Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LAGOS29
2008-02-04 11:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Lagos
Cable title:  

NIGER DELTANS PREDICT MORE OF THE SAME IN 2008

Tags:  PGOV PREL SENV NI 
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VZCZCXRO8758
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHOS #0029/01 0351144
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 041144Z FEB 08
FM AMCONSUL LAGOS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9699
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 9436
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 0170
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH AFB UK
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LAGOS 000029 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, DS/IP/AF, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/OSAC
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: 02/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL SENV NI
SUBJECT: NIGER DELTANS PREDICT MORE OF THE SAME IN 2008

REF: A. ABUJA 23

B. LAGOS 11

Classified By: Ambassador Robin R. Sanders for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LAGOS 000029

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, DS/IP/AF, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/OSAC
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: 02/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL SENV NI
SUBJECT: NIGER DELTANS PREDICT MORE OF THE SAME IN 2008

REF: A. ABUJA 23

B. LAGOS 11

Classified By: Ambassador Robin R. Sanders for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Summary: Niger Delta ethnic leaders, government
officials and civil society members told visiting African
Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) Todd Moss and the
Ambassador that they remain hopeful that a permanent peace
can be negotiated, but feel manipulated by the greed and
hypocrisy of federal officials. The Government of Nigeria
(GON) has little interest in attaining peace, despite Vice
President Goodluck Jonathan's assumption of the role of chief
negotiator. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)
has been ineffective in developing the region. These
contacts said selective enforcement and weak penalties by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are scant
deterrent to corruption. End Summary.


2. (SBU) During a dinner in Lagos on January 27, DAS Todd
Moss and the Ambassador met with a group of Niger Delta
representatives including former Delta State Senator Temi
Harriman, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) President Chris Ekiyor,
Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP)
President Ledum Mitee, Dimieari Von Kemedi Director of the
Bayelsa State eGovernance and Due Process office, Urhobo
scholar and NGO member Chief Imo Joe Otite, human rights
activist Patrick Naagbanton, Delta State Development Director
General Godwin Akpobire, and Bayo Olowoshile from the
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Sector Association of
Nigeria (PENGASSAN). Lagos Consul General and PolOff (note
taker) also attended.

-------------- -
Does GON Want to Solve the Niger Delta Crisis?
-------------- -


3. (C) Chris Ekiyor, President of the Ijaw Youth Council

(which is engaged in negotiations with the Federal Government
on behalf of Ijaw youth),said the Government of Nigeria
(GON) is only half-heartedly engaging militants who are fast
losing faith in the negotiation process. Ekiyor discussed
Vice President Goodluck Jonathan's role in the negotiation
process as proof that the GON has little interest in
attaining peace, largely because so many in power benefit
from gains ill-gotten in the Niger Delta. Jonathan becomes
"very emotional" when discussing the region and Ekiyor fears
any agreement ultimately reached will be discounted by others
as evidence of Jonathan's favoritism toward the region.
Similarly, if Jonathan fails to secure peace, those
benefiting from the Delta's turmoil will crow that peace in
the region is impossible, Ekiyor reasoned. (Note: Vice
President Goodluck Jonathan replaced Senator David Brigidi as
the GON's primary negotiator in early January after a
deterioration of the ceasefire in Port Harcourt, Rivers State
(Reftel). On January 19 Jonathan and Ijaw negotiators agreed
to break for two weeks to develop new positions for further
negotiations. An Ijaw contact told Poloff in a separate
conversation there is a "peace campaign" in the camps and
militants should have their position by January 30. End Note.)


4. (C) In talks with Jonathan in mid-January, Ekiyor
emphasized that Ijaws need to see honest government
commitment to the negotiation process through 1) the
unconditional release of all Niger Delta political prisoners;
2) more transparent/equitable spending on the Niger Delta; 3)
immediate job creation and development; 4) inclusion of Ijaw
youth in political affairs; and 5) the adoption of a
negotiation intermediary. The adoption of an intermediary is
important, Ekiyor commented, because there can be no
negotiation between unequal powers, and militant youth are

LAGOS 00000029 002 OF 003


not equal to the GON.


