Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has revealed the life-threatening measures he and then-Vice President Goodluck Jonathan took to secure the implementation of the Presidential Amnesty Programme for Niger Delta militants.
In a recent interview, Orubebe recounted the tense moments during the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, when militant attacks in the oil-rich region had intensified, crippling oil production and threatening national security.
He said security chiefs initially opposed the plan for Jonathan to visit militant camps, warning of the grave dangers involved. “All the service chiefs shouted, ‘No! The Vice President is not going there,’” Orubebe recalled.
Undeterred, he told Yar’Adua and Jonathan: “Mr President and Vice President, Sir, in the history of a country, there comes a time when somebody has to sacrifice himself for the nation.”
He then directly urged Jonathan: “You must go, even if it costs you your life.” Jonathan reportedly responded resolutely: “I’ll go.”
Defying all security advice, the duo proceeded to Camp 5 in Gbaramatu Kingdom, a notorious militant stronghold led by figures including Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.
Orubebe described travelling across the Niger Delta from Delta to Akwa Ibom to assemble militant leaders at the camp for a critical three-day negotiation.
There, he conveyed Yar’Adua’s promise to develop the region in exchange for peace, a commitment that became the foundation of the amnesty programme.
“The journey into the creeks was perilous, but it was a defining act of courage,” Orubebe said. The move, he added, persuaded militants to embrace disarmament and rehabilitation, paving the way for lasting peace in the Niger Delta.
He credited the programme with stabilising oil production and fostering opportunities for development, stressing that its success was rooted in direct engagement and genuine sacrifice rather than mere policy statements.
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