News and Information

Amnesty: Nigeria Sleepwalking into Doom

Press Release

14/07/09

Why is the Nigerian government bringing so much pain on the Niger Delta and the ordinary people of Nigeria? Why is the government subjecting Nigeria through this pain, when it is clear how the Niger Delta crisis can be resolved quickly and permanently? Where are the political historians who could have advised the president that the current crisis was inevitable? Where are the democrats and moralists who should be shouting out to the government to do the right thing so as to resolve the crisis quickly, instead of been miserably quiet? Where is the Nigerian National Assembly that should be the defender of human rights and justice that have paled into uselessness and have become a department of the presidency? Where is the British government to mediate in order to end the crisis, rather than advising the Nigerian government on a military solution that has brought so much misery to the Nigerian people? Where is the European Union that talks so much about justice, freedom and fair-play, but has been hopelessly quite? Where is the United States, the preacher of freedom, justice and human rights, yet could not caution Nigeria when Nigeria consistently perpetrates injustice in the Niger Delta? Where is the African Union to help resolve this problem in the spirit of Pan-Africanism? For how long will Nigeria refuse to abide by due process that it preaches, in resolving the crisis instead of embarking on a short cut quick-fix approach in dealing with the crisis?

Nigeria is in a serious trouble, with the potential of collapsing, yet the government and its advisers do not seem to see the danger of Nigeria becoming a failed state, but still do business as usual. The Niger Delta crisis is the single most important issue to be resolved, if Nigeria wants to continue as a state with sustainable social cohesion and economic progress. Why is Nigeria so used to not doing things correctly?

There is so much enthusiasm about the amnesty package announced by President, Yar’ Adua, but one could not help but baffles at the grossly inadequate measures proposed to resolving the crisis. Any reasonable person that thinks logically knows that the package is incapable of addressing the issues that caused the problems in the first place. Amnesty should be a tiny aspect of an entire holistic reconciliation process. It is also shocking to see the President dangle N50 billion (and ignoring the real issues) to entice militants to lay down their arms. The president is clearly taking advantage of the level of poverty of the people of the Niger Delta, a people that can be bought quite easily. Some questions that are worth asking are, what happens when the recipient militants exhaust the money they received, will the government give them more? Exactly how much of the N50 billion will get to the militants? Or will a large part be consumed by political administrators? The danger is that the government may just replace the current militants with new ones. Besides, it is highly unlike that all the current militants will lay down their arms (MEND has already indicated that it will not) because of the gross inadequacies of the current amnesty proposal. It is also highly unlikely that even those who lay down their arms will surrender all of them. This is not rocket science, it is predictable, it is simply human behaviour. There is no trust. The militants may simply reason that, what happens if they give up all their weapons and the Nigerian government changes its mind? Remember, there is a problem with trust. Past Nigerian governments have no history of trustworthiness, so one may understand why the militants may reason this way. Another worry some militants may have is how secure are the arms, after they have been surrendered? Could these arms be sold or passed on by corrupt officers involved in the current disarmament framework?

A Model

The Northern Ireland model can guide Nigeria out of this mess. With IRA and other paramilitary groups fighting against British government interest, as many as 3,500 people died during the Northern Ireland conflict between 1968 and 1998. Those who lived in the UK during this period will bear witness to the constant threats from the IRA with bombs exploding all over London and other parts of the country, with huge destruction and human casualties. This went on for 30 years, until former British Prime Minister Tony Blair felt that the government should engage the IRA to resolve the crisis. Though he came under severe criticism for been ‘soft’ on the IRA, he stuck to his guns and pursued a peaceful means to bring the pains of Northern Ireland to an end. How did he do it? He partnered with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland to pursue a holistic process of peace and reconciliation, as the pain and anger was deep rooted.

As a result of deep seated distrust on both sides, a neutral negotiator, US senator George Mitchell was appointed to negotiate on the political front. Mitchell operated on the following principles:-

· To a democratic and exclusively peaceful means of resolving political issues;

· To the total disarmament of all paramilitary organisations;

· To agree that such disarmament must be verified to the satisfaction of an independent commission;

· To renounce for themselves, and to oppose any effort by others, to use force, or threaten to use force, to influence the course or the outcome of all-party negotiations;

· To agree to abide by the terms of any agreement reached in all-party negotiations and to resort to democratic and exclusively peaceful methods in trying to alter any aspect of that outcome with which they may disagree; and

· To urge that “punishment” killings and beatings stop and to take effective steps to prevent such actions.

On the disarmament front, an Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) was established. In the UK, the IICD was established under the Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act 1997 and in the Republic of Ireland it was established under the Decommissioning Act 1997. The IICD was made up of:-

· (Ret) General John de Chastelain, the Chairman, from Canada

· Brigadier Tauno Nieminen, from Finland

· Ambassador Donald C. Johnson, from the USA

· Andrew D. Sens, from the USA

The objectives of the Commission, was to facilitate the decommissioning of firearms, ammunitions and explosives, by:-

· Consulting with the two governments, the participants in the ongoing negotiations in Northern Ireland, and other relevant groups,

· Devising and presenting to the governments a set of proposals on how to achieve decommissioning,

· Facilitating the process by observing, monitoring and verifying decommissioning, and receiving and auditing arms, and

· Reporting periodically on progress.

Furthermore, an Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) was created in January 2004, by a treaty signed between the Irish and British governments in November 2003. The role of the IMC includes:-

· Monitoring any continuing activity by paramilitary groups;

· Monitoring the commitment by the British Government to a package of security normalisation measures;

· Handling claims by parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly that a Minister, or another party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, is not committed to non-violence and exclusively peaceful and democratic means, or that a Minister has failed to observe any other terms of the pledge of office. …….