5. (C) Ledum Mitee, President of the Movement for the
survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP),agreed with Ekiyor that
GON officials do not want to improve the Niger Delta. Mitee
said he provided a Rivers State government official with a
suggested road map for peace in the state, which the official
later admitted to having lost. He also criticized the
structure of the military Joint Task Force (JTF) for allowing
too many rogue commanders in the creeks to determine their
own targets which have included militants, whole villages,
bunkering, and participating in oil bunkering. Militants and
the JTF sometimes collaborate on, sometimes battle over oil
bunkering and control of the creeks, he said.


6. (SBU) Ekiyor, with the interest of other participants,
inquired about AFRICOM. However, following the DAS's
explanation, our guests appeared to understand that AFRICOM
does not entail U.S. military action in Nigeria. Rather,
many repeated that it represents an internal organizational
restructuring; despite this, someone later joked the U.S.
Marines would surely invade the Niger Delta.

--------------
NDDC Not Effective in Developing the Delta
--------------


7. (SBU) Participants told DAS Moss that the Niger Delta
Development Commission (NDDC) is entirely controlled by the
Federal Government: NDDC leaders are appointed by the
president, the NDDC board of directors are all political
appointees, and the body's oversight committees fall under
the presidency. They stressed that NDDC is not designed to
fulfill its mandate. Despite having received billions of
naira since its inception in 2001 and the adoption in 2006 of
the NDDC Master Plan, the organization still appears to be
only at stage one of its development plan (Ref B),chided
Ledum Mitee.

--------------
Selective Enforcement, Weak Penalties Assure
Anti-Corruption Efforts Will Fail
--------------


8. (C) Nigeria is unlikely to improve over the next year
unless there are significant changes to the current electoral
system, according to Temi Harriman, former Senator of Delta
State. Electoral reforms and cosmetic makeovers do not
sufficiently address deep-rooted problems, like those
demonstrated by the flawed elections presided over by the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). While
Harriman praised the Supreme Court's rulings on the
elections, she commented they have been too few in number and
have not prevented election tribunals from doing "equity"
rather than "justice" in several states. She cited as an
example the court's substitution of Rotimi Amaechi as
Governor of Rivers State, despite his never having appeared
on the ballot. (Note: Harriman was a former PDP member and
switched to the Action Congress (AC) party with former VP
Atiku. End note.) In response to the Ambassador,s question
as to whether there would be violence if the Presidential
elections are overturned, Harriman said no, but all the
guests seemed to agree that new elections must be held for
the sake of legitimacy. However, the guests then disagreed
on whether the electoral law and current electoral framework
need to be adjusted or simply properly adhered to.


9. (C) Harriman judged the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) indictment of former Delta State Governor
James Ibori far too weak. He is charged with stealing naira
10 billion (USD 85 million),while everyone knows he stole

LAGOS 00000029 003 OF 003


upwards of naira 150 or 200 billion (USD 1.3-1.6 billion),
she said. If convicted, Ibori may only spend two years in
jail, an insufficient penalty to dissuade others from
siphoning off such large sums, Harriman reasoned. She also
accused the EFCC of selective prosecution which sends mixed
messages to sitting governors.


10. (C) Dimieari Von Kemedi, Head of the Bayelsa State Due
Process and eGovernance office, told the group his office is
working with Revenue Watch International to bring due process
to Bayelsa State. Ekiyor, Mitee and Chief Imo Joe Otite
(Chairman of the Delta State Management and Mitigation
Regional Council) discounted the need for due process,
claiming that it would not solve the problem of corruption.
Ekiyor questioned the value of due process if the individual
responsible for reviewing contracts can be bribed to stamp
his seal of approval?


11. (U) This cable was cleared by DAS Moss and Embassy Abuja.
BLAIR