Amnesty: The Difficult Reforms with Popular Results

Sokari George

The new interim management of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) is making an eye-popping innovative performance and progressive impacts in the lives of the beneficiaries and this has continued to justify the purpose of creating Nigeria’s first disarmament programme.  

Note that all over the world, the task of granting amnesty to repentant members of armed groups, recovering of arms from them, rehabilitating and reintegrating them into the society remain delicate programmes often with doubtful and hazardous end results. That was why when the federal government set up the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) for the ex-militants of the Niger Delta in Nigeria, many people expressed pessimism that it would not work and in that fact, it was not going to be sustainable. But about 14years later, PAP is not only standing tall, but it has become one of the best contemporary examples of how to establish a resilient and sustainable disarmament programme.

Has PAP met all its core objectives? Surely, not 100%. But if not for the historical success of the armed recovery programme that witnessed huge cache of deadly weapons surrendered by thousands of repentant militants who were granted amnesty, perhaps, Nigeria would have become a forgotten geographical entity by now. PAP restored peace that is currently being enjoyed in the region today and despite some weak points, it has continued to improve on its performance by keeping an eye on its target from one administration to another.

Having said that, it is important to state that the Amnesty Programme is in its momentous transformational trajectory under the current interim management. Since its creation in 2009 by the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, PAP has had successive government and management that tried to ensure that its objectives are met. However, PAP under the current management is witnessing a new level of remarkable impacts.

It is interesting that as beneficiaries and keen observers continue to express satisfaction, and passing a vote of confidence on the new leadership of PAP on the new scale of positive impacts of the programme on the lives of the people, they are even more awed that beyond their expectations, PAP is further expanding its impacts by touching more lives, especially those who never benefitted anything before since the programme started.

This undeniable and noticeable transformation is driven by a creative reform is currently radically changing the narrative of the mandate of the programme in the Niger Delta area, unprovoked, detestable and condemnable distractions from detractors notwithstanding.

As expected, behind any change or development, there must be a man. In this case, the transformer and driver of this progressive performance at PAP is no other person than Major-General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd), the Interim Administrator of PAP. 

Interestingly, he is unstoppably, making even bigger steps and making more daring moves despite fierce opposition by evil-minded, jealous, unpatriotic and corrupt elements that are afraid and inimical to change. Against all odds thrown at him, the general has fearlessly continued to trudge on, blazing the trail.

Changing the Narrative: Factor’s Necessitating Same

Observers have been asking two major questions concerning the new development at PAP: What is the driving force behind Gen. Ndiomu’s determination to transform the programme in such a way that PAP has been making more impacts more than successive leadership and management? And why is it so?

Recall that when he took over at the helm of PAP, he made a clearly poignant statement that set a template for his policy actions. The address equally addressed the questions above. According to Ndiomu, “Under my watch, we shall place premium on transparency, accountability, and hard work; there shall be a clear departure from the past trajectory to a purposeful, result-oriented administration. We shall equally embark on reorientation, training, and empowerment of the ex-agitators in line with the present realities of the nation.

“It is my desire to uphold the sanctity of the core values for the establishment of the Amnesty Programme that borders on Disarmament, Demobilisation and Re-integration, which form the tripod upon which the Programme presently stands,” Gen. Ndiomu said.

When he made this statement, people did not fully comprehend what he meant and what was coming until he fully took over, settled down and started to work. They are, however, stunned by his actions, a focus on reform that is changing the narrative completely.

Apart from that, over the years, the Amnesty Programme has rolled out different empowerment programmes based on the three cardinal targets to train, empower and engage ex-agitators. However, the immediate past administration of President Muhammed Buhari, dissatisfied by the lack-lustre performance, contemplated on winding down the programme.

There were allegations bordering on corruption and fraudulent activities. The programme was also accused of gross mismanagement of resources allocated to it to pursue the actualisation of its mandate. For instance, the former National Security Adviser (NSA) to President Buhari, Major-Gen. Babagana Munguno (rtd), had alleged that since its establishment PAP has squandered a staggering sum of N712billion and it is unable to account for it. 

Beside that, they were critical observations that since the programme began, about 30,000 ex-militants were captured and billions of naira have been invested on their training locally and internationally, as well as their empowerment programmes. Despite that, the number seemed not to reduce thereby giving rise to suspicion of fraudulent activities.

