NIGERIA’S NIGER DELTA MILITANCY AND THE AMNESTY POLICY: BEYOND THE AMNESTY (Published)
Despite the existence of a sizeable theoretical and empirical literature, no firm conclusions have been drawn regarding the impact of the amnesty policy and the elimination of militancy and acts of oil theft from the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. This article challenged the consensus of an inconclusive relationship between the amnesty programme and increased crude oil production in Nigeria. It adopted the elite theory in shedding deeper light on the lapses existing in the formulation and implementation of the amnesty policy. It concluded that although the Niger Delta citizens had their expectations dashed; with regard to oil discovery, they resorted to acts of militancy which had negative effects on the image and economic fortunes of Nigeria. However, the amnesty programme which was thought out as a viable policy thrust that could dowse the air and bring peace to bear on the region, neglected the women, children and non-violent youths of the area. It is to this neglected, but significant wing of the Delta that this article drew attention, with the firm projection that with such lie the prospects of a lasting peace in the Niger Delta. The paper observed further that when a state policy thrust becomes overtly discriminatory, another round of militant activities in the delta region seems inevitable, hence the need for a policy review for a broad based system that will capture majority of the excluded but potentially dangerous segments of the delta struggle in Nigeria and deliberate moves aimed at installing effective governance at all levels of the Nigerian state.
Keywords: Militancy, amnesty policy, kidnapping, non-militant segment., pipeline vandalism