Former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark has taken a swipe at those equating Niger Delta Amnesty Programme with Northern bandits, saying that it is obnoxious and criminal to think in that direction.
The Leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF said that it is criminal to compare what he said is the legitimate agitators of the region to “blood sucking bandits” in the north.
Addressing Journalists yesterday at his Asokoro Residence, Abuja, the elder statesman who noted that those who suggest that are myopic as they do so out of ignorance. He however took exception to the positions of former Zamfara State governor, Sani Yerima, and the Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Shiekh Ahmad Gumi, who both argued for the federal government to grant amnesty to the bandits in the northwest just as in the case of the Niger Delta militants.
Clark has urged President Bola Ahmad Tinubu not to be carried away by various statements by those he described as some uninformed Nigerians that the Amnesty Programme in Niger Delta has not contributed to the prevailing peace in the region.
He said that former Governor of Zamfara State, Governor Ahmad Sani and Ahmad Gumi, an Islamic Cleric who called for Amnesty for the bandits were merely confusing two contemporary security issues, fight for resources in the Niger Delta and blatant criminality by the bandits in the North and agitation over oil.
While commending the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), for condemning Yerima’s advice, the leader of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF regretted what he said was the unfortunate statement credited to the new Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, who suggested a second look at the Niger Delta Amnesty programme because it has created an avenue to “re-organize and launch attacks on defenceless
Speaking more on the Ahmad Gumi, he said that the cleric constantly defies logic by claiming that the bandits kill because of their ‘maltreatment’ by the Nigerian State.
Clark said, “My first reaction to those who compare the murderous blood sucking bandits from the northern part of the country, with the legitimate agitators from the Niger Delta, is that of pity at their ignorance on national affairs, and myopicism.
“At this juncture, with the kind permission of the Punch Newspapers, I quote an extract from the Punch Editorial of Thursday, July 13, 2023, where it says:
“Like others before him, Yerima is confusing two contemporary security issues– blatant criminality by the bandits in the North, and agitation over oil resources in the Niger Delta.
“Ahmad Gumi, an Islamic cleric, has repeatedly pleaded for amnesty for the bandits. He constantly defies logic by claiming that the bandits kill because of their “maltreatment” by the Nigerian state. The amnesty advocates ignore the fact that many of the bandits are not even Nigerians.
“They also mistake amnesty for a blanket idea, to be politicized or invoked to reward mass murderers. It is not. Amnesty worked in the Niger Delta primarily because its militants anchored their fight on the sound economic and federalist principle of resource control. With their people alienated from the oil wealth extracted from their land, and the environmental despoliation in the region, the agitators had legitimate demands.
“But the blood-thirsty bandits ravaging the North have no legitimate, political, or economic claim that Nigeria is obliged to countenance. Because of the bandits, killer Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram/ISWAP/Ansaru, and IPOB, the 2023 Global Terrorism Index ranks Nigeria as the eighth most terrorised country in the world.
“Together, these terrorist groups slaughtered 63,111 Nigerians between 2015 and May 2023, the National Security Tracker estimated. Therefore, any deal with them translates to rewarding mindless criminality. As some North-West states discovered, negotiating with amorphous groups of bandits with no central command or leadership has no positive outcome”.
” I must commend the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), for their forthrightness in condemning the advice of Ahmed Yerima to President Bola Tinubu in which he said the President should grant amnesty to the murderous bandits. The reports stated that “the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, describe Yerima calls as unnecessary and unreasonable, noting that the bandits have no legitimate reason for their nefarious activities, unlike the Niger Delta militants whose agitation for Resource Control and good governance was legitimate and reasonable,
” I also commend some very prominent and reasoning northern Nigerians who also condemned the advice of Alhaji Ahmed Yerima to Mr President.
On the other hand, I deeply regret the unfortunate statement credited to our newly appointed, most respected Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja on his statement as published in the media, where he said “I think we need to look at this issue of Amnesty Programmes. The agreement have proven to be incorrigible and so Amnesty has created an avenue for them to re-organize and launch attacks on defenseless citizens. So, I think we need to look at that. We also have the issue of the Amnesty Programme that has been instituted, and which has failed not only in the North, but also in many other states”.
