Editorial
On FG’s intentions on
Amnesty Programme
IN one of his rare public outings, the National Security Adviser, NSA, retired
Major General Mohammed Babagana Monguno, penultimate weekend appeared to
confirm the worst fears of some stakeholders in the Niger Delta when he
announced that he had advised President Muhammadu Buhari to scrap the
Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP.
The NSA complained that the eleven-year-old programme has gulped N712 billion
which he said is “basically unaccounted for, and this is due to so many issues,
corruption being the main thing”. He also said the programme was not supposed
to continue indefinitely. “There is no place on the surface of this earth where
programmes that are supposed to be palliatives will continue forever”.
A confusing element was the introduction of retired Col.
Milland Dikio, whom the NSA said had been charged to “refocus” the programme.
But now the question: Is the Federal Government refocusing the programme or
winding it down? There is a need for clarification on government’s exact
intentions. Indeed, the PAP was not meant to become a permanent, statutory
programme like the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
The monthly payouts and funds dedicated to the rehabilitation of ex-militants
and their sponsors were not meant to continue ad infinitum. After all, the
militancy has since died down.
However, Niger Delta stakeholders and beneficiaries of the PAP funds insist
that the militancy died down because of the PAP, and that the nation risks a
resumption of militancy in our oil-rich zone if this programme is scrapped. The
Federal Government is left to weigh the opportunity cost of continuing the
payouts or risking the possible return of disruptions in the oil industry and
our economy.
We are convinced that, at least for now, the programme should be continued
until we outgrow the capacity of militants to hold the country’s economy by the
jugular. It is a matter of applying wisdom rather than logic or ego. Sometimes
it is best to let the sleeping dog lie. It is disheartening, however, that over
five years after taking over the reins of power, the Buhari government that
puts a great premium on anti-corruption continues to lament over alleged
corruption in this programme which is administered right from his office. Why
has it taken until now to “refocus” the programme? Even if the PAP is to be
scrapped, Col. Dikio should gradually wind it down and its functions and funds
transferred to the NDDC by 2023 when the Buhari regime ends. There are many
useful programmes the PAP is handling such as the apprenticeship and
scholarship schemes. These should not be stopped. Buhari should kill the
prebendal corruption in the PAP without altogether abandoning the roles it
plays in upgrading human capacity in the Niger Delta.
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