, an Ijaw energy analyst from Bayelsa State pleaded with President Buhari to listen to the stakeholders, youths and put in place the necessary structures required in the Niger Delta to guarantee peace, including naming a substantive Coordinator for the “Presidential Amnesty programme, because the danger in all these ad hocs is that tomorrow ” somebody can set aside all the decisions taken by these bodies because the persons who took the decisions were not known to the law and procedures setting up the organizations”.

Mr. Peter also reminded president Buhari to consider and approach key stakeholders in the Ijaw Nation especially the likes of former president of the Ijaw Youth Council Dr. Chris Ekiyor who understand the region, the creeks and the boys. He has been in the fore front of the struggle in all attempt to resolve the issue since 2009 pre amnesty and also recent avengers in 2016 saga. The doggedness of former IYC president Dr Chris Ekiyor, Tompolo Delta and Bayelsa state government including the enigmatic National leader pa E k Clark in resolving the crisis cannot be over emphasised .

I strongly advice the FG to reach out to clark for a better way out of whatever mire they have found themselves. He added.