"Predicting public attitude towards the amnesty initiative in the Niger delta: the role of trust in government, geopolitical zones and religiosity. "

Abstract

Armed conflict and insurgencies in the Niger Delta over resource control and environmental degradation dated back to the 1960s with the Isaac Adaka Bora's led Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF). Successive governments had attempted military options and some palliative measures to deal with the issues without much success. These strategies were reviewed by the regime of late President Umaru Musa Yaradu'a who introduced the amnesty initiative to bring the situation under control. This initiative has given some respite in the orgy of violence hitherto experienced in the region. However, there are mixed reactions as to the general acceptability of the amnesty as well as the sincerity of government on the policy. This cross-sectional study investigated the role of religiosity, geo-political zones and public trust in government in predicting the acceptance of amnesty initiative among the general populace. Two hundred and thirty people cutting across the major strata of the society were randomly sampled to respond to a questionnaire. Findings revealed that there was no significant effect of respondents' geo-political zones on their attitude toward the .amnesty initiative. Meanwhile, public trust in government and religiosity' jointly and independently significantly predicted attitude toward the-amnesty initiative. Against the background, it is suggested that government should embark on activities that will further enhance its credibility and foster trust in the citizen. Additionally, faith-based approach should also be adopted in tackling the violence in the Niger Delta.