N/Delta: Amnesty alone won’t redress years of neglect – Onyema

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE
THOSE criticising the Federal Government for spending huge sums of
money on training and rehabilitating about 30,000 Niger -Delta
ex-militants, have been urged to have a re-think because there is
nothing like costly peace. According to Barr Allen Onyema,
co-ordinator of the presidential amnesty transformation programme and
chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN), what
the country is currently spending on the programme,an equivalent of
the proceeds of two days oil production is insignificant compared to
what the nation reaps from the oil-bearing Niger Delta.
Currently, Nigeria produces 2.6 million barrels per day. At $97 per
barrel, two days' production proceed is $504.4 million or N79.7
billion. In an interviewwith Vanguard, Onyema said without massive
investment in infrastructure, amnesty would not solve Niger Delta
problems and berated those saying that the Boko Haram menace is
similar to the Niger Delta militancy. He also criticized northern
leaders and elites for the rising wave of poverty in the North.
Excerpts:
On complaints by some Niger Delta youths of being left out of the
amnestyprogramme
Initially, the Federal Government recorded 20,119 ex-militants and
granted them amnesty. Those were the people we attended at the
Obubra,Cross River State, camp. I don't know those who were left out.
Were they part of the 20,119? Did they get to Obubra? Were they
registered and mobilized? If you are not part of the first batch,
there was a second batch of 6158 approved by President Goodluck
Jonathan after several agitations.
So, those who are saying they were left out, do they belong to any of
thesebatches? If they did not show up during the first and second
batches, I am aware that a further 3000 has been approved. If they
don't fall into any of these groups, then there is problem somewhere.
They neglected to show up.
On the cost of training and rehabilitating 30,000 ex-militants
I can't tell the exact amount. There is nothing like costly peace,
every hand must be on deck to achieve peace at all times.
Genuine agitations
Looking at where the Niger Delta people are coming from, what is spent
on ex-militants is nothing compared towhat the Niger Delta is giving
Nigeria. I am not from the Niger Delta but they have suffered over
time.
They have genuine agitations that needed to be addressed by Nigeria
and the international community. Theyprotested and were not getting
result and some of the youths took up arms, which I do not subscribe
to, I am for nonviolence. The Niger Delta had and still has right to
those agitations, which were genuine.
*Onyema: Amnesty has paid off
When we talk about the cost, we must also look at what the cost would
have been if there was no amnesty. In 2006, at the height of
militancy, when people like me went into the trenches for nonviolence,
to convince them thatthere is another method, oil production was less
than 600,000 barrels per day.
Oil companies were shutting productions daily; businesses in Niger
Delta took a flight. A lot of social malaise came with it. Crime
reigned supreme. The boys at a time were ready to export the violence
to other parts of the country. And they were gaining the upper hand.
The military could not contain them because of the Niger Delta
terrain. Again, there was question of the image the violence was
creating abroad. Nigeria was perceived as war-torn.
Today, we are producing close to threemillion barrels of crude oil per
day; theeconomy has grown and is rated as one of the fastest growing
economies in Africa and the world. If late President Umaru Musa
Yar'Adua and Goodluck Jonathan did not stem the tide of violence with
amnesty, Nigeria, today may be producing zero barrel of crude oil and
become one of the poorest countries of the world.
What amnesty is costing this country isabout two days' oil production.
If the country can sacrifice proceeds of two days oil production to
rehabilitate the ex-militants, so be it. There is nothing like costly
peace.
On comments that the Boko Haram insurgency is similar to Niger Delta militancy
There is no similarity at all. The Niger Delta militancy started as a
result of years of marginalization. Every one knows about the Niger
Delta situation, which has not been addressed till date. Amnesty is
not the solution to their complaint.
They need massive investments in infrastructure and amenities. For
Boko Haram, what is their grouse? Niger Delta militants said, 'we need
resourcecontrol, you take our oil and develop cities like Lagos,
Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, etc and in our place where the oil is
produced, there is nothing.'