The Commission was made up of the following:-

· Lord Alderdice, Peer in the House of Lords;

· Joe Brosnan, former Secretary General of the Department of Justice, Republic of Ireland;

· John Grieve, former head of the Metropolitan Police Anti-Terror Branch

· Dick Kerr, former Deputy Director, Central Intelligence Agency, USA

The point here is that in order to bring about true peace and reconciliation, outside help is essential for the sake of trust and confidence building.

The UK government did not stop at this, as disarmament was only a part of a much wider package contained in the Good Friday Agreement that was signed on Friday, April 10 1998 by all sides to the conflict.

Under the sub-heading “Declaration of Support”, the Good Friday agreement reads:-

1. “We, the participants in the multi-party negotiations, believe that the agreement we have negotiated offers a truly historic opportunity for a new beginning.

2. The tragedies of the past have left a deep and profoundly regrettable legacy of suffering. We must never forget those who have died or been injured, and their families. But we can best honour them through a fresh start, in which we firmly dedicate ourselves to the achievement of reconciliation, tolerance, and mutual trust, and to the protection and vindication of the human rights of all.

3. We are committed to partnership, equality and mutual respect as the basis of relationships within Northern Ireland, between the North and South, and between these islands.

4. We reaffirm our total and absolute commitment to exclusively democratic and peaceful means of resolving differences on political issues, and our opposition to any use or threat of force by others for any political purpose, whether in regard to this agreement or otherwise.

Regarding reconciliation aspect of the Good Friday agreement, the sub-heading titled “Reconciliation and Victims of Violence” reads:-

11. The participants believe that it is essential to acknowledge and address the suffering of the victims of violence as a necessary element of reconciliation. They look forward to the results of the work of the Northern Ireland Victims Commission.

12. It is recognised that victims have a right to remember as well as to contribute to a changed society. The achievement of a peaceful and just society would be the true memorial to the victims of violence. The participants recognise that young people from areas affected by the troubles face particular difficulties and will support the development of special community-based initiatives based on international best practice. The provision of services that are supportive and sensitive to the needs of victims will also be a critical element and that support will need to be channelled through both statutory and community-based voluntary organisations facilitating locally-based self-help and support networks. This will require the allocation of sufficient resources, including statutory funding as necessary, to meet the needs of victims and to provide for community-based support programmes.

And under “Rights, Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity”, another part of the agreement says:-

“Pending the devolution of powers to a new Northern Ireland Assembly, the British Government will pursue broad policies for sustained economic growth and stability in Northern Ireland and for promoting social inclusion, including community development and the advancement of women in public life.

Subject to the public consultation currently under way, the British Government will make rapid progress with:-

(i) A new regional development strategy for Northern Ireland, for consideration in due course by the Assembly, tackling the problems of a divided society and social cohesion in urban, rural and border areas, protecting and enhancing the environment, producing new approaches to transport issues, strengthening the physical infrastructure of the region, developing the advantages and resources of rural areas and rejuvenating major urban centres; ……..

With the total commitment from the British government on implementing these initiatives, Northern Ireland became the fastest growing economy in the United Kingdom.

The promise of a genuine peace and reconciliation changed the mid-set of both politicians and militants alike in Northern Ireland. In 2005, even former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair had to say the simple, but usually difficult word to say “Sorry” to the family of the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven who were wrongly convicted for involvement in IRA bombing activities that killed and injured several people. Their convictions were quashed by the Court of Appeal in 1989 and 2001 respectively. They had by this time served 15 years in jail. The prime minister said “he was sorry that the families were subject to such an ordeal and injustice”. Though the prime minister was criticised by many as a political opportunist, the apology brought so much healing to the recipients, their families and those who had fought for justice for many in years in Northern Ireland. Blair was basically steering the peace process on the right platform, a time to sound conciliatory and not inflammatory. This is a quality that Nigerian politicians lack. Many come across as rude, arrogant and obnoxious, that constantly inflame situations that could have been resolved with public relations and interpersonal skills.

Even the IRA took the unusual step of apologising to the families of the victims of Bloody Friday, when on Friday, July 21 1972, the IRA detonated 27 bombs in Belfast, killing 7 civilians and 2 soldiers and injuring more than 130 people .The apology was made in July 2002, at the 30th anniversary of Bloody Friday. The IRA said:-

“It had not been its intention to kill or injure non-combatants that day….

The reality is that on this and on a number of occasions, that was the consequences of our actions….

It was appropriate that on the anniversary of the tragic events of Bloody Friday that we address all the deaths and injuries of non-combatants caused by us….

We offer our sincere apologies and condolences to their families….

There had been fatalities on both sides. We recognise the grief and pain of the relatives….

The future would not be found in denying collective failures and mistakes or closing minds and hearts to the plight of those who had been hurt….

The future would not be achieved by creating a hierarchy of victims in which some were deemed more or less worthy than others….

The IRA was committed unequivocally to the search for freedom, justice and peace in Ireland……

We remain totally committed to the peace process and to dealing with the challenges and difficulties which this presents…. This includes the acceptance of past mistakes and the hurt and pain we have caused to others”.

This statement brought tears to many families who had lost loved ones in the conflict, now hoping that gradually they could see true peace and reconciliation and an end to their pain. Nigeria should learn from what happened in Northern Ireland and not try to invent the wheel all over again, for mistakes would be too costly. The current amnesty package that has been paraded now will not bring true peace to the Niger Delta. Even if all the militants were to lay down their weapons (which is unlikely), the problem still remains and it will be a matter of time when another Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro or Ken Saro Wiwa or MEND will rise again. This is simply because the pain remains.