“The statement of the Chief of Army Staff comes across to me as a proposal for the scrapping of the amnesty granted to legitimate agitators for a better life and environment by the Niger Delta youths. If my understanding is correct, I seriously disagree with the Chief of Army Staff. I will rather advice him to consult through the past records of his former colleagues since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999, viz Lt. Gen. Victor Malu, Lt. Gen. Alexander Ogomudia, Lt. Gen. Martin Agwai, Lt. Gen. Owoye Azazi, Lt. Gen. Luka Yusuf, Lt. Gen. Bello Dambazau, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, and his predecessor in office, Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, the state of insecurity in the Niger Delta before the granting of the Amnesty, and what it is now. I am confident that the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme has succeeded in bringing peace to Niger Delta particularly the vandalisation of oil pipelines and oil platforms. He should note that “Operation Crocodile Smile” could not stop the insecurity in the Niger Delta.
“I reiterate that the attempt to equate the Niger Delta Amnesty with the northern bandits is not only criminal, but obnoxious and unconscionable. The whole idea of comparing the Niger Delta militants who are exposed to all kinds of diseases, illnesses and deprivations, as a result of oil exploration, with people whom we are told are not Nigerians, who enter into the country illegally, thus violating the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol, is very inhuman.
“Some Nigerians who live outside the Niger Delta, who are not affected by the pollution going on in the Niger Delta, but whose lifestyle is supported and sustained by the resources of the Niger Delta behave like the imperialists, who live by the proceeds of the colonized. Unfortunately, such wealthy Nigerians, particularly from other parts of the country, rather than using these proceeds for the good of all by developing their region, they use it for and on themselves, for their selfish purposes, hence today, Nigeria is regarded the poorest country in the world taking over from India.
“I strongly therefore appeal to Mr. President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, not to be carried away by various statements by some uninformed Nigerians that the Amnesty Programme in Niger Delta has not contributed to the peace in the Niger Delta, it has contrary to their misgivings. I therefore advice Mr. President to pay special attention to the survival of the Amnesty Programme in the Niger Delta which still has some phases, and the word “Interim” should be removed from the “Administrator” because the impression being given by our people is that the interim is there because the Federal government want to scrap the Programme. The Amnesty Programme should not be confused by the massive oil theft being carried out by some elitist Nigerians in collaboration with some security agents which came to the open in 2005 when the scandalous arrest of the Russian MT African Pride by Admiral Bob Manuel that led to the trial of three Admirals, Rear Admiral Francis Agbiti, Rear Admiral Samuel Kolawole and Rear Admiral Antonio Bob-Manuel, and the other two Admirals were found guilty and Admiral Bob-Manuel was exonerated.
“Meanwhile, I sincerely appeal to our youths to remain patient and not to do anything to affect the smooth operation of the oil companies while we continue to fight for our right legitimately.
“Finally, may I remind Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the people of Nigeria, that it is only in Nigeria that the oil producing communities are among the poorest, whereas, in other part of the world including USA, the oil producing States like California, Texas, etc are among the wealthiest States in America, but here in Nigeria, the oil producing areas are being oppressed, dehumanize. Enough is enough!
” As a leading stakeholder of the Amnesty Programme, it is, therefore, very necessary that I respectfully draw the attention and remind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his government and the people of Nigeria, how the granting of amnesty to the Niger Delta youths, came about.
Before President Olusegun Obasanjo, handed over to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007, as leader of our people, I had earlier addressed a letter to him on the 11th of February, 2007, about Amnesty Programme, and he promptly replied on the 12th of February, 2007. I reproduce here an excerpt of the President Obasanjo’s response to my letter:
“If MEND is ready to release the hostages in their custody and you are elected to mediate the process, this is acceptable to the Federal Government as I have indicated in the past, Government Ekpemupolo and his men will receive a general Amnesty if they agree to lay down their arms and follow the pact of peace, democracy and dialogue. Since it is obvious that you know them and you know their movement, I hold you personally responsible for bringing these boys to order, particularly through their so-called leaders, Government Ekpemupolo and Henry Okah as indicated by you. I look forward to the release of the Italians and the Philippinos and their ship this week as you have promised….
“I also carried out the directive given to me by the Federal Government, and the Italians and the Philippinos, were released to me through Dr. Godknows Igali, then Secretary to the Government of Bayelsa State, and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who was also the Secretary to the Government of Delta State, at my residence, at No. 5, Swamp Road, GRA, Warri, Delta State. The photographs taken during the occasion, are still there for everyone to see.
