Source: http://www.chidioparareports..com

The amnesty proclaimed for the repentant militants in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria on 6th August, 2009 ended on October 4th, 2009. It is on record that the exercise recorded considerable success with well known militants and less known ones embracing it, with the consequent surrender of  armaments of different categories. chidi opara reports wishes to use this medium to congratulate all concerned on the success of the amnesty.

It needs repeating here even at the risk of over emphasis that the unrest in the Niger Delta region where the greater percentage of the Nation's oil wealth is located, which happens to be the mainstay of the country's economy, took much toll on the well being of the citizenry, therefore a peaceful resolution of the crisis should be seen as a vital forward step in improving the quality of living of the citizens of Nigeria.

chidi opara reports have however, noted a cog, which if not removed, may truncate the relative peace that have been achieved so far and send the Nation back to the days of crisis This cog is the refusal of the Nigerian government to engage the Movement For The Emancipation Of Niger Delta(MEND) in dialogue through its recently appointed negotiators. MEND may be faceless, but its control of fighters in the creeks which manifested in its ability to call these fighters in and out of "oil wars" makes it a force to recognised in the present peace process.

It may be argued that the surrender of its commanders with their weapons have rendered MEND impotent, but need we state here that majority of the fighters who may have been trained in the use of sophisticated weaponry may not have surrendered, most may have simply dissolved into the civil society and can be re-recruited for future "oil wars"?. Need we mention also that weapons can be purchased at any time in any place and smuggled into the country through our porous borders, seaports and airports manned by corrupt and incompetent security?.

The most worrisome angle is that MEND may recruit the ever available mercenaries from any of Nigeria's neighbours and use them to unleash guerrilla hits on strategic oil and gas facilities, making nonesense of the main aim of the amnesty.

chidi opara reports strongly recommends that the Nigerian government should engage MEND in dialogue through its negotiators whom we think are Nigerians who have achieved success in their careers and whose love for the country may not be doubted.

Source: http://www.chidioparareports..com

The Secretary Of State of the United States Of America(USA), Mrs.
Hillary Clinton recently visited Nigeria for the first time in the
capacity of a high rank cabinet member of the Barack Obama
administration. The visit was the last stage of her seven-nation-tour of Africa.

During the visit, Mrs. Clinton had meetings with governmental and non
governmental groups. Notable among the non governmental groups the USA
top official had meeting with was a coalition of civil society groups,
whom Mrs. Clinton exchanged ideas with in a townhall meeting.

Highlight of the townhall meeting was an address by the Secretary Of
State in which she amongst other pronouncements, noted that it is up
to Nigerians to effect the necessary legitimate changes in the
governance of their country. She however added that the Obama
administration would be ready to work with the civil society community
in this regard. chidi opara reports agrees with Madam Secretary of
State in this regard.

This statement coming from a high rank cabinet member of a very
important nation like the USA would ordinarily serve as motivation to
any civil society community anywhere, serious about effecting
legitimate changes in the country where it operates.

Unfortunately, the civil society community in Nigeria, we dare say is
unserious, unorganized, unimaginative and lazy. We make this
pronouncement, bearing in mind the laudable roles a few selfless and
committed activists, some living and others dead, played in the
onerous task of reforming the Nigerian space. chidi opara reports
salutes them.

This in our opinion is the time for the civil society community in
Nigeria to seize this window of opportunity offered by the current
mood in Washington to get serious in the areas of imaginative
strategizing, grassroots based organization and vibrant peaceful
demonstrations in all parts of Nigerian against objectionable policies
of government when the need arise. The era of waiting for other
nations to effect the required legitimate changes in Nigeria should be
over. Enough of that townhall meeting with Mrs. Clinton and other
officials of other countries.

Source: http://www.chidioparareports..com

The implementation of the amnesty proclaimed by the President and commander-in-chief of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria for the Niger Delta militants commenced on August 6th 2009, to end on October 6th 2009.

We will like to state here for the purpose of emphasis that what necesitated the amnesty proclaimation was the crippling effects of militancy on crude oil exploration and exploitation, which is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy.

chidi opara reports salutes the vision, broad mindedness and wisdom displayed in the amnesty proclaimation. We also salute the wisdom and courage displayed in its acceptance by some repentant militants. We are using this medium to appeal to all those who have not embraced the opportunity offered by the amnesty proclaimation to return to normal life, to do so without further delay.

We are however not happy at the over patronizing attitude of the Nigerian President to some repentant militant leaders. We are particularly worried about verified reports that some repentant militant leaders had meeting with the President recently in Abuja.

chidi opara reports is of the opinion that the meeting is unnecesary and more importantly, capable of being interpreted as an endorsement of militancy by the highest institution in the country, especially by the young and impressionable segment of the citizenry. The Presidency of any country should not engage in activities beneath its hallowed office, like meeting with militant leaders, whether repentant or not.

