The connection between failure of amnesty program and unsustainable peace and development is very strong. Where amnesty program established to clean of the creek militants fails, it actually activates the militants behind insurgency to go back again, take up guns to fight. This is a door way to conflicts with destruction or loss of properties as the effect. The understanding of this question and the responses of the respondents helps the researchers to know how weak and or strong the connection is by relating it to this study, this section is compass to evaluation of the amnesty program as a failure in this work.
4. The Amnesty program will not bring lasting peace in the Niger Delta. Whether this question is true or not, it is through the perception of the respondents that a researcher will know this. Ordinarily, Amnesty program supposed to bring lasting peace when done well but as for the case of Nigeria cum Niger-Delta region, through the respondent’s perception, it would be easier to understand this core part and in other words, it would help the researcher to understand the course of things in this region.
5. Unsustainable peace and development cannot be achieved because of inadequate funding of policy implementation. At anywhere and at any time, one of those things that would not foster peace and development that is sustainable is poor funding of policies to be implemented. Amnesty policy is supposed to empower minds, get them engaged and disconnect them from militancy. This policy needs huge funds. When lacking fund, this policy may not achieve the reason why it was formed bringing about fresh conflict again. The Niger-Deltans are very much aware of this policy and it is through them a researcher can know the connections attached to this question.
As a supportive to my point in the questionnaire the table shows that most respondent agreed that amnesty program failed due to sustainable peace and development in Niger delta. This can be evaluated from the total of responses of the respondents. A total of 377 agreed, 55 were undecided and 297 disagreed
As it has been explained above in regards to ethnic conflict, the situation is not new to the populace in the Niger Delta region and this is not what can be treated with soft hands. Most members of this region has seen themselves to be marginalized. As the oil rich have turned to be the poorest region. Most of the federal character that should represent their interest are not from Niger Delta, in fact most of the members of the committee in charge of oil production and even the members of parliament that see to the oil production affair are not from this region. Unfortunately, the Northerners are not in good terms with the oil rich region, and vice versa. In other words, these set of federal characters and government ministers protect not the interest of the region but the interest of their own region. Also, the Amnesty policy are being chaired or headed by people not from the region. This is one of the reasons why funds coming to this region is misappropriated. Hence, the set of questions under this section becomes very useful for this research as it gives the respondents the opportunity to express their responses on this issue. The questions are:
7. The minority ethnic group struggle for political leadership in order to bring development. This question queries how failure of amnesty policy relates with ethnic conflict. Most respondents feel they are being alienated from the national politics due to their population. They hardly win elections at the national level. They do not get the political relevance needed to make them feel among. This makes there interest not to be heard and given relevant attention. To actually know if this is true and its impact on development, this question have been used by the researcher to confirm through the randomly selected respondents in the region.
8. The majority ethnic group has long deprived the minority ethnic group of their benefit from petroleum resources. As it was illustrated in the body of this study, it is not wrong to believe that the minorities in Nigeria are deprived of their benefits. In the case of the Niger Delta region, an area abundantly bless with crude oil, are they really deprived? With this question, the perception of the respondents about this will reveal if they are deprived or not.
9. Ethnic difference encouraged crisis in the Niger Delta. Crisis in the region can be traced to some number of causes. But to know what has encouraged this crisis to persist, it’s important for the researcher to include in the list of questions this particular question. This question is straight and succinct. Answers of the respondents here would help as regards knowing the validity of ethnic difference as a factor that encouraged crisis in this region.
As a supportive to my point in the questionnaire the table shows that most respondent agreed that amnesty program failed due to ethnic conflict in Niger delta. This can be evaluated from the total of responses of the respondents. A total of 408 agreed, 56 were undecided and 267 disagreed.
With proper understanding of the amnesty policy and socio-economic deficiencies, the keywords that were used here included government negligence, politicians’ struggle and socio-economic development. To tailor well the idea behind this section of questions, the researcher asked the questions below:
10 Government negligence deter socio-economic development. In any society, if a government behaves negligently or not, its effect will be seen or noticed on the development of the area socio-economically. Government that cares will avoid negligence, they will consider putting in place policies and monitor it. The amnesty policy have suffered negligence in theory and in reality. Does it actually deter socio-economic development in the region? The answer of the respondents gives a clue to know this and draws the attention of the researcher to answering his research questions.
11 Politicians struggle for national power in order to actualize socio-economic development. Is it true this happens in the region? It would be difficult for the researcher to assume if it truly happens and hence putting up this question to the respondents would give a clear perception about this.
12 There is under development in the Niger Delta because of government negligence. Most regions in the country have really suffered and making them under developed in all aspects. This underdevelopment can be traced to a lot of factors. For the case of Niger Delta, negligence has been noticed on the part of the government in this region and at the national level. Can a research conclude that government is factually negligent? It would be easy with the perception of the respondents to this aspect. From indications, nothing is hidden to the respondents and they are best in the position to answer as it directly affects the means of livelihood.
As a supportive to my point in the questionnaire the table shows that most respondent agreed that amnesty program failed due to socio-economic deficiencies in Niger delta. This can be evaluated from the total of responses of the respondents. A total of 515 agreed, 59 were undecided and 398 disagreed.
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