Presidential Amnesty Programme In The Niger Delta: 14 Years Of Conflict Management Or Organized State Crime?
Raymond ADIBE
Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria
Oyanemughan PAKIRI
Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria
Clement Anayo CHIGBO
School of General Studies, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede
Keywords: Presidential Amnesty Programme, Niger Delta, Conflict management, Corruption , Organized crime
Abstract
After years of apparent neglect and poverty, the Niger Delta people responded through an organized struggle against the Nigerian state. In fact, between 2005 and 2009, Nigeria faced a daunting security challenge from Niger Delta militia groups that engaged in an armed struggle for a better deal in the nation’s oil gains. It was under this condition of a total breakdown in law and order that the late President Yar’Adua granted general amnesty to all the militants who surrendered their arms to the government forces. This paper examined the effectiveness of the Presidential Amnesty Programme as a conflict management strategy in the Niger Delta as well as explain why the programme is yet to be phased out. Our study was anchored on the criminality of the state framework of analysis and we argued that the PAP is merely an avenue for misappropriation or embezzlement of public funds by politicians and their cronies. We recommend that there is need for a more sustainable conflict management approach that tackles the root cause of insecurity in the Niger Delta.
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