Policy making and implementation particularly as it affects the Amnesty programme plays important role in the economic and political development of the country.
The research study focused on failures behind policy making/implementation of the amnesty programme, the role it has played to resolve the conflict In the Niger Delta region, towards the attainment of sustainable peace and development.
Nigeria had no problem with the formulation of policies, but the problems ascribed to policy failures are in the implementation process. Sometimes policies formulated lack certain ingredients that could help to spice up the implementation process. Corruption has played a significant role in the formulation and implementation of policies in Nigeria. It has made policies formulated and implemented fail to address fundamental issues.
This study looked at the impact of the amnesty programme on the host communities and the ex-militants. The role it has played in addressing the conflict in the Niger Delta.
With the large number of assorted arms and ammunition surrendered by the militants through the administration of late President Yar Adua’s amnesty initiative, relative peace and enhanced security circumstance is presently apparent. The program has possessed the capacity to clear route for the end of arm conflict and wanton destruction of lives and properties and different types of criminality in Niger Delta area. Emanating from the peaceful and stable environment is the boost in Nigerian economy through undisrupted and increased oil production. However the gain of the amnesty is lopsided. They are negatively skewed in disfavour of millions of the inhabitants of the host communities in Niger delta. The amnesty initiative is nothing but a militant-centred program that undermines the plight of the entire Niger Delta people.
Whatever benefits that accrue to the people just go to the few young, who acknowledged the amnesty offer, refused militancy and surrendered their arms. In any case it ought to be noticed that the individuals who revoked militancy constitute an exceptionally little rate of Niger delta population so taking them to the camp and re-integrating them doesn’t in any capacity address the problem of underdevelopment in Niger Delta. The amnesty is silent about the plight of Niger Delta people that cause and reinforced violence agitation in the region. In other words, the amnesty program has not been able to remove them from what sachs (2005) refers to as poverty trap-a situation in which degraded environment, poor health, poor education, poor infrastructure and poor standard of living reinforce one another.
The marginalization/neglect of the salient issues that border on the plight of the people, the inconsistency and ambiguities that characterized the implementation of the amnesty program not only cast doubt on the successful implementation of the amnesty package but it also pretends fresh threats to peace in the Niger Delta in a post amnesty era.
In view of the strategic role the region plays in economic scheme of the country, the Niger Delta crisis has always been the major challenges of successful government in the country. This is why different government has devised various policies targeted at ameliorating the situation. The adoption of the amnesty program in solving the problems of the Niger delta crisis by late Yar Adua has proved to be the best of all the past efforts of government at solving the Niger Delta crisis. Although, the amnesty programme like any other human endeavour is not without its own lapses, challenges and inherent imperfections.
In the view of many, the amnesty program has given the Niger Delta in particular and the country in general a bad peace and only a proper and prompt address of the various issues that occasioned the Niger Delta crisis can consolidate the gain of the amnesty programme and the failure of which might lead to the re-emergence of more crisis in the region. This perspective is picture on the fact that lasting peace can’t be dictated but be conceived since genuine peace is not really about the absence of conflict but rather the presence of equity.
The study emphasis on the stages of DDR part of the amnesty program was utilized to disarm, demobilized, and reintegrate militant in the area. The incorporation of the empowerment of ex-militants in the segment has direct bearing on peace and stability in the area in light of the fact that DDR is utilized to solidify peace and to advance stability within conflict-affected communities.
The association of young people in militancy can likewise be followed to the fact that the area is populated by numerous unemployed youths who need academic and vocational abilities to enhance their lives. The DDR part has attempted to address this by giving academic and vocational training opportunities for defenceless youths in the area.
Niger Delta DDR part of the Amnesty Program won’t not accomplish the desired results which stakeholders want since it neglected to address the cause for the conflict.” The DDR part, be that as it may, has possessed the capacity to address areas of counselling and training, re-orientate ex-militant, encourage the wilful accommodation of arms by ex-militant and the withdrawal of these arms from flow, and put empowerment process set up. This has impelled the de-acceleration of violence in the area. There are concerns, that the empowerment process may not completely accomplish its targets if employment opportunities are not given these ex-combatants after their training. In the event that the empowerment process failed, then youths in the region may return to militancy and violence.
There are also worries that a hefty portion of the ex-combatants have not been provided food by the program. The response of respondent stated that, “Around 80 per cent of the ex-militants have not been conveyed along. There is much that has not profit by the amnesty program.” If these 80% intend to going back the creeks, or if they are employ by powerful influential personality in continuing “battle,” then there is no desire for peace in the area.
Respondents claim that core development problems in the area, prompted the annoyance of conflict, have not been tended to. Theories underscore the significance of environmental factors to resource conflicts.
In light of the empowerment process of the DDR part has added to the halfway achievement recorded in the reintegration and recovery of ex-activists in the Niger Delta. Be that as it may, the reintegration and rehabilitation must be considered completely effective if there is no plan of action to violence and militancy in the area. To completely accomplish peace and stability in the area, ex-militants experiencing training must be given with chances to gainful employment and enabling environments to apply their acquired vocational skills after training, the impact of powerful influential personality in the area must be whittled down, the effect of political control on the empowerment exercises of ex-militants must be researched and tended to, core developmental problem relating to natural corruption, environmental degradation and infrastructural development which may make young people come back to militancy ought to, as an issue of criticalness be tended to.
The study play a significant aspect on the character and attitude of the Federal Government to the agitation in the region is well known and documented. The use of force to keep the people down and exploit their oil and gas resources could not resolve the crises. This motivated the Nigerian government to separate the genuine intentions from the criminal motives in region, particularly with the failure of the militarist approach to the conflict solution. The main danger is concerning the nation’s economic survival and national security was one of the most important catalysts for the proclamation of amnesty in the Niger-Delta. To this end, the study uncovers that the success of the Disarmament of Niger Delta militants increased crude oil production in Nigeria.
Similarly, the study reveals also that a semblance of peace exists in the Niger Delta in the aftermath of the program. The relative peace experienced in the Niger Delta area as a result of the amnesty program via demobilization and reintegration of the militants has major impacts on the Nigerian economy and the potentials for the generation of adequate revenue for development. It said that without prejudice to whatever solutions that key stakeholders may proffer to the criminal act of pipeline vandalism and oil theft, it is important for the security agencies operating in the Niger Delta to ginger up their efforts to safeguard lives and property in the Niger Delta.
Finally, there is an urgent need for decisive action to be taken to solve the developmental problems in the Niger Delta area since it is the main cause or justification of militant activities and violent conflicts in the area. Eradication of corruption, ethnic conflict and social peace building are the keys to ensuring sustainable development in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria and the government must recommit itself to enhancing security of investment in the region, while at the same time tackling headlong the grinding poverty, in the oil region.