NIGERIA: ANGLICAN PRIMATE ON DELTA, THIRD TERM

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 000667 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2006 TAGS: PGOV PREL NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: ANGLICAN PRIMATE ON DELTA, THIRD TERM Classified By: Campbell, John, Ambassador, Abuja, State Reason(s): 1.5 (b) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Anglican Primate told the Ambassador on March 21 that he was discouraged by the way the third term debate has crowded out resolution of the current hostage crisis in the Delta. He affirmed that hostage taking is bound to continue. He characterized President Obasanjo as one of the most "religious" people he knows. Rather than take a position on the specifics of constitutional revision, he said, the Anglican church calls for a "lowering of the temperature" of the current political debate. End summary. ¶2. (C) Peter Akinola, Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) accompanied by Archdeacon Fred Nyanako, called on the Ambassador at the Residence the evening of March 21. The Primate wished to discuss the Delta. For that reason, he said, he brought along the Archdeacon, a native of Rivers State, and the proprietor of a security company before he entered the priesthood. The Primate acknowledged that the long-term cause of militia activity in the Delta is deep poverty and chronic under- development. But, he continued, the more immediate cause was the creation and arming of militias by rival politicians in the run-up to the 2003 elections. The Primate presented a scenario we often hear: the politicians created the militias, but ceased paying them after the elections. The militias then turned to protection rackets involving oil bunkering, which they found to be much more lucrative. However, they were also able to draw on some local support from the indigenous people, many of whom are disaffected from all levels of government because of chronic under development and misgovernment. The Ambassador asked about reports that the hostage takers use "fetishes" and amulets to ward off bullets. The Primate said that was "play acting" designed to ?frighten and intimidate" simple people. The Primate said he was chagrined at the lack of attention "official circles" in Abuja were paying to the Delta. He said he wanted to assure the Ambassador that "murder of hostages, such as in Iraq" is not part of the Delta tradition, but that hostage taking is likely to continue until there is a "political" settlement. The Ambassador reiterated that hostage taking is never justified under any circumstances; the Primate agreed. 
¶3. (C) The Primate said that the Delta is not getting the official attention it deserves and needs because the "political class" is consumed with the debate over the Third Term. The Ambassador asked when the Third Term issue would be resolved, one way or the other. The Primate responded that there would be clarity by May, because by then it would be clear whether or not there was sufficient support in the National Assembly to amend the constitution. The Ambassador asked the Primate if he thought the President would seek a third term, presuming an amended constitution would allow him to do so. The Primate did not respond directly, but said that President Obasanjo, a born- again Baptist, "is the most religious person I know." When the Ambassador asked the Archbishop's meaning, he replied that Obasanjo prays more and spends more time studying the Bible than any public figure he knows. ¶4. (C) The Ambassador asked the Primate for his view on a Third Term for the President. His response was that the strong argument in favor was to look at Nigeria now in comparison with the country at the time of Abacha's death. Nigeria is no longer an international pariah; it is, in fact, at the center of the international system in Africa. The President has secured debt relief and is pursuing at home a macro-economic reform program. Nevertheless, he continued, nobody is indispensable. Those who argue that at present there is no appropriate successor to President Obasanjo are guilty of making him into an "idol." The Primate said that the Anglican church had been careful not to state a position on constitutional revision or the third term. It had, he said, instead called on all parties to "lower the temperature" of the political debate. 5.Q(C) Comment: The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) of which Akinola is Primate is one of the two largest Christian denominations in Nigeria. In addition, the Primate is the current President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, the most important organized Christian interdenominational lobby/pressure group. The Primate is a fierce critic of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. over the issue of ordination of homosexual clergy, and is a public opponent of any recognition of gay rights in Nigeria. The Primate and the President are both Yorubas from near Abeokuta. Though with initial reluctance to criticize secular authority, the Primate came to be an outspoken critic of the Abacha regime. More recently, he has warned publicly against the erosion of democratic practices in Nigeria. While he has been generally supportive of President Obasanjo and is vocal about his fears of the Islamic "peril," he has not hesitated to criticize the Chief of State, especially on issues that impact on the poor, e.g., the deregulation of fuel prices. While numerous clergy have publicly opposed the Third Term, no major denomination has taken a formal position on the question, so far as we know. While there are likely clergy who would support a Third Term, they have been silent in the media. The Primate produced a press flurry last year when he criticized publicly the President for arriving late at a church service -- as he habitually does for most of his official engagements. End Comment. CAMPBELL