Look at the pictures below and guess where Nigeria’s oil wealth is produced. Your answer to this question will explain why the problem will not go away until Nigeria can take the bull by the horn and robustly deal with real issues that have plagued the Niger Delta for over five decades.

Please click on this link to view the full press release with pictures:

http://nigerdeltasolidarity.wordpress.com/

Nigeria therefore, has a lot of work to do in order to bring closure to this crisis. Imagine the mess the oil companies are doing to the Niger Delta. They have completely destroyed the rivers and the beautiful rain forest of the Delta. The mangrove forests of the Niger Delta, is the largest in Africa and the third largest in the world with huge environmental benefits to not only Nigeria, but to the entire world. Yes, the Nigerian government remains completely mute in the face of this rapid and vigorous destruction of the Niger Delta by the oil companies. The companies pay no penalties for their irresponsible and dangerous behaviour. What kind of government on earth behaves like this, to deliberately subject her citizens to condemnation and death. In the 18th century, the Escravos river in Delta State (Escravos means “Slaves” in Portuguese), use to flow with slaves. It now flows with crude oil and blood. The same is happening on the rivers Nun, Forcados, Ramos, Santa Barbara, San Bartholomew, Brass, Middleton, St. Nicholas and Pennington.

Nigeria should wake up from her sleep and tackle these issues with all seriousness, if she wants to survive.

Recommendations

Despite the bleak and depressing future, we believe that Nigerian has a way out of this crisis. These are our recommendations for the President to act upon, in order to save the Niger Delta and Nigeria from further pain and suffering:-

· Assemble a respected and trusted international team to manage and monitor the implementation of the amnesty proposal;

· Assemble an international team to manage and implement a process of peace and reconciliation in the Niger Delta;

· Apologise to the people of the Niger Delta on the manner they have been treated over the past five decades (the symbolism here is very important);

· Quickly implement the recommendation of the Niger Delta Technical Report, with timescales;

· Visibly improving the living condition of the people;

· Enact tough laws to curb the irresponsible behaviour of the oil companies, with tough penalties for default;

· Enact specific laws to protect the Niger Delta and its Eco-system;

· Enact tough laws to jail corrupt politicians (no politician has ever been jailed in Nigeria for up to 3 years for corruption, even though it is universally accepted that they are very many in Nigeria). All this brings pain and anger to not only the people of Niger Delta, but to a lot of Nigerians; and

· Keep talking to all stakeholders in all honesty and sincerity, for any sign of dishonestly will damage the fragile negotiations; and

· Stop using threatening and inflammatory words.

Everyone has a responsibility to be responsible. With a structure like this, even MEND will find it difficult to reject the amnesty package, if it is convinced that the Nigerian government is sincere in its commitment.

If this is achieved, Nigeria may at last be back on track on the gradual process to true and lasting peace and reconciliation in the Niger Delta. If not, Nigeria could be sleepwalking into doom.

Mr Benaebi Benatari Mr Ebiye Asuka

General Secretary General Secretary

Ijaw Peoples Association of Bayelsa State Union of

Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain and Ireland

Email: b.benatari@yahoo.com Email: secretary@bayelsa.org.uk

Web: www.ijawland.com Web: www.bayelsa.org.uk

http://nigerdeltasolidarity.wordpress.com/

South-South governors rise in one strong voice against injustice on their land, people

