For almost a decade, the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria has been quite restive. The populace turning to violence as an attempted expression of long-held grievances. The militants used attacks on oil installations and taking of oil workers, preferably foreign ones, as hostages to bring the attention of the Federal Government to the neglect of the region that has more or less been keeping Nigeria alive considering our dependence on the earnings from the crude oil found in the region.

Even though this site abhors violence of any kind, it also admits that the grievances held in the region are genuine. The Nigerian government has ignored the unique challenges the region faces, starting from the recommendations of the Willinks Commission on Minorities in 1957 till date. It is worsened by the fact that despite the fact that Nigeria’s crude oil is mined from the region, the region has seen little development commensurate with the wealth from its ground or given to the governments at the local government and state levels. Even worse, crude oil mining has destroyed livelihoods as farming and fishing are no longer sustainable due to the environmental pollution that has taken place and is still taken place in monumental proportions.

Luckily for the militants, their strategy of crippling oil production and holding Nigeria hostage economically worked, as the government of late President Umaru Yar’adua drew up an amnesty program that saw the militants surrender their arms and get monthly stipends, or skills acquisition training within and outside the country. A lot of the militant leaders were compensated with lucrative state contracts for their ‘troubles.’

It is also on the back of the Niger-Delta restiveness and in order to give them a sense of belonging that former President Goodluck Jonathan was made running mate to Yar’adua in 2007. The rest is history that is all too fresh in our memories.

Without doubt, the region experienced calm during the three years of the Yar’adua administration and the five years of the Jonathan administration, in large part to the fact that the amnesty program has been in action and the popularity former President Jonathan enjoyed in his home region.

However, it does seem that since the March 28 presidential elections in which Jonathan lost, the region is starting to lose its sense of calm with a few attacks clearly aimed at economic sabotage. The sentiment held by more than a few in the region is that of anger in reaction to Jonathan’s loss, as his presidency was symbolic for many that the region was not playing second fiddle to other parts of the country, despite being the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Even worse is the fact that while the amnesty program is designed to come to an end this year, some militants who had been in training programs abroad were withdrawn by the institutions on account of non-payment of their fees. It was this development that made former militant warlord, Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo to call a meeting of his old colleagues in the Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa. Although the meeting was later shelved, it was not before it raised tensions in the country and got tongues wagging as to whether this was aimed at reviving the militancy in the region, which is the last thing any Nigerian would like to see, considering that we are already faced with the Boko Haram terrorist insurgency in the North-East and a fast-growing series of clashes in the Middle Belt.

It is about time that the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari unveil his strategy for developing the region, recognizing that the amnesty program is just but a stop-gap measure, designed more to keep violence in the region in abeyance and not as the silver bullet to its issues.

It must state how it intends to invest in infrastructure in the region and which projects are high-priority to it. For example, the East-West Road that was started by the Jonathan administration is yet to be completed; however, the FG is also yet to make any statement on it. Showing commitment to such projects will build confidence in not just the government among the people, but also in the country and give them a sense of belonging.

There is also a need for the FG to come up with a plan for a comprehensive environmental cleanup of the region in order to restore the lands and waters that have been heavily polluted. While such a project is going to be expensive, the costs will pale in comparison to the amount the country earns as a whole largely from the region, the economic benefits of the people in the region harnessing the agricultural potentials from this region and the incalculable benefits that will be gotten from peace in the region.

The FG must start to communicate now with the country and the people its plans for the region and must not leave it to chance, especially considering the fact that tensions are still running high and people hurting over the previous election. Considering the tense and highly partisan nature of our politics today, every single project, idea or program that the FG comes up with for other regions will be juxtaposed with those for the Niger-Delta and contrasts will be drawn.

The FG has already taken the first step with its appointment of a new Coordinator for the Amnesty Program in the person of Brigadier-General Paul T. Boroh (rtd), who will also serve as an adviser to the President on Niger-Delta Affairs. This appointment has been largely lauded which is an endorsement of the credentials of the retired general who is also a professional crisis mediator and peace builder.

The ball is in the court of President Buhari and the Federal Government to seize the momentum it has gotten and put its four years to excellent use in making remarkable difference in the region.