AMNESTY IN NIGERIA

         Amnesty as the name implies, simply means the official pardon of an offence committed by an individual or groups of people in a community or state. Amnesty can be granted to a culprit, meaning that the particular person or groups of people granted amnesty will not be punish for their offence. Amnesty can be granted to a person who committed an offence, if the person is ready to repent. In political arena, we called a power granted to Mr. President to pardon his/her citizen of any offence(s) he/she committed a “prerogative of mercy” meaning that amnesty and prerogative of mercy can mean the same in some perspectives.
       Niger/Delta crisis in Nigeria can not be agreed to be a mere crisis, this is a crisis that almost results to another civil war in Nigeria. We can recall that civil war broke out in Nigeria in 1966 because of the massive killing of easterners, known as Ibos (Igbo) by Northerners (Hausas) in Kano. although there are many issues that leads to 1966 civil war in Nigeria between easterners and northerners, both immediate and remote cause, but the massive killing of easterners in kano gingered the war. in 2001, we can recalled that Odi, a community in Bayelsa state in Niger/Delta community, was set ablaze by the then so called President Obasanjo Regime. Now it is turn of the regime of president Yaradua to set the whole communities in Delta ablaze. Mr. President has started with agbaramatu community in Delta State. Over thirty-five thousand casualties have been recorded in a single community. President Yaradua had forgotten that we are not in autocratic state but in a democratic state. Were in 1999 constitution can we trace the dehumanizing and disastrous decision made by president Yaradua to wipe away a groups of civilian in Agbaramatu community by so called Joint Task Force (JTF), claiming that they are searching for militants in Delta State. Mr. President preaches rule of law everyday on air. The questions are how can the followers follow the right way while their leader is not on the right way¬? What plans does federal government have for the affected families in Agbaramatu crisis? Is there any hope for the community? If those militants abide with the spirit of embracing the so called Mr. president Amnesty, what will happen next to their community? What do you have for the affected market woman and peasant farmers in that community? What happen in Agbamaratu community was totally breach of laws and orders in that community by Mr. President and the JTF. If Nigeria has solid and independent law makers and Judiciary, this is the right time for them to follow the right path, and dictate what the constitution states to Mr. President and his JTF.