Repositioning Nigeria’s Amnesty Programme for Conflict Transformation and Post-Conflict Peace-Building in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Kingsley C. W. Udegbunam

doi:10.12816/0003840

Article Details

Repositioning Nigeria’s Amnesty Programme for Conflict Transformation and Post-Conflict Peace-Building in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Authors:

Kingsley C. W. Udegbunam

Publisher:

National Library Singapore

Main Topics:

Political science

Journal:

Singaporean Journal of Business, Economics and Management Studies 2013 vol.2 Issue 1, pp.42-58

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

8/2013

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

44926

Frequency:

Monthly

pISSN:

23013621

DOI:

10.12816/0003840

Descriptors:

Keywords:

Abstract:

 One of the latest attempts to effectively manage the crisis in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria was thedeclaration of amnesty for all militants in the region by the late President of Nigeria, Umaru MusaYar’Adua, on the 25th of June, 2009. The death of the President did not bring an end to the amnestyprogramme as a core Niger Delta man, Goodluck Jonathan, became Nigeria’s president and hascontinued with the amnesty programme. This study seeks to examine the contexts, contents andchallenges of the amnesty programme with a view to establishing the nature of peace it has achievedin the region, the nexus between the performance of the amnesty programme and the structure of theNigerian state, and how the amnesty programme can be used for conflict transformation and postconflictpeace-building in the Niger Delta region. Primary and secondary sources of data collectionwere used for this work. The primary sources were In-depth Interviews (IDIs) with some ex-militantsand some members of the ex-militants’ communities and Camp Officials. Key Informant Interview(KII) was also used. Secondary sources include relevant books, journals, and other publications onNiger Delta. Qualitative method was used for data analysis. The study argues that a mere declarationof an amnesty, without correspondent actions by the state to remove structural forms of violence thathave sustained the crisis in the region, as well as embarking on a radical infrastructural and socioeconomicdevelopment of the region, will lead to the collapse of the relative peace in the region. Itfurther posits that Nigeria’s amnesty programme is capable of bringing lasting peace to the regionand the nation as a whole if, and only if, a holistic approach that will take the structure of the Nigerianfederalism is taken into consideration. That is, the evolvement of true federalism and the abrogation ofall laws that are used to subdue, oppress, and deprive the people of the region from benefitingmaximally from the Nigerian commonwealth. It is only when these are done that a genuinetransformation of the actors, issues, rules, and structures in the crisis will be achieved in the NigerDelta of Nigeria.

Article Details

Repositioning Nigeria’s Amnesty Programme for Conflict Transformation and Post-Conflict Peace-Building in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Authors:

Kingsley C. W. Udegbunam

Publisher:

National Library Singapore

Main Topics:

Political science

Journal:

Singaporean Journal of Business, Economics and Management Studies 2013 vol.2 Issue 1, pp.42-58

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

8/2013

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

44926

Frequency:

Monthly

pISSN:

23013621

DOI:

10.12816/0003840

Descriptors:

POLITICAL CONDITIONS

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

POLITICAL CONFLICT

PEACE

PETROLEUM

NIGERIA

Nigeria

Amnesty

conflict

post-conflict peace-building

conflict transformation

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Kingsley C. W. Udegbunam

Publisher: National Library Singapore

Main Topics: Political science

Journal: Singaporean Journal of Business, Economics and Management Studies 2013 vol.2 Issue 1, pp.42-58

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 8/2013

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 44926

Frequency: Monthly

pISSN: 23013621

DOI: 10.12816/0003840

Descriptors:

Issues

Authors:

Kingsley C. W. Udegbunam

Publisher:

National Library Singapore

Main Topics:

Political science

Journal:

Singaporean Journal of Business, Economics and Management Studies 2013 vol.2 Issue 1, pp.42-58

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

8/2013

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

44926

Frequency:

Monthly

pISSN:

23013621

DOI:

10.12816/0003840