In a related development, there were bugging issues arising from complaints, especially from many ex-militants who said that they were yet to benefit from the trainings and other empowerment opportunities created by PAP. These and political interests from the region and at the federal levels were factored in the alleged failure of PAP to meet up its mandate and expectations.

However, after a superior argument prevailed, the idea of winding down the programme was shelved. It was in the midst of these issues that Gen. Ndiomu was appointed as the Interim Administrator of PAP and within a short period of time, he has made tremendous mark.

Performances

The new PAP under the leadership of General Ndiomu is redefining governance and management in terms of excellent service delivery.  From different training, empowerment programmes that include skill acquisition in different areas, regular disbursement of scholarships, establishment of cooperative as a strategy for sustainable economic empowerment, engagements of thousands of ex-militants who have successfully completed their training in Nigeria and abroad among others, the new PAP is on the move.   

Youth Empowerment

It is important to underscore the fact that the primary targets of PAP are the youths, that is, the over 30,000 ex-militants who were registered as those to benefit from PAP. Since General Ndiomu took over, he has revived the hope and aspirations of the youths through diverse empowerment programmes. 

He has continued to engage young people in the Niger Delta, inspiring them to be productively engaged, to think beyond crude oil.  For instance, at the third Niger Delta MSME Summit held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, recently, the PAP boss charged the youths to embrace MSME. Represented by the Head of Reintegration, Musa Wilfred, he charged the youths to rise up to their responsibilities and take advantage of the moment. He told the youths to rise above entitlement mentality and set the stage for success.

 “We must understand the times and take advantage of them properly. We must map out opportunities. We must be in a place where we are able to adequately predict the future. We must innovate and remind our delegates that there is virtue in diversity and resilience. Good things don’t come cheap. There is a notion about the region out there, and we must all agree jointly to alter that narrative.

“As young business owners, you must understand that beyond innovation, collaboration, networking, access to funds, loans and grants, and lobbying, you have a role to play. You must embrace discipline and mentoring. You must understand that good things don’t come easily. You must understand that for every height you want to attain, there is a price to pay. Young leaders must be ready and willing to pay the price”, he said.

Statistics shows that 65% of the 30,000 of the ex-militants are said to be currently undergoing training/schooling; 55% fully and successfully reintegrated back into society as law-abiding and economically productive citizens, while 45% are still waiting to be empowered in the same vein.

As part of training and empowering the ex-agitators, PAP under Ndiomu is also sponsoring 75 pilots and aircraft engineers to South Africa and France for type-rating as part of its aviation training scheme. A press statement from PAP office stated that, “Enormous windows of employment opportunities have been provided for ex-agitators in the oil-rich Niger Delta region to thrive.”

The statement further stated that, “Under Ndiomu, a total of 847 delegates are undergoing training in the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in various ICT specialized fields with certification in digital marketing, e-mail marketing, social media marketing, computer appreciation, search engine optimization as well as technical and computer writing. Similarly, the PAP is sponsoring 75 pilots and aircraft engineers to South Africa and France for type-rating as part of the programme’s aviation training scheme which General Ndiomu is very passionate about,” it stated.

When broken down, the figure shows that 35 delegates are pilots while 40 are billed for aircraft engineering.

Consultations with Leaders and Traditional Rulers

The role of the traditional rulers in fostering peace and development in our society is indispensable. In this context, it is even more understandable in this context in the sense that, some of the key leaders and members of the ex-militants have become traditional rulers and influential members of the society, such as Government Ekpempolo (Tompolo), Ebikabowei Victor-Ben (aka Boyloaf), Chief Ajube Bibopiri (aka Shoot-at-Sight), King Ateke Tom who was crowned in 2017 as the first Amanyanabo of Okochiri, Okirika, Rivers State, as well as Hon. Fara Dagogo who is now a federal lawmaker representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency of Rivers State in the National Assembly.

It is equally imperative to mention that there cannot be any meaningful development without peaceful collaboration and partnership. On this note, General Ndiomu factored the engagement of the custodians of culture and tradition towards ensuring that implementation of PAP programme is seamless.

It is notable that the traditional rulers live in the midst of the people and interact with them so they know the beneficiaries down to their family backgrounds. 

