FORMER DELTA STATE OFFICIAL APPLAUDS GOVERNMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LAGOS 000436 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, DS/IP/AF, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/OSAC WARSAW FOR LISA PIASCIK CIUDAD JUAREZ FOR DONNA BLAIR ISTANBUL FOR TASHAWNA SMITH SAO PAULO FOR ANDREW WITHERSPOON OSLO FOR HELENA SCHRADER DOE FOR GPERSON, CAROLYN GAY TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS, SRENENDER, DFIELDS COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS STATE PASS USTR FOR ASST USTR FLISER STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR MARAD STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND MSTUCKART STATE PASS TDA FOR NCABOT STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER NI SUBJECT: FORMER DELTA STATE OFFICIAL APPLAUDS GOVERNMENT EFFORTS IN WATER ACCESS AND EDUCATION LAGOS 00000436 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Consul Alan B. C. Latimer for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a recent meeting with Poloff, Chief Evance O. Ivwurie, former Commissioner for Special Duties (Project Monitoring) under Governor James Ibori's administration in Delta State, lauded the state government's efforts to provide potable water and education and blamed the federal and local governments for the lack of development in the region. Multinational companies operating in the Niger Delta need to practice social responsibility and avoid divide and rule tactics, Ivwurie commented. Though Delta Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan does not have the peace-brokering reputation his predecessor James Ibori had, he was chosen as a consensus candidate and will be a successful governor, Ivwurie predicted. End Summary. -------------- -------------- Education: Creeks Difficult to Staff; Students Pay Fees -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Chief Evance O. Ivwurie, former Commissioner for Special Duties (Project Monitoring) under Governor James Ibori's administration in Delta State, recently told Poloffs that Delta State has created a board to monitor a new program aimed at attracting teachers to the creeks and riverine areas with higher salaries. Attracting teachers to these areas was the greatest challenge to educating students in the creeks, he said. Ivwurie was confident this program would succeed, as Delta State has an excess number of teachers. He continued praising state efforQ by claiming there is a secondary school every kilometer throughout the non-creek areas of the state. While some villages are too small to sustain their own secondary school, they can send their children to a neighboring village to pursue their education. ¶3. (C) According to Ivwurie, the Delta State Executive Council recently approved funding for 25 primary and 17 secondary schools for the riverine areas. Once these schools are built, he said, the Delta State Government can respond to deficiencies, such as funding teachers' salaries and providing teachers' housing. Despite these advances, Ivwurie admitted public education is not free and families must pay tuition and purchase books. However, he did not consider these financial burdens insurmountable; government scholarships are available and motivated students could work before and after school, during the holidays, and summer months to earn money to cover education costs, he said. (Comment: The realities of life in Nigeria are such that many families depend upon their children to contribute supplemental income to the family for basic living costs. Furthermore, our travels through Delta State and discussions with Delta State indigenes do not/not reflect Ivwurie's description of an education system that is available to most of the young people in the state. End Comment.) -------------- -------------- Utilities: Efforts to Provide Water, Electricity, Transport -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) All inhabitants of the non-riverine areas of Delta State access potable water thanks to water towers throughout LAGOS 00000436 002.2 OF 003 the state, Ivwurie advised. The State began to provide potable water at the behest of its citizens, he noted. Praising the state's development efforts, Ivwurie said Delta approved a naira 9.9 billion (approximately USD 77.3 million) contract to electrify Delta State. The state government subsequently paid an additional naira 4.1 billion (over USD 32 million) as developing the creeks was more expensive than anticipated and companies charged more in light of security concerns and costs. ¶5. (C) According to Ivwurie, the Delta State Government purchased seven ferry boats to be used as water taxis. Delta State government expected water taxis to facilitate trading and commerce between riverine communities and urban areas. Each ferry could hold between 300 and 400 people and would travel between Warri, Sapele and Koko, near Benin City, Edo State. To facilitate water transport, Delta State spent naira 200 million (approximately USD 15,500) to build 42 jetties. The water taxi service would come highly subsidized so that a ride costing naira 1000 (approximately USD 7.80) would be available for 50 kobo (USD 0.40). -------------- Development Failures: FG, LGAs, IOCs -------------- ¶6. (C) While Ivwurie lauded the Delta State Government for improving the lives of Deltans, he criticized the federal and local government areas (LGAs),saying "they haven't done much yet." However, he said citizens could voice their concerns through local chairmen, councils, LGAs, state representatives and assembly members. When Ivwurie wanted to see paved roads in his home community of Abraka, he took his concerns directly to the State Commission of Works. State funded projects provide employment opportunities, Ivwurie said, noting the electrification project in the riverine area employed approximately 400 people. He also said that Deltans need to consider budget timeframes and planning when submitting requests to obtain funding for infrastructure projects. ¶7. (C) Ivwurie said international oil companies (IOCs) also have a responsibility to the communities in which they operate. He emphasized that companies needed to claim responsibility for their actions, especially where Nigerian laws and regulations are "too vague." He accused multinationals of employing divide and rule tactics by developing some communities while ignoring others, and said this must stop. -------------- -------------- Politics: Ibori Left Large Shoes for Uduaghan To Fill -------------- -------------- ¶8. (C) Former Delta State Governor James Ibori was a great governor, Ivwurie commented, because he facilitated peace in the state over the past four years. Emmanuel Uduaghan may not have Ibori's peace-brokering or managerial skills, but managed to secure the People's Democratic Party (PDP) nomination as a consensus candidate, he said. Ivwurie downplayed Ijaw Chief E. K. Clark's spitfire attack on Uduaghan, claiming Clark was not supported by his Ijaw "foot LAGOS 00000436 003.2 OF 003 soldiers." -------------- Rising Nigerian Leaders Studying At Harvard? -------------- ¶9. (C) In recent years Harvard has invited Nigerian leaders to participate in a year-long pubic policy Harvard Premier Program. Former participants include Reverend Father Matthew Hassan Kukah (former President Obasanjo's appointed facilitator in the Shell Petroleum Development Company and Ogoni peace process),Obiageli Ezekwesili (former Minister of Education and current Vice President of the World Bank's Africa division),and Federal Capital Minister Nasir el-Rufai. Ivwurie planned to attend the Harvard Premier Program during the 2007/2008 academic year if he is not asked to join the Yar'Adua/Goodluck administration. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶10. (C) Ivwurie sketched an ambitious program that was to be undertaken by the Ibori administration. It is hard for us to assess all of Ivwurie's claims. Our Niger Delta indigene interlocutors call them exaggerated at best. The unrest in the Niger Delta makes it imperative that the Delta State government launch a comprehensive program to address the daunting infrastructure problems and other development challenges in the region. End Comment. LATIMER