On the side of Boko Haram, they started with being against western
education and then went into bombing of churches, markets, etc.
Amnesty does not operate in a vacuum. Before you grant amnesty there
are factors that must be identified.Who are you giving amnesty? They
must be recognizable people. You must meet some of their demands for
them to drop their arms and embrace nonviolence.
In Niger Delta, we knew Tompolo, Asari-Dokubo, Boyloaf, Ateke Tom,
Soboma George, Egberi Papa, Pastor Reuben, Shoot-at-Sight, etc. It was
easy for the Federal Government to deal with the various camps.
In the case of Boko Haram, who is Boko Haram?
The government says they should come for dialogue and amnesty but they
have not come up. I support amnesty for Boko Haram but it must exist
in relation to something, not in a vacuum. They need to come out. It
is not a question of rehabilitating some youths without jobs and those
who arebombing will continue with their bombing.
The presidential committee going from village to village to compile
list of the jobless is not the issue. The majority of people throwing
the bombs are foreigners. A lot of people think Boko Haram is only
against the South. They are also killing thousands of northerners.
Niger Delta militants came out, renounced violence and surrendered
their arms to the Federal Government. I want Boko Haram to do like
that and the Federal Government should grant them full amnesty.
If the amnesty committee brings jobless youths who are not involved
inBoko Haram and the government grants them amnesty, and the bombing
continues, then MASSOB will renounce nonviolence; OPC will do thesame.
The OPC can shut down this country by shutting down Lagos and the
South-West. So we must be careful.
There is no comparison between Boko Haram and the Niger Delta
situation. A situation where politicians are shamelessly comparing
Boko Haram and Niger Delta militancy is sad.
Solution to Boko Haram insurgency
The president has shown a lot of maturity. Nigeria is a multi-ethnic
country; you have to be sensitive to perceptions. President Jonathan
has shown he is sensitive to ethnic perception. He has shown restraint
andcalling for dialogue and a lot of people saw it as weakness until
Boko Haram also started killing military men and security agents and
raising flags. So the president had no option than to declare a state
of emergency.
This is right and should not be politicized. While President Jonathan
inaugurated a presidential committee to work out amnesty, violence was
escalating. During the 9/11 in the United States, the whole America
rose and condemned it. Boko Haram has taken almost the same number of
livesas 9/11 yet some parties are criticizing the president for a
taking a bold step that is restoring peace to the North.
With the emergency, things have improved. Today, IRS Airline has
resumed flight to Maiduguri and yet some people are still criticizing
a step that should have been taken before now.
Majority of Nigerians support the state of emergency except a tiny and
vocal minority, which is against it. Northern people are peaceful and
want peace but unfortunately, religion and lack of education have
taken root in the North.
All hands must be on deck to address the problem. The Federal
Government should use the carrot and stick; those, who are ready for
amnesty; forgive and rehabilitate them.
Also victims of the crises whether through military or Boko Haram
incursion, should be taken care of. The Federal Government should
restore the economy of the North. If the economy of the North, East,
South-West or Niger Delta is buoyant, Nigeriawill be buoyant. If we
neglect any region, we will be in trouble.
The Federal Government should be proactive and put structures to
prevent people from going into violent crime. The North is still
laggingbehind the South in education. The North is highly impoverished
and something must be done. If there is drought, let the government
invest in massive irrigation to return the peopleto agriculture.
We have to engender programmes to disabuse people's mind of accepting
violence as a tool. Nonviolence programmes should be taken to schools,
markets, streets and communities.
The North should do something for itself. Most northern leaders and
elite are not helpful. They should encourage an average northern child
to be like their own children. If they dothat the North will be a
better place to be in.
Apprenticeship exists in the East. An Igbo businessman with two
million naira would in 10 years have trained and empowered 30 persons
but most northerners sitting on millions cannot boast of such. I want
the North to take the issue of education seriously. I don't believe
the North should get thepresident before it can be right.