NIGERIA: DELTA OFFICIALS BRIEF U/S JEFFERY ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 001600

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA
DOE FOR GEORGE PERSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EFIN NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: DELTA OFFICIALS BRIEF U/S JEFFERY ON
EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THEIR STATES' CHALLENGES

Classified By: Political Counselor Walter Pflaumer for reasons 1.4. (b
& d).


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Officials from Delta and Rivers states
briefed Under Secretary Jeffery July 24 during his visit to
Abuja on the current situation in the Niger Delta, specific
security concerns, oil bunkering, and what each government is
doing in response to increased lawlessness in the area.
Representatives requested USG assistance in creating economic
opportunities and building the capacity of law enforcement
and the state assemblies. Ambassador informed the officials
that a team from the U.S. Mission would engage with their
respective governments to develop a way forward. END SUMMARY.

SECURITY
--------------

2. (C) During a July 24 roundtable discussion concerning the
Niger Delta, Ambassador and Under Secretary Jeffery heard
from Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva, Bayelsa
Commissioner for Employment Maxwell Oko and the Chief of
Staff-equivalent to the Governor of Rivers State Magnus Abe
on the challenges facing their states. Sylva asserted that
press reports greatly exaggerated the situation and that it
was "not complicated at all," adding that as long as U.S.
travel advisories kept American citizens out of the region,
we would never truly understand it. Abe said that pulling
back from the region would not help the situation, but rather
make it worse. When Ambassador pointed out that an Amcit had
been kidnapped only one month prior, Sylva agreed that was a
"breach," but contended the incident was "a mistake," and not
that serious because the Amcit was released almost
immediately. Ambassador noted the responsibility the USG has
for the safety of our citizens, and for keeping them informed
about security issues. Both Sylva and Abe acknowledged that
they must find a way to convince investors their safety is
guaranteed if investment is to increase.


3. (C) Sylva and Abe claimed that the historic origins of the
conflicts in Bayelsa and Rivers States were markedly
different, even if their current circumstances appeared
similar. While Sylva said ethnic tension was the original
root cause of the violence in Bayelsa State, Abe contrasted
that situation with militants operating in Rivers State, who
were not ideologues, but criminals who simply took advantage
of the lawlessness in the region. Both Sylva and Abe agreed
that increased economic opportunities for young people and
capacity building within law enforcement were keys to
resolving the security concerns. Additionally, Sylva
described efforts in Bayelsa State to convince some militant
commanders to demobilize, and inquired about possible USG
assistance, e.g. advice on weapons disposal, though they
noted that the federal government very much had the lead on
law enforcement and weapons control aspects of the problem.
Ambassador noted that the Mission had previously offered such
assistance and was awaiting responses from the GON.


4. (C) When Ambassador inquired how Rivers State, which,
like all Nigerian States lacks its own law enforcement
agency, would fight criminality, Abe replied that although
both law enforcement and the military were ultimately the
federal government's responsibility, Rivers State government
bought new equipment for the police assigned to the state and
paid them extra allowances (in addition to their police
salary) to keep them motivated. Sylva added that since
states cannot tell the police what to do, it is the federal
government's responsibility to enforce peace.

OIL BUNKERING AND RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION
--------------

5. (C) Sylva claimed oil theft (known as "bunkering") did not
occur often within Bayelsa State, but rather along its
borders with Rivers and Delta States, and the state
government had made great efforts to stop it. He claimed
that the domestic bunkering of (home brewed) refined
petroleum products (as opposed to crude oil) occurred due to
inefficiencies in the domestic fuel delivery system.
According to Sylva, product does not reach the rural people
because the terrain makes it financially difficult for the
Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) to deliver

ABUJA 00001600 002 OF 003


fuel to filling stations in certain areas. Abe stressed the
importance of resource distribution, maintaining that the
system of oil revenues and other payments going to the
federal government (despite large sums being returned to the
Delta) caused "deep disaffection" among the communities of
the Delta. As an example, Abe complained that the pollution
tax paid by corporations went to the federal government, not
the states or villages where the pollution actually occurred.

