GON CRITICIZES EMBASSIES FOR NOT GETTING OUT THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 001948

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DOE FOR CAROLYN GAY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2017
TAGS: PGOV KDEM NI
SUBJECT: GON CRITICIZES EMBASSIES FOR NOT GETTING OUT THE
GOOD NEWS ON THE NIGER DELTA

Classified By: Charge d'Affairs Robert Gribbin for reasons 1.4. (b & d)
.


1. (C) Summary. In a September 5 briefing for the Diplomatic
Corps in Abuja, Foreign Minister Maduekwe and other senior
officials described the GON's efforts to address the problems
of the Niger Delta and improve the security situation there.
The officials described the government's "holistic approach,"
which included stepped-up development efforts, increased
efforts to consult with local stakeholders, peace talks with
militant groups to bring them into the process, and military
operations against those "criminals and miscreants" who would
not lay down their weapons. Unfortunately, details of these
efforts were not provided. Maduekwe and the other officials
complained that Nigeria was not recieving sufficient credit
for its efforts, and blamed "inaccurate reporting" by foreign
diplomats for perpetuating the view that the Delta is a
dangerous place. Diplomats were invited to visit the Delta
and see the improved situation for themselves. In a very
brief question and answer session (which was originally
supposed to be the centerpiece of the meeting),the UK,
Syrian and US COMs asked questions, which largely went
unanswered, about better communication during incidents of
hostage-taking, how military operations against militants
were working, and how efforts to reach out to local people
were coordinated. End summary.


2. (U) On September 5, Foreign Minister Maduekwe convoked the
Abuja Diplomatic Corps to discuss the GON's plans for
addressing the situation in the Niger Delta. At the meeting,
the ForMin, Rivers State Governor Omehia, Niger Delta
Development Commission (NDDC) Chairman Edem, and NDDC
Managing Director Alaibe all addressed the assembled
ambassadors, but most substantive remarks were made by the
ForMin and Alaibe.

Development Plans for the Delta
--------------

3. (U) The ForMin described a series of meetings which
President Yar'Adua had held since his election with the nine
state governors from the Niger Delta and NDDC leaders "to
discuss measures aimed at fast-tracking the implementation of
the infrastructural components of the (15-year) Master Plan"
previously established for the region. The participants
agreed that the NDDC would focus on major projects like road
construction, and leave the development of "welfare projects"
such as schools, clinics and hospitals to state and local
governments. In his own remarks, Alaibe added that the
participants had reviewed the Master Plan, and identified a
number of priority projects, funds for which were to be
allocated in the 2008 budget.


4. (U) According to Maduekwe, the participants also agreed
that the international oil companies would be asked to do
more to assist in the Delta's development. Maduekwe dismissed
what these companies had done thus far as "sheer tokenism"
and "too little, too late."

Security Issues
--------------

5. (C) The ForMin said the GON had adopted a holistic
approach to the search for peace and stability in the Delta
which included not only accelerated development efforts, but
also negotiations (spearheaded by Vice President Jonathan) to
convince at least some of the militants to lay down their
weapons, coupled with stepped-up military operations by the
Joint Task Force (JTF) to put pressure on those "criminal
elements" who would not. He stressed, however, that these
operations were "carefully calibrated and measured" so as to
minimize civilian casualties and respect the human rights of
local people (Comment: We question whether the Nigerian
military is capable of such subtlety. End comment).
Maduekwe argued that, as a result of these efforts, "the
security situation in the Niger Delta today has improved
significantly based on the decisive steps taken by the
Government to put an end to wanton acts of criminality and
brigandage."


6. (U) Alaibe expanded on these points, describing the "peace
and conflict-resolution committees" that were trying to reach
out to people in the remote creeks and convince them to come
into talks. He cited the recent release of some imprisoned

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militant leaders as addressing a key militant demand, and
said most militant leaders had been won over by these
efforts. He claimed VP Jonathan had been personally involved
in the talks, and had played a positive role.


7. (C) Alaibe said the government understood that it needed
to consult all stakeholders and be sensitive to local
concerns if it was going to restore stability to the Delta.
He pointed to the recent pushing back of the start time for
the nighttime curfew from 6pm to 9pm as evidence that the
government was trying to pay attention to human rights and
local grievances. (FYI: The earlier start-time for the
curfew had led to many travelers being shaken down for bribes
at checkpoints. End FYI.)