Friday, July 31, 2009

Some policy shift of the Federal Government has triggered credibility problem, threatening the fragile amnesty deal expected to calm frayed nerves in the Niger Delta. Kelvin Ebiri (Port Harcourt), Hendrix Oliomogbe (Asaba), Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu (Benin), Inem Akpan Nsoh (Uyo), Anietie Akpan (Calabar), Joe Adiorho (Lagos) and Willie Etim (Yenagoa) report on the unfolding drama.
“OUR concerns are the amnesty programme, relocation of the University of Petroleum Technology Bill.
“We believe that every effort must not only be made towards lasting peace in the South-South region but also national peace to avoid an exercise in futility.”
With these words, Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, also Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, earlier this week in Lagos summed the South-South governors’ protest against the Federal Government’s handling of the Amnesty declared on June 25 by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
“We want a sustainable programme not lip-service and it is so important that the programme could only work by carrying along all stakeholders. ..” he continued summing up the case of the region against recent actions of the Federal Government that have seemingly negated the very essence of the declared Amnesty.
Since 2005 when militancy assumed new dimensions in the country, threatening the very existence of the federation and almost crippling the revenue base of the government, the Federal Government has been in a quandary on how to respond.
When the May 2009 military option failed in flushing out “brigands” and cowing “criminals” in the South-South, the Federal Government came out with the face-saving option of an amnesty for all militants who surrendered their weapons and renounced armed struggle. The six South-South governors and some of their people accepted it; they were even helping to persuade their “sons” in the creeks to accept the offer for peace to reign.
Thus, the governors would probably not have stirred the hornet’s nest if Petroleum Minister, Lukman, had not unfolded the Petroleum Institute’s new siting policy after last week Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.
Before Lukman’s spirited defence of “prioritization” of government’s emphasis in the funding of either the Kaduna University of Petroleum Technology or the Effurun Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), there had been another sour policy sent through his Ministry to the National Assembly for a law to shape the petroleum industry - the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
Minister of State for the Ministry of the Niger Delta, Elder Godswill Orubebe’s damage control appeal over what Lukman said or the Federal Government did not mean to do, has had little effect. Or, so it seems, as the six governors have not relented in mobilizing the support of their people for a united stand against the “unjust” Federal Government policies as they concern the South-South.
The six governors are host, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Imoke, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Chief Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Timipre Silver (Bayelsa). Akpabio and Silver did not attend the Asaba meeting but they are all in it together.
Before the Asaba meeting, Amaechi had already given a clue of what was in the offing.
He had let the cat out of the bag when he unleashed anger on policy decisions of the Federal Government at the Commonwealth Parliamentarian Association African regional conference in Port Harcourt.
Expectedly, the governors after the meeting released a bombshell that shocked the political landscape, threatening the volatile Niger Delta region.
Perhaps, their strongest threat is to withdraw support for the amnesty proclamation of President Umaru Yar’Adua if certain acts of injustice perpetuated against the area are not redressed.
Their grouses have to do with the reforms in the petroleum sector especially the PIB currently under consideration by the National Assembly and the absence of any specific allocation of resources, royalties or proceeds from oil exploration for the benefit of oil bearing communities and oil producing states.
The governors also expressed their displeasure at the movement of the University of Petroleum Technology from Effurun to Kaduna and at the “anti-oil producing states” posturing of Lukman.
They noted the lack of a definite post-amnesty plan for the region, adding that it is absolutely necessary for the Federal Government to present a sustainable solution to the injustice visited on the region.
The six governors have never been unmindful of the sheer continual neglect of the region by the Federal Government. In February when the British Royal Institute of International Affairs held a Roundtable Conference on the Niger Delta in London, the governors argued that it is the complexity of the Nigerian nation that is only increasing the problem of the Niger Delta.
_ They argued that the inability of the Nigerian State to address the inequality in development, the injustice in the management of the oil resources, and the deliberate attempts by past governments and the oil firms to move the oil economy away from the Niger Delta have complicated the Niger Delta crisis.__
Amaechi commented on the new PIB before the National Assembly.
He said: “This bill, on first introduction, took into consideration some level of interest for the people of the Niger Delta.
_ “The bill did give five per cent of the royalty payment on oil to the community that produces the oil. It also ceded 25 per cent of the royalty of the oil to the states where this oil is produced. Sadly, that bill, however, is no longer in the National Assembly.
“A second bill has been brought by the management of oil industry of Nigeria. That first bill has been withdrawn, and a new bill has been introduced, which takes away the total royalty of the people of the Niger Delta.”__
Amaechi described this as “impunity” and urged the National Assembly to “save the lives of the minority people of the Niger Delta as well as rise above board, above ethnic interest”, and asked whether they like the way the Niger Delta is?_
He urged the new bill must not to be passed because oil exploration and exploitation harm the environment.
The verdict of the various stakeholders in the region was quite clear. They sided with the stand of the six South-South governors.
Tony I. Uranta, the Secretary General of the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), said the governors’ action was a welcome development but it was belated.
According to him, their stand is in consonance with UNDEDSS position as articulated after the second All Niger Delta People’s Assembly held in Port Harcourt.
“We had said that all governors and leaders of the region must protest and prohibit the establishment of any proposed university or higher institution for petroleum in Kaduna or any part of the northern region,” he said.
“I am aware that the UNDEDSS president, Prof. Pat Utomi, was in the governors’ meeting wearing the cap of the Chairman of the South-South Economic Forum, and I may say with a sense of modesty that he had a great deal of role to play in fashioning and influencing the way and what the governors arrived at.”
On the governors’ threat of withdrawing from the amnesty programme, he said that Yar’Adua’s amnesty was dead on arrival and that was because he refused to take the first necessary steps. He explained:
“The amnesty as proposed by the government did not have the meat that the Niger Delta Technical Committee (NDTC) headed by Ledum Mitee recommended. As a matter of fact, we can emphatically state that any proposal of government that will be devoid of publishing a White Paper on the NDTC recommendations will be unacceptable to the people of the region. And I can confidently tell you now that when the people of the region and Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) announce their negotiation terms, one of the first three things that they will cite as preconditions for sustainable peace and calm in the region will be that President Yar’Adua must publish a White Paper on the report of the NDTC. Because it is only such a White Paper that will truly detail what the Federal Government intends for the region, if not, Yar’Adua can wake up tomorrow and say he is not promoting amnesty anymore. He can also wake up tomorrow and withdraw the N50 billion he had proposed for the amnesty.”
Uranta, who was a member of the technical committee, said that the committee was apparently built to fail by the President. “I have consistently said that Yar’Adua does not want peace in the Niger Delta. A man who mentioned then that Niger Delta’s issues make up one of the Seven-point Agenda and that he will resolve the Niger Delta crisis within six months of assuming office, over two years after he has attained office, he had only gone into Bayelsa for four hours and that is just to show his presence around issues in Yenagoa”.
Uranta explained that when the President wanted to spend N5.1 billion on a putative summit, they opposed it. They demanded that he should implement the standing reports available - the Alexander Ogomudia Report, the Poopola Report and others. But he said that there were too many reports, and that the government would be confused.
“Then, we asked for a technical committee that would marry all the reports, produce a simplified version and give an idea of what kind of roadmap to take. He did that and under-funded the technical committee. Right now, after eight months of the submission of the report, no White Paper has been produced. The President is just picking bits and snippets of the report and deceiving the entire nation.”
Amaechi had remarked: “There is a deliberate attempt to cripple the Niger Delta economy. This is done in collaboration with the oil companies. If not true, let somebody tell me why Shell’s SNOPECO is located in Lagos but does business in offshore Niger Delta? It is domiciled financially in Lagos, pays it taxes in Lagos and explores oil, offshore Niger Delta, exploits and deprives the people of Niger Delta. The same is applicable to other oil companies.”
