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Adetutu Folasade-Koyi, Abuja
In 2009, when late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua created the Presidential Amnesty Programme, (PAP) Nigerians hailed the move; which was meant to tackle unrest and vandalism of oil pipelines and installations in oil-rich Niger Delta.
The PAP would be headed by a Coordinator, with the Presidency directly supervising the programme.
Thereafter, Yar’Adua offered unconditional pardon to militants and cash payments (monthly and for a specific period) to those who agreed to lay down arms and key into the programme.
The Federal Government targetted repentant militants; whose attacks in the six Niger Delta states affected the country’s oil production.
Before then, sabotage of oil pipelines, layers of rackets of oil siphoning, illegal bunkering and kidnappings were rife in the Niger Delta.
In the process, Nigeria’s oil earnings dipped and no sooner than the militants keyed into the project that the country’s oil revenue spiked again
The late president ensured PAP is domiciled in the Presidency; not only for effective monitoring, but also, for ease of accountability of government funds pumped into the programme.
Ten years after, Nigeria can breathe easy that militancy and sabotage of oil pipelines are now in the past; with changes in PAP leadership as well.
The present Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and PAP Coordinator, Prof. Charles Quaker Dokubo, has, however, had to contend with some lingering issues in the programme under his watch.
At an interactive session in Abuja, Prof. Dokubo told Daily Sun how the programme has evolved from rehabilitation of militants to empowerment and integration.
Most ex-militants have been so integrated that they are now found in several sectors of the economy; including aviation, medicine and business.
Not done yet, Dokubo has opened a new vista viz engaging governors with a view to localising the programme in their states. Why?
Not all militants took the window of government’s amnesty to key into the programme.
For those agitating and who have not been been incorporated into PAP, there is a new window of opportunity in the states.
Prof. Dokubo disclosed at the interactive session that some governors have reached out to PAP, on its modus operandi and are looking at how pockets of repentant militants can be accommodated and rehabilitated at the state level.
“I spoke with Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, last year, about it and also, the governor of Cross River wrote and asked if we could take in some of those who were not captured in the Programme and the state would pay their stipends. These governors have seen that there is value in this process,” he said.
Asked if PAP is considering such offers from some state governments interested in the programme, he replied: “In Ondo, they carried out a state-wide disarmament Programme but, when you have Agadagba, in their midst, can you just shut them off?
“For me, it’s not just proper. You can create a leeway, train them, while their respective state governments would take care of the stipends and I’ve come to an agreement with the governors in those states and they are ready to do it.”
Although it would be laudable if oil-producing states could localise the amnesty programme for repentant ex-militants who were not captured in PAP, several issues may mitigate against the idea.
For one, most state governments owe workers salaries and other emoluments. In some states, pensioners have also not been paid. So, mulling the idea of replicating the amnesty programme at the state level could be a strain on an already/depleting purse; coupled with low revenue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Already, budget deficit is not restricted to the government at the centre alone. Laudable as the proposal is; funds would play a large part in determining whether oil-producing states can actually get the programme to work at the local level.
Regardless, the PAP office has always been in the eye of the storm; from some militants, who alleged they were excluded from the initial list of beneficiaries, and have, lately, stepped up a campaign for inclusion as beneficiaries.
Some of the excluded militants speficially accused the PAP of excluding them and have gone to court on the matter.
But Dokubo has insisted that the PAP, under his watch, has been run transparently and has even welcomed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to scrutinize its books; even though some ex-militants think otherwise.
He said: “I try to do what I know is best and I can’t say things…I don’t want to be critical of those who have been where before.
“But, what I see here, if that was what they could do and they are sleeping well, then, I would sleep better when I leave here. Everything would be handed over to government and government would see for itself, who has done well and who has not done well.
“As I stay in this office, I still get letters from the EFCC, on those who occupied this office before me. I don’t want to name names but if there was any exemption, it would be the first person that would be exempted. EFCC letters keep coming to my office…
“I’ve written EFCC that they should not be sending their letters here. If they want their addresses, EFCC should go to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“That’s where their documents, detailing their addresses are. It’s from there they could direct such letters to them. Bringing the letters here makes no sense…”
While the ex-militants have dragged the PAP to court, over exclusion from being beneficiaries, Dokubo dismissed talks of temptations to dip his hands in public funds.
“There’s no temptation anywhere! It is because of the picture those who previously occupied this office have painted out there. I don’t know the uses and purposes to which they used the office in the past; I’ve looked at this office, because of my casualisation of authority, allowing people access, they frown as such things! I’m not looking for any political office after here.”
Dokubo has an eye on posterity and already has a legacy project which he hopes states could replicate for their people.
“I always tell people it’s Adagagba, the oil and gas training center for middle and lower cadre of workers!
“I wish we could replicate it in all states of the Federation! I don’t want to award contracts but I want us to do that! To build structures of learning, where our people can go and learn anything they want to! If I’m able to do that, I would just say; thank God! Because, even if I’m here or not, they would see it and it would be a lasting legacy.
“I want that but, what I’ve seen is that even if Jesus Christ is here, they will still accuse you of something.
“They see you here and they don’t know where you are coming from and they want to tar you with the brushes they used to tar others.”