I also, recall that on a particular day in 2009, during the tenure of late President Yar’Ardua, with Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, as his Vice, I was invited to go to Oporoza town, the headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom, as Father of the Day, to mark their annual festival. But I could not go personally, so I sent someone to represent me. By mid-day, I got a phone call from my representative that the festival could not hold because the Nigerian military had invaded the Kingdom; he said that as matter of fact, he was talking to me from the mangrove swamps, where they had gone into hiding, because the attacks were coming from all fronts; the Navy attacking from the sea, the Air Force was bombarding from the air, and the Army was attacking from the land. There was so much casualty because the bombings from the air and shootings took about 48 hours. Some of the important communities in the Gbaramatu Kingdom namely Oporoza, Okerenkoko, Kurutie, were destroyed. I sadly recalled the message of distress sent to me by Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo’s father, Chief Thomas Ekpemupolo, that the Army is destroying his village, Kurutie, and I advised him to run for safety which he did.
“On getting that information, I made frantic efforts to reach the authorities concerned, from the President to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, to the Minister of Defence, General Godwin Abbe (rtd), all to no avail. I called the then Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who was away in Sweden on official duties, to please return home, that his home was burning. He listened to my plea and returned the next day.
“It was then that the Federal Government started holding meetings with us, with Mr. President and Mr. Vice President actively involved in the meetings. It was during these meetings, that it was resolved, and the Federal Government decided to set up a Presidential Amnesty Programme to deal wisely with the matter, asking that the youths, our children, who have taken up arms, to fight for their ‘emancipation’, to drop their arms, that they will be granted amnesty. Under the amnesty programme, they will be trained both in formal and informal education, and stipends will be given to them; that the programmes will be in phases, including the building of low-cost houses, but this important phase of the development of the areas has not been achieved.
“It took several efforts on our part as leaders and elders of the region to convince these children, and with apprehension too on our part, because we were not sure of our safety as the youths were prepared for the worst, therefore anything could happen.
“It was at this point that a planning committee chaired by Gen. Godwin Abbe, rtd, was set up to plan the amnesty programme. Prominent sons and daughters of the region were appointed into the committee. One of such persons is Dr. Timi Angary, who worked very hard, as a matter of fact, she led the team that went to Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Ondo State to speak to the militants in those places to drop their arms. And she did a good job.
As leaders, we were fully involved in seeking solutions to this issue. We sent several Niger Delta personalities including Amb. Godknows Igali, former retired high ranking military officers from the region like, Brig. Gen. Stanley Diriyai (rtd), Gen. Aper (rtd), Gen. John Yeri (rtd), Brig. Gen. Idada Ikponwen (rtd), Ms. Ann-Kio Briggs, Mrs. Olisa, a former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Wing Commander P.Y. Biakpara, who led one of the teams to Letugbene Town by the Atlantic Ocean shore in Bayelsa State and met one of the militant leaders, Victor Ben Ebikabowei, alias Boyloaf, and who sent me a big fish to signify his acceptance of the programme, and other prominent Niger Delta men. These illustrious sons took the risk of going into the creeks pleading with the youths to lay down their arms and embrace the amnesty programme. As God would have it, most of them embraced the programme. But Henry Okah, and Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, initially refused to embrace the programme because they doubted the sincerity of the Government, especially Tompolo, who felt so aggrieved, as someone from Gbaramatu Kingdom, whose kith and kin in his Kingdom, were needlessly attacked and almost decimated, and he was declared wanted after the invasion of his communities and Camp 5 which is still occupied by the military till today.
Of course, the Federal Government gave an expiration date for people to embrace the amnesty, which was 4th October, 2009. Thus, Gen. Godwin Abbe and some military officers including Air Commodore Lucky Ararile, accompanied by late Chief Tony Anenih, the leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), had to travel again to Oporoza, to further persuade Tompolo, to accept the programme. Luckily, Tompolo was persuaded. He was flown to Abuja, and his first point of call was to visit me at my resident in Abuja, along T. Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro. Thereafter, our late President Yar’Adua, granted the Amnesty Programme by Proclamation.
A Secretariat was opened at Abuja for the Programme and Maj. Gen. Abbe was appointed its first Co-ordinator. Timi Alaibe took over from him, and Kingsley Kuku, later took over from Timi Alaibe. This, in a nutshell, is the story of the Presidential Amnesty Programme which commenced on or about 11th July, 2009.”