__ According to him: “The Niger Delta area is marginalized, exploited, raped and abandoned. All these crimes are committed by the Federal Government, majority ethnic groups and the oil companies. These exploitations and deprivations generate unemployment, hunger and poverty. Very few persons are certain of their source of livelihood.”
To a member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Sokonte Davis, the new PIB, which precludes oil-producing communities from benefits of royalty, would further heighten the conflict in the Niger Delta.
Davis who represents Degema/ Bonny Federal Constituency, said that if the essence of the bill is for the betterment of the country as being canvassed by the presidency, he questioned marginalization of the people of the oil producing communities.
“The minimum we are asking for in this case is that the federal takes 70 per cent of royalty, states 25 per cent and the host communities five per cent,” he said.
For Dr. Chris Ekiyor, National President of the Ijaw Youth Council, true federalism is the magic wand that can instantly solve the problem. There is no doubt that the bane of Nigerian society is poor leadership.
He opposed the siting of the Petroleum University in Kaduna, and downgrading the PTI in Effurun. “We are going to see if it is in the National budget,” he said.
He demanded for “full autonomy” for the Niger Delta people.
Hope George, the Delta State Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), spoke in similar vein.
He said that there would be no more blowing up of oil installations in the region once Yar’Adua does what is right.
For the Aniocha South Youth Leader, George Okoh, should the South-South governors withdraw from the amnesty offer, the nation’s economy will not only be significantly affected, but also security of lives and property would be threatened. Oil facilities would be attacked on a continuous basis as the rate of militancy might increase.
The President of Isoko National Youth Movement, Mr. Zino Onaemor said that amnesty was not the problem of the region, stressing that the Federal Government is leaving the substance to treat the symptom; hence, the sickness is still there.
Former governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, urged the South-South governors to sustain the concerted position they have taken on the issue bordering on Nigeria’s co-existence even though he said it was long overdue.
“I think it was better late than never, it is a great awakening for the governors. The problems have been there. Many of us who are concerned were beginning to wonder whether some of these governors are truly representing their people or whether they are representing their party. Up till now, as far as I am concerned, they have been representing their party and the interest of their party and whenever they speak at all, it is lip service to the pains and the aches of their people. Finally, it has taken this great, big insult from the Federal Government to awaken them from their slumber, but like I said, better late than never. We thank God that they have finally stood up as men to be counted and have decided that they cannot take what have been going on any longer and that the interest of their people must come first.”
He called on the governors to continue to put their people’s interest above party lines, adding that the whole area has similar historical bases even though they have not really worked together as a unit until now.
Odigie-Oyegun described the statement of relocating the school as an insult on the people of the region. “All major institutes and establishments dealing with the oil industry should naturally be in the oil area, that does not foreclose having petroleum faculties in any university anywhere else in the country…I cannot believe that any thing can be more thoughtless and more insensitive in the current state of play of the Niger Delta and this nation. Somebody is certainly looking for trouble.
“Everything the Federal Government has been doing has been diversionary beginning with the establishment of the Ministry of Niger Delta, with announcement of contracts and all of that; amnesty, diversionary, the psychology being that after these list of so to speak concessions, the rest of the country who are not resident in that area, who are not feeling the deprivation of living in the Niger Delta, will begin to think that the people of the area are greedy. It is a ploy to turn the rest of the country against the people of the Niger Delta,” he stated.
He said with the position of the six governors, a new fight of a new dimension had started and “where all these will lead us is anybody’s guess but the prognosis is certainly not good.”
Also, a former National President of the Academic Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Festus Iyayi, said the governors’ position was timely even as he said such statements from Rilwanu Lukman were peculiar with the country’s ruling elites, which is to create un-needed crisis in the land.
“They should be forthright in the position they have taken. In the past, it has been difficult to get the governors of the Niger Delta to speak courageously on these issues. I hope the Federal Government itself will learn some lessons and do what is right.”
He said there was nothing wrong in locating another petroleum university in Kaduna, or any other part of the country, besides the one in Effurun rather than relocating it and then make the school in Effurun to train lower cadre oil workers.
“We need to establish more universities but not establishing them at the expense of other parts of the country. That is why what is going on now is simply encouraging warlords, ethnicists and all what nots.”
He said amnesty was not the solution to the crisis in the region as he likened it to the open call for renunciation by cultists in tertiary institutions, with incentives and then public declaration by school authorities that cultism was out of the schools but that they came more deadly and that has placed government in a fix as to what to do about them. “The problem in the Niger Delta cannot be solved by money and guns. The problem has been derived from injustice; injustice on the exploitation of the resources, injustice on the misappropriation of the resources accruing from the area, injustice relating to the use of the environment, environmental degradation and ecological disaster.”
In a telephone interview the Chief Press Secretary and Special Assistant to the Governor of Cross River State, Patrick Ugbe said, “we had supported the amnesty and we still support it. But what they (the governors) are saying is that there is no concrete post-amnesty plan in place. The issue is that if there is no post-amnesty plan in place, the militants will go back and become more vicious. The most important thing is the amnesty and the militants should know they are giving up arms to gain something else.”
A lawyer and Vice Chairman, South-South region of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Chris Iki, condemned the planned downgrading of the PTI in Effurun for Kaduna saying, “it is an elementary economics that when you are siting an industry, it must be near site of raw materials.
“It is a very wrong move because you cannot take the school away from where productive activity is taking place. Students need to partake in practical activities but if you site it in Kaduna, you will need to travel long distance to take such practicals.”
He noted: “You don’t relocate a Federal institution in that kind of manner. One would not be wrong to describe it as sneaky. The South-South people are saying we are marginalised and we need justice.”
Iki pointed out that the South-South governors are very correct to have a change of mind on the issue of amnesty because “the governors discovered that the Federal Government was not sincere and they have the right to back out and what they did is welcomed. This shows that they have started listening to their people.”
A lecturer of Criminology at the University of Uyo, Dr. Aniekan Brown said the post-amnesty vision of the governors was a step in the right direction and would usher in true federalism in the country.
“Regardless of the time they have come to realise their position in line with the Federal Government, I think the governors are doing the right thing towards effecting true federalism in the country.
“For me, I don’t subscribe to the politics of relocation of the Petroleum University at Effurun. I may sound less national in outlook but when you stay back and look at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, who is the minister? Who is in charge of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and things like that? The truth remains, in Nigeria, we tend to do things in the way we want,” he said.
Chairman of the South-South Parliamentary Caucus in the House of Representatives, Andrew Uchendu, said it was ironical for the government to come up with a declaration to locate the Petroleum University in Kaduna when leaders of the Niger Delta region were busy appealing to the militants to lay down their arms.
“We have been commending the present administration of Alhaji Yar’Adua for the efforts being made to address the issues of the Niger Delta and appealing to our people to lay down their arms to allow government to fulfil its mission of developing the area. However, it becomes a contradiction for highly placed public officers at this time to come up with something that suggests a review of the position”, he said.
Chairman of the House Committee on Air Force, John Halims Agoda, said the recent announcement of the relocation of the petroleum university was a confirmation of the subtle move by some people to scuttle the establishment of the institution in Effurun.
“Today, if any doubt existed in the past about the fate of the university, it is no longer so as the issue has now been made clear that indeed, the Niger Delta is again about to be short-changed and denied of what had been allocated to the region”, he said.
“Apart from the agitations of the people for a fair deal in a federation that has depended on the region’s resources and feasted on same for about 50 years, there are no compelling and countervailing reasons and circumstances whatsoever to inform the new position of the government over the upgrading” of Kaduna, he said. “If anything, it is a deliberate ploy by political and ethnic hegemonies to spite and provoke the Niger Delta.”
Newly released alleged leader of MEND, Henry Okah, last week had to appeal to the six “angry” governors not to bail out of the Amnesty ship. At least, not yet.