Not Problems, Just Bad Reporting
--------------

8. (SBU) ForMin Maduekwe contrasted what he described as this
considerable improvement in the situation in the Delta with
what he viewed as "inaccurate reporting" by some diplomatic
missions. He noted that some embassies had issued travel
warnings to their nationals against visiting the region, but
insisted that "the criminal actions of a few fortune seekers.
. . do not warrant the designation of Nigeria as a perilous
environment." He argued that such travel restrictions create
a "Catch-22 situation," since they kept out international
development experts, yet everyone agreed that development had
to be a key part of any solution to the Delta's problems.


9. (SBU) Turning to the problem of kidnapping, Maduekwe said
it was "a hideous crime" which was "even more despicable"
when children were its victims. No government could tolerate
"such odious criminal and terrorist acts perpetrated by a few
miscreants." He added, however, that foreign missions needed
"to report the efforts of our law enforcement and our
government against these criminals; this will allow investors
to make an informed judgment about the situation here."


10. (SBU) The other participants in the panel all reiterated
the view that foreign diplomats were exaggerating security
problems in the Delta, and not
giving the GON sufficient credit for what it has been doing
to improve the situation. Alaibe appealed for the assembled
diplomats to tell their governments and businesses of the
improved situation, and the "bold, bright and beautiful
future for the Niger Delta." Rivers State Governor Omehia
argued (with no irony apparently intended) that, despite the
curfew in his capital, Port Harcourt, there was "peace in
Rivers State," which he urged the diplomats to visit so they
could look for ways to partner in its development. NDDC
Chairman Edem also urged diplomats to visit the Delta for
themselves, so they could see just how "over-exaggerated" the
reports of security problems were.

Question and Non-answer Session
--------------

11. (U) What, according to the agenda, was supposed to be a
50-minute "interactive discussion" between the panelists and
the diplomats was shrunk to 10 minutes because of a late
start and the length of the formal presentations. Only three
diplomats (from the UK, Syria and the US) were able to put
forward questions.


12. (U) The acting UK High Commissioner noted that 34 Britons
had been kidnapped in the Delta since January 2006, of whom
33 had NOW been released. He asked for continued efforts to
secure the release of the 34th, and asked if the GON could
provide diplomatic missions with a point of contact to keep
them regularly informed of what was being done about such
cases. The Syrian Ambassador reiterated this latter point,
noting that one of his nationals had died while in captivity,
but stressed that it was hard to get information out of the
GON which he could use to inform his government and people
back home.


13. (U) The ForMin responded that the GON was not just
expressing good intentions on security, it was committed to
the "nitty-gritty" of getting it right. "Hostage taking makes
us feel terrible," he said, adding that cases, like the
recent one of a little British girl, were an embarrassment to
Nigeria, given the coverage they received on the BBC and CNN.
As for improving communication (and apparently missing the

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point of both questions),Maduekwe said the GON needed to do
a better job of telling its own story, using its own
diplomatic missions to put the word out.


14. (U) In his question, CDA noted the crucial importance to
everything the government was trying to do of progress toward
resolving the problems of the Delta, and thought efforts to
reach a political settlement there sounded appropriate. As
for the security situation, CDA asked how the ongoing
military operations by the JTF were improving the security in
the remote creeks of the Delta and the efforts to win over
the people there.


15. (U) Governor Omehia commented that the presence of the
JTF in his state did not mean there was no peace in the
region. He argued that the JTF would remain in the area until
peace was "consolidated."

Comment
--------------

16. (C) When this meeting was called, our concern was that
the Nigerian presentation would be long on rhetoric and short
on specifics. Unfotunately, that is what we received.
President Yar'Adua is, in fact, trying to do more to improve
the situation in the Delta, and we are certainly eager to be
helpful in that regard, but attempting to blame the GON's
problems there on "inaccurate reporting" by foreign embassies
is simply a non-starter. The verbiage and grandstanding for
the domestic audience notwithstanding, we see that the new
government has indeed put its prestige on the line in
committing to improve the situation in the Delta. This alone
should ensure the continuation of real efforts to work the
problem and, if no success is registered, will make
finger-pointing, and perhaps even accountability, easier.
End comment.
GRIBBIN