BAYELSA STATE PLAN
--------------

6. (C) Sylva described the criminal elements in Bayelsa State
as "clever" for building their own camps within existing
communities (and in one case inside the grounds of a school),
making it difficult for the Joint Task Force (JTF) or police
to get to them without harming civilians. Sylva added that
neither the JTF nor the police were equipped to handle such
situations and that special training was needed. Since the
military and law enforcement had been unable to achieve any
success, Sylva said his government came up with a new plan
called the Triple E: engagement, empowerment, and education.
Sylva explained how his engagement with the militant leader
Joshua Mac'Iver led to a peace agreement and the
demobilization of his camp. Sylva said he is working on
similar arrangements with other camps, including one led by
Victor Ebikabowei.


7. (C) To empower the young members of the camps after they
laid down their arms, Sylva said that Bayelsa State
instituted a "social welfare" program where a stipend is paid
to the camp members to assist with their rehabilitation. To
further empower the youths of his state, Sylva said that 34
billion naira ($290 million) Bayelsa State received from the
excess crude account was being appropriated to build three
state-of-the-art secondary schools, accommodating 1500
students each, to realign with the UN's Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). Sylva noted the current "success
rate" (presumably job placement and university enrollment
rate) for students coming out of secondary school was only
13%, while the other 87% were not qualified to go to
university or to apply for most jobs. To assist with the
rehabilitation of the demobilized youths, Sylva highlighted
his state's partnership with UNDP in creating the Local
Content Institute which would provide skills training for oil
industry jobs. Sylva noted the importance of skills
acquisition training for the youths from the camps, whom he
described as the "bottom of the food chain" and not currently
worthy of holding a job.

RIVERS STATE PLAN
--------------

8. (C) Abe commented that as long as the reward for
criminality is greater than the consequences, the lawlessness
would continue. He added that long term punishment would
help, but only providing alternatives ultimately would stop
youths from joining criminal camps. Although slightly
different from Bayelsa's Triple E plan, Rivers State is also
implementing a three-prong approach: revival of a sense of
community spirit, rehabilitation, and reconciliation. Abe
described the creation of community watch programs where
2,000 citizens were trained to spot criminal behavior. In an
effort to reach youths before recruitment, Rivers State will
choose 100 secondary school students to be sent to the best
schools in Nigeria. Abe also said that the state is offering
6 billion naira ($51 million) in scholarships to send 300
students to university in the UK. According to Abe, the
state also created a Rehabilitation Committee, chaired by a
former Director of the State Security Service, to design and
implement rehabilitation projects. Abe said reaching out to
those not involved in the community and rehabilitating youths
would lead to reconciliation. (NOTE: Abe did not elaborate
on how exactly his program would reconcile local-level
conflict over scarce resources. END NOTE.)

REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE
--------------

9. (C) Sylva said the USG could help with these plans by
providing "the equipment, training, and teachers ) not the
money." Both Sylva and Abe concurred on the need for law

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enforcement capacity building and the creation of economic
opportunities. In response to Ambassador's concern over
transparency, Sylva replied that his state recently created
the Bayelsa Expenditure & Income Transparency Initiative and
began posting state government budgets on the state website.
(COMMENT: The Bayelsa State website is www.bayelsa.gov.ng;
however, no links are provided to the initiative and no
budget information could be found in our scan of the site.
END COMMENT.) According to Sylva, Bayelsa also started a Due
Process and Good Governance Unit that discovered most
projects were overpriced, which has helped the state
government save money. Abe added that Rivers State had
promised 100% budget implementation and has begun to follow
through. USAID Mission Director highlighted the ongoing
efforts by the USG in both Bayelsa and Rivers States and
inquired as to how USAID could further help. Both Sylva and
Abe highlighted a need for capacity building within the state
assemblies, specifically in the areas of transparency and
fiscal responsibility.

A WAY FORWARD
--------------

10. (C) The Ambassador informed both Sylva and Abe that the
U.S. Mission would develop an operational strategy for each
state and meet with their respective executive offices to
discuss areas for cooperation. Due to the expense and
difficulty in traveling to the Delta, Ambassador inquired
about meeting in Lagos or again in Abuja. Noting that one
cannot administer aid effectively from the outside, Sylva
agreed to meet in Lagos or Abuja if discussions also included
plans for a future visit to Bayelsa State. Abe, however,
reiterated his state government's policy that those
interested in doing work in Rivers State must come to Rivers
State.


11. (U) This cable was cleared by Under Secretary Jeffery's
staff.
PIASCIK