Nigerian Militants Announce 60 Day Ceasefire!

Tue Jul, 14 2009
By Tobi Smith

Nigeria’s main militant group, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has announced a temporary ceasefire to allow for a peaceful negotiation with the government.

MEND said the ceasefire is also due to the release of its leader, Henry Okah after he acceoted a government amnesty.

In an email to Thetimesofnigeria.com, MEND said:

“Effective, 0000 Hrs, Wednesday, July 15, 2009, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) will be observing a temporary ceasefire for a 60 day period.

“Several factors necessitated our decision; chiefly the release of Mr. Henry Okah from government custody.

“During this period, the Aaron team of wise men and women will be put together after consultations with relevant stakeholders. They will speak on our behalf and convey our demands to government.

“A compulsory prelude to talks is the withdrawal of the military Joint Task Forces from the Gbaramatu communities and the return of all the displaced persons back to their various homes.

“Hopefully, the ceasefire period will create an enabling environment for progressive dialogue.” The statement was signed by Jomo Gbomo.

Nigerian rebels say they attacked oil tanker dock

ABUJA, July 13 — Nigeria’s most prominent militant group said today it had sabotaged a loading dock for oil tankers in Lagos state, widening an offensive against Africa’s biggest oil sector.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said its fighters launched an attack on the Atlas Cove Jetty in Lagos state overnight, the first in the area since the group began its latest campaign of violence in late May.

“The depot and loading tankers moored at the facility are currently on fire,” MEND said in a statement.

It was not immediately possible to independently verify the attack. A police spokesman said authorities were investigating.

MEND has rarely attacked sites outside the Niger Delta, focusing mainly on oil facilities in the Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states in southern Nigeria.

The militant group has claimed a series of attacks against the oil sector following the military’s largest offensive in the Niger Delta for years in late May.

The violence has forced Royal Dutch Shell, US oil company Chevron and Italy’s Agip to shut down around 300,000 barrels per day of production in the last seven weeks. This has put some upward pressure on global oil prices.

President Umaru Yar’Adua has offered a 60-day amnesty programme to militants and criminals in hopes of restoring peace to the region.

MEND’s suspected leader Henry Okah, on trial for gun-running and treason, has accepted the amnesty programme and is expected to be released early this week, his lawyer said yesterday.

Although some militants have said they would lay down their arms if Okah was released, analysts believe violence will not subside.

Oil theft is a lucrative business in the region and politicians would continue to hire armed gangs to secure power in the run-up to 2011 elections, analysts said. — Reuters

