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Nigerian Presidential Advisor Resigns to Run for Governor

   University of Abuja professor Kabiru Mato says the amnesty program for
   Niger Delta militants will likely continue even without Timi Alaibe

   James Butty | Washington, D.C. 31 December 2010
   Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan

Photo: AFP

   Nigerian  President Goodluck Jonathan speaks during a press conference
   on  December  7, 2010, after a special summit of Economic Community of
   West  African  States  (ECOWAS)  heads  of  States  on  Ivory  Coast's
   electoral crisis.

   In  Nigeria, an advisor to President Goodluck Jonathan on the volatile
   Niger Delta region has resigned.

   Nigeriaās  presidency  announced  Thursday  that  Timi Alaibe resigned
   because  he wants to run for governor of Bayelsa State, the home state
   of President Jonathan.

   Alaibe  had been in charge of running the federal governmentās amnesty
   program for militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

   Professor  Kabiru  Mato,  chair of the political science department at
   University  of Abuja, told VOA heās not surprised by Alaibeās decision
   given the nature of politics in the Niger Delta region.

   āThe  bottom  line is that Timi Alaibe is one of those very few people
   who  were  anointed  to  take  over  power  after the former governor,
   Diepreye  Alamieyeseigha,  would  have left office. But, due to one or
   two  reasons  and  out  of  the nationās political configuration, Timi
   Alaibe  could  not  take  over,  and,  after  the  removal of Diepreye
   Alamieyeseigha,  it  was Goodluck Jonathan that became the governor of
   Bayelsa State,ā he said.

   Militants   wearing   black  masks,  military  fatigues  and  carrying
   Kalashnikov  assault  rifles  and  rocket-propelled  grenade launchers
   patrol the creeks of the Niger Delta area of Nigeria, 24 Feb 2006

AP

   Militants   wearing   black  masks,  military  fatigues  and  carrying
   Kalashnikov  assault  rifles  and  rocket-propelled  grenade launchers
   patrol the creeks of the Niger Delta area of Nigeria, 24 Feb 2006

   Mato  said  the federal governmentās amnesty program, which Alaibe was
   charged  with  implementing  and under which thousands of militants in
   the Niger Delta gave up their weapons, will still go on.

   āAny  reputable Nigerian that is honest and has the required integrity
   to  mediate  between the government and the militants has the capacity
   to serve as advisor on amnesty,ā Mato said.

   Mato  said  the  real  reason that Alaibe wants to run for governor of
   Bayelsa State is because of the political rift between current Bayelsa
   State Governor Timipriye Sylva and President Jonathan.

   āPolitical  observers  in  Nigeria today suggest that there is no love
   lost  between President Goodluck Jonathan and the governor of his home
   state  Timipriye  Sylva.  Secondly, we all hear and we all read on the
   pages of newspapers that the two are not on good terms,ā Mato said.

   Mato  also  said  the ruling Peopleās Democratic Party (PDP) hierarchy
   may  not  be  happy  about  the  way  Bayelsa State is being run under
   current Governor Sylva.

   Niger  Delta  militants  said  they  have  been  agitating  for a more
   equitable distribution of the regionās oil wealth.

   Many of the militants are said to be from Bayelsa State and Alaibe has
   said  that  he wants to be governor to do something about the regionās
   underdevelopment  and unemployment and, hopefully, help curb militancy
   in the region.

   āThe  fundamental  problem,  I think with militancy has to do with the
   very  social  structure  under which Nigeria operates. Thereās endemic
   poverty,  thereās  absence  of basic social infrastructure, education,
   roads,  electricity power supply, health, etc. And, I do hope that, by
   the  time  Timi  Alaibe  is  eventually  able  to wrest power from the
   incumbent  governor,  he  will be able to address the pitfalls that we
   have in the (Bayelsa) state,ā Mato said.

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