FORMER DELTA STATE OFFICIAL APPLAUDS GOVERNMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LAGOS 000436

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STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, DS/IP/AF, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/OSAC
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CIUDAD JUAREZ FOR DONNA BLAIR
ISTANBUL FOR TASHAWNA SMITH
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TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS, SRENENDER, DFIELDS
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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

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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.

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Education: Creeks Difficult to Staff; Students Pay Fees
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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.)

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Utilities: Efforts to Provide Water, Electricity, Transport
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4. (C) All inhabitants of the non-riverine areas of Delta
State access potable water thanks to water towers throughout

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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).
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Development Failures: FG, LGAs, IOCs
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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.

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Politics: Ibori Left Large Shoes for Uduaghan To Fill
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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

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soldiers."

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Rising Nigerian Leaders Studying At Harvard?
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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.

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Comment
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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