Equating Niger Delta Amnesty with Northern bandits criminal…Clark

…disagrees with Gen. Lagbaja on outcome of Amnesty 

…He urges Tinubu not to scrap Amnesty programme

Chief Edwin Clark has described as not only obnoxious but criminal for anybody equating the Amnesty granted to ex-agitators of the Niger Delta and bandits in the North. 

The former national commissioner said while the ex-agitators had legitimate reason, the marauding bandits have no justifiable reason to fight the Nigerian state. 

The elderstatesman also outlined the gains of the Niger Delta Amnesty which he said has led to increase in the national revenue, stressing that but for Amnesty, the country’s oil production would have dipped.

He also alleged that the current criminality in the oil rich Niger Delta is orchestrated by the elites, staffs of Nigerian National Petroluem Corporation Staffs and the  military personnel posted to that area. 

He therefore urged President Bola Tinubu not to scrap Amnesty. He also urged the president to remove the appellation of “Interim” Administrator, saying it is causing agitation amongst the Youth as it gives the impression that the programme would soon be scrapped. 

Clark who was apparently reacting to the call by former Zamfara State governor, Sani Yerima that bandits be given amnesty said, “And some people say , let us grant amnesty to the northern bandits, terrorist,people who are just there to kill people. They have killed about 65,000 people within  2015 and 2023. And you are saying that  like the Niger Delta when they do not know anything about what’s happening. 

“Stop the amnesty in the Niger Delta , you will then find yourself in trouble as the economy will run down because these boys will go back to the creek. 

“But people do not know what effort the leaders of the Niger Delta put in to stop the boys who had taken the driving seats and are ready to fight for their rights. “

“This is done by the elites, parts of the NNPC people and the security forces” citing the case of three Naval Admirals who were arrested for oil theft in 2005. 

“So for anyone who is very ignorant of what is going on , to open his mouth that the amnesty to be granted to terrorist who are not fighting for anything , all they want is that they don’t want western education and so on and so forth. 

“Such thoughts are criminal,  obnoxious and unfortunate. 

“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, and the condemnation of those narrow minded leaders from the north particularly, Shehik Ahmad Gumi, an Islamic Cleric, and Alhaji Ahmed Yerima, a former governor of Zamfara state.

“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 politicised 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”.

He also said that the Chief of Army Staff, Gen Taoreed Lagbaja’s assertion that amnesty had not worked anywhere in the country was wrong. 

Clark said, “No Mr. General, but for the Niger Delta amnesty program today, the FG could not have got oil from there. so this should not be confused with the theft of crude oil in the area which is not done by these boys.

“I seriously disagree with the Chief of Army Staff, and I advice him to consult through the past records of his predicessors.”

He added, “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. Operation Crocodile Smile could not stop the insecurity in the Niger Delta.

“Our living condition in the region has worsened. The Presidential Amnesty Programme should be allowed to continue for some more time.

“Once again, I wish to advise the Federal Government to tread cautiously, except they have prepared another ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’. Wake not a sleeping lion. This is not a threat; it is a clarion call for peace.

“But Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, Alhaji Ahmed Yerima and their cohorts, who  seem to be ignorant and envious of the Amnesty granted by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, in August, 2009, and which was opened for embracing until 4th October 2009, by the then Niger Delta agitators. 

“The case of the Niger Delta agitators, is quite different from the case of these murderous, blood thirsty villains, who have taken up arms against the state, using different names, whether as Boko Haram, bandits, killer herdsmen, kidnappers, etc. What is it they are demanding?

 “We are even told by the Government, including Mr. President himself, that they are not Nigerians. 

Justifying the grievances of the ex-agitators,  Clark said, “On the other hand, it was the dehumanization, environmental pollution, destruction of natural source of income generation, which include fishing, farming, timber work etc., exclusion from job which under natural circumstances they are qualified for, but the same Oil Companies, will rather go hinterland to recruit people that are not qualified, to do jobs such as diving, underwater welding, and boat driving. Instead of employing the community people who are naturally savvy in these fields/areas because the management staffs of these companies is from other part of the country, they are indeed responsible for bringing their own people to take over these menial jobs which should have been reserved for the catchments areas.  

“Therefore, the grievances of these Niger Delta youths was and still is, against the government, and as against the exploiting International Oil Companies which have remained adamant by refusing to develop their areas of operation, but have continued to fly their people from Lagos to perform their job at the rigs in the creek, and flown back to Lagos at the end of each working day.

“The injustices, dehumanization, neglect, and marginalization of our people, the youths of the Niger Delta decided to fight against when they took the driving seat, when they discovered that all the efforts being made by their fathers, including going to Court to fight against constitutional breaches of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) they have with the IOCs, and together with the assistance and cover up being given to them by the Federal Government, in some cases, preventing the Oil Companies from providing hospitals, schools, social services and other amenities, because it will reduce the Oil Revenue of 60% of their profits being paid to the NNPC and the Federal Government. I have witnessed such occasions when I was a practicing Lawyer.

“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.

“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. 

He also appealed to Niger Delta 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. “

Adding, “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 state in America, but here in Nigeria, the oil producing areas are being oppressed, dehumanize.”