Establishment of Cooperative

One of the most innovative projects that Ndiomu has introduced and will be remembered for as a legacy project is the establishment of a cooperative known as the Presidential Amnesty Programme Cooperative Society Limited (PAPCOSOL), an initiative designed to enhance sustainability of the empowerment and reintegration of ex-agitators into the society. The overall objective of this cooperative is that it is not enough to train and empower ex-militants with requisite skills and abandon them to go and search for jobs.  

The cooperative, PAPCOSOL, which already has a seed capital of N1.5 billion for take-off was launched in Abuja by the Interim Administrator of PAP, Ndiomu, with pump and pageantry with high profile dignitaries in attendance.

He admitted the fact that PAP had implemented various reintegration initiatives on training and empowerment/employment of the ex-agitators but did not meet expectation thus leading to many criticism of the programme in the past. PAPCOSOL, his brainchild, is thus conceived as the most durable approach to sustainable reintegration of ex-agitators. According to him, “As conceptualised, PAPCOSOL will be closely supervised by the Office of the Interim Administrator of PAP-being its key administrative and strategic guide. The cooperative is expected to work with beneficiaries of PAP to identify businesses that align their motivation /skill areas, set up and turn the process into a profitable venture”, he said.

He said the initiative would focus on agriculture, particularly rice farming and cassava, among others, just as it will also invest in manufacturing. This is going to be done in collaboration with the European Union (EU), International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Bank of Industry (BoI), among others, Ndiomu disclosed. More funds, he said, would be injected into the scheme.

A statement signed by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Interim Coordinator,  Freston Akpor, stated to that effect that, “A major boost to that initiative was the launching of the PAP Cooperative Scheme with an initial sum of N1.5 billion and currently with N2 billion as seed money in the account with an additional N100 million operational fund to be solely managed by the ex-agitators. The cooperative scheme has an eminent jurist, Justice Francis Tabai, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as chair of the board with a team of experienced consultants to assist in nurturing the cooperative into fruition. This will create a conducive environment for small businesses to grow to become the catalyst for economic development in the Niger Delta,” the statement added.

Establishment of Due Process, Transparency/Anti-corruption Fight 

Gen. Ndiomu came to the office when allegations of corruption and mismanagement of funds against the previous management of PAP were rife. He therefore understood the fact that for him to successfully execute his vision for the people of Niger Delta area, he needed to create a system that guarantees transparency, accountability and due process. He understood that it as a cardinal objective in order to enable him restore confidence in the heart of the people, especially the beneficiaries and other relevant stakeholders.

Following this new due process, Ndiomu busted a big scam of beneficiaries with multiple accounts. There were Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) of 513 ex-agitators illegally linked to 1,370 accounts. According to a statement, Special Adviser (Media) to the Interim Coordinator,  Freston Akpor, “Further verification of the payment list revealed that certain beneficiaries had multiple accounts linked to their BVNs. In total, 513 beneficiaries had 1,370 accounts on the payment list linked to their BVNs.

“Other anomalies were that of certain accounts not linked to their BVNs; this group had a total of 2601 accounts. To rectify those irregularities, a portal was created by PAP (stver.osapnd.gov.ng) for the affected beneficiaries to log in, and those with multiple accounts linked to their BVNs were to choose just one account in order to have their payments regularised. A total of 1,561 accounts have been cleared and paid in full to date and presently, multiple account fraud has been eradicated from the payment list.”

As Ndiomu is working round the clock with his team to make the new PAP work under a sustainable structure, there are certain elements who are resistant to change. Propelled by jealousy, envy, and vexed by the disruption of business for the bad guys, exposure of fraud and corrupt elements by the decisive General at PAP, they continue to peddle lies, making malicious and unfounded statements ostensibly to distract Ndiomu.

Of course, this is not surprising at all and General Ndiomu should never allow himself to be distracted at by those who are opposed to change. He should take the wise counsel of the three of the greatest minds of this age. For instance, Woodrow Wilson said, “If you want to make enemies, try to change something.”

Niccolo Machiavelli posited that, “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” Finally, John F. Kennedy asserted that uncompromisingly thus: “Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

It is clear that those that corruptly became very rich over night and made billions and millions from PAP without adding value to the programme that Ndiomu busted must fight back. Ndiomu should remain focused and allow his work and legacy to speak and defend him. Providence, the people and history that are backing him up are stronger and are more than his traducers who are against him. He should remain courageous in the service to his fatherland.

·     Dr. George writes from Warri, Delta State