We recall with regret, the meeting between a militant leader and the immediate past Nigerian President while in office and the boost it gave to militancy, especially in the Niger Delta region. The normal course of action would have been for the repentant militants and their leaders to meet with the committee inaugurated by the government to supervise the amnesty exercise, to strenghten out issues if the need arises.

The meeting between the President and repentant militants have in our opinion cheapened the highest office in the country, and have regretably sent the message across that it is better to be a militant than a hard working professional for instance. If we may ask, how many times does a hardworking Nigerian professional meet with the President?

Source:http://www.chidioparareports..com

On Saturday, the 25th day of July, 2009, the governor of Imo state of Nigeria, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim in a well attended ceremony in Owerri, capital city of Imo state, declared his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The ceremony was attended by notable PDP chieftains at the state, zonal and national levels. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Umaru Yar’Adua and the chairman of Board of Trustees of PDP, rtd. general Olusegun Obasanjo were present to add colour to the occasion.

The high point of the occasion was when rtd. general Obasanjo confirmed that Dr. Ohakim and the PDP had an agreement in 2007. The agreement, according to the PDP Board of Trustees chairman provided that the party would support Dr. Ohakim who was contesting the 2007 governorship election under the aegis of the Progressive Peoples’ Alliance(PPA), to win the election while Dr. Ohakim after assumption of office would decamp to PDP. Obasanjo concluded by alluding to the point that that Dr. Ohakim is a “gentleman”, having fulfilled his part of the “gentleman’s agreement”.

We at chidi opara reports would not want to go into the legality or otherwise of the PDP/Ohakim agreement of 2007. We are however, disturbed that a morally deficient action like the said agreement is being held up as an epitome of what should be emulated by a personality like Obasanjo, a former President of Nigeria and a supposedly elder statesman.

Chidi opara reports believe that the PDP/Ohakim agreement of 2007 was, and still is, bereft of any iota of morality and so should not be held up as something worthy of emulation. It merits repeating that Dr. Ikedi Ohakim was in 2007 sponsored by the PPA to contest the governorship election of that year, he went behind the party as can be seen from media reports, to enter into agreement with the PDP. Ohakim’s action in this regard in our opinion, showcases him as selfish and desperate. The PDP on its part had no good reason to enter into such agreement, since it already controls the state and was already tipped to win the elections. The only reason the PDP had to enter into such agreement, it seems, was a desire to circumvent the order of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, to allow Mr. Ifeanyi Ararume to contest the election as the PDP candidate.

Chidi opara reports believe that if we continue to hold up actions like the PDP/Ohakim agreement of 2007 as worthy of emulation, we will be pushing Nigeria further into the pit of national moral bankruptcy.

Source: http://www.chidioparareports..com

Information reaching chidi opara reports indicate that unless there is a last minute change of plans, the maiden ceremony of weapons surrender by repentant Nigerian oil region militant leaders will take place this morning at the headquarters of the Amphibious Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Portharcourt. The weapons surrender is the first stage in the amnesty proposed for the militants by the Nigerian government. The Amphibious Brigade headquarters is also the operation base of the Joint Taskforce on Security(JTF).

Amphibious brigade headquarters insiders revealed to chidi opara reports that the militant leaders who are to surender weapons today are: Messrs. Tom Ateke, Fara Dagogo and Soboma George. "The weapons surrender ceremony tomorrow is likely to be by proxy", a militant group insider whispered to us yesterday.

We also gathered` that Mr. Dokubo Asari, a repentant militant leader who had a security problem recently is expected in Portharcourt this morning from Abuja in connection with the ceremony. Mr. Asari, according to a contact close to him, is not surrending weapons, but was asked by the Presidency to be available in Portharcourt, "so that things will move smoothly". We were not able to confirm before publication if he will be present at the venue of the ceremony scheduled to begin by 10.00am.

It will be noted that the Nigerian government recently announced its intention to grant amnesty to repentant Niger Delta militants. A committee headed by the country's Minister of The Interior was inaugurated with the mandate to work out modalities for the amnesty. The committee had concluded its assignment and submitted the report to the President.

While there have been purported declarations of intentions to accept the amnesty by some militant leaders from their places of hiding, the main Niger Delta militant group, Movement For The Emancipation Of Niger Delta(MEND) have however, rejected the offer. MEND, in a news release made available to chidi opara reports and some other news organizations, debunked reports that its "senior Commanders", Boyloaf, Fara Dagogo and Soboma George had accepted the offer. The group described the reports as propaganda hatched by elements inside government who had their eyes on the billions of naira budgeted for the anmesty project.