Henry Okah Accepts FG’s Amnesty

•MEND ready for negotiation •Yar’Adua hails new development
By Abimbola Akosile in Lagos and Ahamefula Ogbu in Port Harcourt with agency report, 07.10.2009
The detained leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Mr. Henry Okah, yesterday accepted to benefit from Federal Government’s unconditional amnesty for Niger Delta militants.
The latest move by Okah was the outcome of high level negotiation between top government officials, security chiefs and Okah’s lawyer.
It has also spurred the group led by Okah, MEND, to sing a different tune as it yesterday announced that it was ready to have dialogue with the federal government on how to resove the Niger Delta crisis.
The new developments were hailed by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who spoke from Italy where he is at present attending the G-8 summit.
Yar’Adua said with his acceptance of amnesty, necessary machinery were being put in place for the eventual release of Okah.
Reuters yesterday quoted one of Okah’s lawyers, Mr. Wilson Ajuwa, as saying that the MEND leader had accepted the amnesty offer. ”They offered it to him yesterday. Okah welcomed the amnesty. We are in the process of finalising it. Hopefully, it will be resolved early next week,”Ajuwa further said.
Okah, who is standing trial for gun-running and treason, accepted government’s offer for ‘unconditional’ amnesty, his lawyer told Reuters.
Okah’s lead counsel, Mr. Femi Falana, in a telephone interview with THISDAY confirmed that his client had accepted an unconditional amnesty from the federal government.
He expressed hope that “with the latest development, government would move speedily in the circumstance so that Okah can attend to his faling health condition”.
Also, presidential spokesman, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, who spoke on behalf of his boss from Italy, said details of Okah’s release still needed to be worked out. According to him, ”the president is delighted to hear that he (Okah) has accepted the amnesty offer. With his acceptance, he will be released when the formalities are concluded.”
According to him, “the President feels elated by the acceptance of the amnesty offer by Mr. Henry Okah and commends the role played by his lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, in the entire process.
”Shortly before he left Abuja yesterday[Wednesday ] afternoon, President Yar’Adua mandated the Attorney General of the federation[AGF] to work with Falana to tidy up the legal process so that Okah’s release can be effected.”
The President, Adeniyi further said, also called on the remaining militant leaders ”to avail themselves of the amnesty offer so as to pave way for peace and rapid development in the Niger Delta for which he is strongly committed.”
THISDAY gathered that the new position of Okah was as a result of a meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday night. The meeting was attended by National Security Adviser, Major Gen Sarkim Mukhtar (rtd), minister of interior, Major Gen. Godwin Abbe (rtd), Director General, State Security Service (SSS), Mr Afakirya Gadzama, Director General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr S.Aliyu and Okah’s lead counsel, Falana, and Ajuwa. the NSA presided at the meeting.
After the meeting finalised the details of the amnesty, Falana and Ajunwa were mandated to see Okah in Jos prison to explain the implications of the amnesty to him.
Also yesterday, MEND expre-ssed its willingness to have dialogue with the federal government on how to resolve the Niger Delta crisis because its confidence on the sincerity of the administration has been buoyed by the appointment of former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Timi Alaibe, as Honorary Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs.
MEND Spokesman, Gbomo Jomo, in a statement via e-mail said the group would now shop for those that will discuss frankly on their behalf with the federal government.
Jomo said the militants trust Alaibe and ”we consider his appointment an opening of a genuine channel of dialogue since we are sure that whatever our negotiators say would be passed on to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua”.
Another factor that may have ensured that the militants agree to a peace process, according to him, is the acceptance of the amnesty from government by their detained leader, Okah.
MEND said since Okah had no weapons to surrender, his release would be without hitches unless the federal government had a hidden agenda.
The group restated its lack of confidence in the amnesty deal as currently offered since it did not give any room for dialogue especially to allow MEND ventilate on issues that threw up armed agitation in the first place.
“The recent appointment of Mr. Timi Alaibe as the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs by the Nigerian government is a humble and welcome development that is in line with the two pronged approach of our current campaign codenamed Hurricane Moses.
“With this channel of communication finally opened, MEND will put together it’s team of frank negotiators to pass our demands and expectations to the President through Mr. Alaibe, a man we respect and can work with.
“MEND does not believe the current amnesty offer is directed at freedom fighters because there is no room for any form of dialogue and the issues that provoked armed agitation was never featured.
“We support Henry Okah’s decision to accept any deal that will ensure his early release to attend to his failing health under the current circumstances. Since he has no weapons to surrender, the deal should be a straight forward one except the government has another trick up its sleeve,” MEND said.
Also commenting on the need to resolve the Niger Delta crisis, Alaibe, said the regional crisis had reached a defining point” needing an urgent and renewed commitment, determination and practical solutions by all stakeholders’ ‘
“I belief strongly that this family crisis can and must be resolved once and for all in the interest of the region and our dear country.
“I am therefore enjoining all stakeholders, particularly agitating groups, to embrace the fatherly hand of Mr. President whose amnesty offer and transparent determination to resolve the Niger Delta imbroglio is novel,” the former Managing Director of NDDC said on phone yesterday evening.

N50BN AMNESTY PACKAGE: We want fiscal federalism, not amnesty —MEND

PoliticsJun 25, 2009
By Samneul Oyadongha, Emmanuel Aziken, Jimitota Onoyume and Dapo Akinrefon
MEND spokesman,Jomo Gbomo while responding to Vanguard inquiry said it is either the President amnesty will offer hope or dismay to the blighted region which for decades have been criminally neglected by the Nigerian state.
His words, “the President address will either offer hope or dismay. If he breaks away from the tradition and fear of the past where other regions are afraid of fiscal federalism then we have a problem on our hands. If he makes a bold step, then Nigeria will turn around for the better.
“We are preparing for war and for peace; depending on what he says. Either way, we are prepared to respond at short notice.
“We hope the FGN will consider justice in every decision it makes because without it, every effort or development will come to naught and the circle will repeat itself at a later date. This is what we want to avoid.”
“It is a shame that the interior minister and his cohorts are offering bribes and incentives to militants in a desperate attempt to get our cooperation in sharing the 50billion Naira budgeted for the amnesty exercise.

President Yar’Adua
“While it is true that some of us will succumb to the temptation of money as Judas did, there are a majority that will remain steadfast to integrity, honour and a commitment to the people who can not fight for their rights.
We want to reassure our people who are looking up to us that we will never compromise our birthright for a price.
Amnesty should not replace Tech. C’ ttee report —Ijaw leaders
The Ijaw elders, including former Federal Information Commissioner, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, Chairman of the Bayelsa State Elders Forum, Chief Francis Doukpola, Chief Thompson Okorotie, said though the federal government offer of amnesty is one of the rule of disarmament, the offer should have been preceded by the implementation of the recommendations of the report submitted by the Technical committee on the Niger Delta.
The elders and leaders, at the end of a consultative meeting held at Kiagbodo in Delta State , said:
“We hope the acceptance of amnesty will not put the technical report in the dilemma of lack of political will to implement like previous reports,” they lamented.
The elders and leaders further reiterated their earlier position that the continued presence of the military in the Niger Delta region serves more of their personal (military) interests and a direct effect on the increased illegal bunkering activities and called on President Umaru Yar’Adua to make public the alleged list of those perpetrating illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta region.
The forum noted that the demilitarization of the region is critical and essential to allow for meaningful intervention by the elders and leaders to create an atmosphere congenial for flourishing economic activities for sustainable development of the region.
According to the forum, the genuine protagonists of the struggle for economic freedom and resource control and management were only constrained to express their dissatisfaction with the Nigerian state through the employ of unorthodox means.
The Ijaw elders and leaders reiterated their strong disapproval of criminal activities associated with kidnapping and hijacking for ransom stressing that recent developments in the country have confirmed their belief on this as criminal elements in other parts of the country have become more ferociously engaged in acts of kidnapping than the alleged Niger Delta militants.
“Today, we have more cases of kidnapping in other parts of the country than the Niger Delta. This further emphasizes the need to separate genuine agitators for their rights (economic and political freedom) from core criminals in the Niger Delta crises,” they explained.
The forum noted with sadness that seven months after the submission of the Report of the Technical Committee on Niger Delta, the Federal Government has taken no concrete step to implement any of its recommendation which had the prospects of ushering in the much needed peace for sustainable development of region.
The issue goes beyond money — Dr Joe Odumakin , National Coordinator, CD
The issues in the Niger Delta go beyond just throwing money. There are real issues like environmental degradation, resource control and reputable resource formula. It has come to a time when the Federal Government should not see the whole of the Niger Delta as oil wells. People have lost everything, it’s just a question of voting money that will solve this whole problem.
And why is it that with the money that has been voted into the Niger Delta Ministry has not been able to solve the problems. We still have more and more problems springing up, the N50 billion is just to make oil flow again, without really addressing the fundamental issue and that’s just like abandoning leprosy to look for the cure for eczema. Not until you cure the whole thing, the disease will eat up everyone.
The step the Federal Government should take is to address all the issues that have been mentioned. The people are talking about resource control, they are also talking about equity derivation, they are talking about degradation; it’s not a hundred meters race, it’s a gradual process. But the people should see the sincerity on the part of the Federal Government to address these degradation of their soil and to also make sure that, it’s not just to provide money for the boys, but for a wholesome solution to all the problems confronting them as a nation.
The amnesty package is not gong to work because it’s like not curing the disease and at the end of the day, the disease will eat everyone up.
Don’t bribe militants out of the struggle — Otunba Gani Adams, National Coordinator, OPC
I don’t think bribing the militants out of the struggle, will work .
The struggle started with Isaac Adaka Boro. After his death, people like Ken Saro-Wiwa surfaced and when Ken Saro-Wiwa was killed, people like Oronto Douaglas, Ledum Mitee, the Ijaw National Congress emerged.
A permanent solution should be found to solve the region’s crisis, like addressing the issue of resource control.
The consequence of this move is that if those currently in the struggle accept this package on the basis of amnesty, other groups will arise and things will be more volatile than what we have now.
My suggestion to the Federal Government is that the issue of resource control, derivation principle, the issue of sovereign national conference should be addressed instead of bribing these people out of the struggle.
Even if they are given N50billion, within the space of three to four months, the money would have been expended and they would in turn go back to the struggle and again, more groups will emerge because the struggle has become lucrative. It’s no longer a struggle but business.
Marshall plan should accompany package — Ayogu Eze, Senate spokesman
SENATE spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze has welcomed the Federal Government’s amnesty plan for Niger Delta militants but called for the proposals to be consolidated into a comprehensive development plan for the region.
Responding to the amnesty proposals for aggrieved Niger Delta militants, he asserted that the amnesty plans should be accompanied with development schemes that would assuage the bitterness of the aggrieved people.
According to him:
“Amnesty is a form of administration deployed by the President to achieve some result because what is happening in the Niger Delta is quite disturbing. I think that the Niger Delta issue needs a very holistic approach. The President is doing his best, the creation of the Ministry of Niger Delta is in order, the sustenance of the Niger Delta Development Commission is in order.”
“We need to do a Marshall plan for the development of the region so that we can harness the resources that are going into the Niger Delta both at the level of the state governments and at the level of the Federal agencies so that we can all collectively develop that place, eliminate the poverty in the area and increase the standard of living of the people.”
“I believe that apart from trying to confront the issue of militancy we also need to do a lot of work on the part of government to assuage the feelings of the people.”
We want genuine pardon — Ijaws, militants
Felix Tuodolor is the found ing President Ijaw Youth Council, (IYC) and one of the leading activists in the Niger Delta region. He spoke to Vanguard on the Federal Government’s amnesty to the militants.
“THE granting of amnesty was one of the conditions we gave because it would create a conducive environment for combatants to come out of their camps. But we didn’t mean amnesty was all about pardon for combatants. Amnesty is wider; there are atrocities that have been committed against the region and the combatants. We said for the sake of peace, all parties should over look all the damages committed on both sides. The Federal Government’s amnesty is for combatants to come out of the creeks. We want it gazetted so that it will have legal backing, so that another government does not come on board to jettison it.
“If the Federal Government cannot handle it, then it should pass it on to the National Assembly. We want the international community to be part of it. Amnesty is something done all over the world. USA has a framework on amnesty. We believe that when the international community is brought into the whole thing it