NIGERIA: STATE SECRETARY EXPLAINS RIVERS STATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000446 SIPDIS DOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS DOC FOR 3130/USFC/OIO/ANESA/DHARRIS STATE PASS USTR FOR USTR AGAMA STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND MSTUCKART STATE PASS TDA FOR LFITT, PMARIN STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ECON KCOR NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: STATE SECRETARY EXPLAINS RIVERS STATE STRATEGY FOR FIGHTING MILITANCY 1.(SBU) Summary: In an October 24 conversation with PolOffs, Secretary to the State Government for Rivers State, Magnus Abe, said Governor Rotimi Amaechi believes that the lack of security in Rivers State is strangling the State's economy. In consequence, Amaechi has strengthened security forces and refuses to negotiate with "criminals." Amaechi's goal is to establish security, enabling the State to start delivering services and restore business confidence. Amaechi has invested in better equipment for security forces, has made education a top priority, has connected rural communities to the power generation grid, and has plans to improve health care. Despite Amechi's efforts, Rivers State remains insecure. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On October 24 Secretary to the State Government for Rivers State, Magnus Abe, told PolOffs that Governor Rotimi Amaechi believed that the security situation in Rivers State at the time he took office more than one year ago was strangling the state. According to Abe, so-called "militants" controlled large areas of Rivers State and the government could not provide either security or basic social services to the inhabitants. As a result, no development was taking place. Abe argued that militants, regardless of their origins, were increasingly economically motivated and effectively "exploiting the total incapacity of the security forces" to enrich themselves. Abe pointed out that crime drives legitimate business out and produces unemployment and poverty which in turn increases crime. In view of this situation, Amaechi decided that the vicious cycle had to be broken. The policy of negotiating and "settling" with militants, according to Abe, simply allows them to retain control over large territories from which they launch attacks against businesses and persons in areas still under government control. While the criminal leaders grow rich, the State gets poorer. Amaechi Invests in Security Equipment -------------- ¶3. (SBU) According to Abe, Rivers Governor Amaechi decided that instead of paying off the so-called militants he was going "to enforce the law." Amaechi has increased the capabilities of security forces operating in Rivers State by buying armored personnel carriers and modern communications equipment as well as investing in unmanned surveillance balloons, setting up cameras in public places and establishing a control room to deal with reported incidents. Asked about amnesty for militants, Abe argued that "a blanket amnesty is not fair to the victims." Abe stressed that "entire villages have ceased to exist." Thus as a result of the activities of the militants, legitimate businesses have been driven out of Rivers State, unemployment has become widespread, and people have been held hostage, terrorized, humiliated and even killed. "There has to be some form of accountability," according to Abe. ¶4. (SBU) Abe denied that any of the persons attacked or killed by the military Joint Task Force (JTF) in its operations against militants are "truly innocent." Abe insisted that the JTF only attacks in areas controlled by the militants. (Note: PolOffs have heard from other reliable sources that the JTF attacks the home villages, often located far away from the militant camps, of persons known to participate in militant activities. End Note.) Abe said there had been instances where the JTF knew of the location of hostages, but refrained from rescue attempts in order to ensure that no innocent people were harmed. Abe admitted that many militant camps had a "community character," with some non-combatants, possibly including women, in them, but he insisted that these non-combatants were dealing with militants and knew what they were doing and who they were dealing with. Amaechi Addressing Education, Health Care, Electricity LAGOS 00000446 002 OF 002 -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Abe claims that Amaechi recognizes that much of the violence in the Niger Delta is an expression of the frustration felt by young people with no options. This is why Amaechi continues to advocate the payment of 50 per cent of oil and gas revenues (derivation) to the oil-producing Niger Delta States, rather than the current 13 per cent. On the other hand, Abe pointed out, when Amaechi and he were growing up in Rivers State, it did not have any oil revenues and development was never a matter of "distributing the wealth." Abe argued that the State seriously neglected education in the past and is working to address the situation. He stressed that education is now one of the Amaechi government's top priorities and that Rivers State is building 250 primary schools. In addition the State has reportedly invested 15 billion naira (roughly 125 million USD) in the electric power system to ensure that all rural communities will be connected to the grid by the end of 2009. The State is also building 150 health centers and trying to recruit medical personnel; the emphasis, according to Abe, will be on preventive medicine. Asked about potable water, Abe admitted that providing potable water to all residents of Rivers State would cost USD one billion, which he implied was beyond the means of the State government. (Comment: Governance Watch reports that the May 2007 to June 2008 revenue allocation to Rivers Government amounted to over 234 billion naira (USD 2 billion). End Comment.) EFCC Retaliates Against Amaechi -------------- ¶6. In the week prior to his visit to the Consulate, Abe was briefly detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) along with Amaechi's Chief of Staff, Chief Nyesom Wike, for allegedly embezzling five million naira in State funds. Abe told us that the charges against Wike are completely spurious and nothing more than a means of retaliating against Amaechi for claiming that he had been offered bribes by the EFCC. (Note: Post has no further information to support either the EFCC or Amaechi's claims. End Note.) Amaechi Funds Nonviolence Training -------------- ¶7. (SBU) According to the National Chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN),Allen Onyema, the Rivers State government has contracted FEHN to provide non-violence training for at least 150 militant youths from Rivers State starting in December. The program would include vocational training at State expense as well. ¶8. (SBU) Comment: While Abe's claims of development and improved security appear positive on the surface, there are continuing reports of insecurity and Post will maintain its travel warning for the area. ¶8. (U) This cable has been cleared by Embassy Abuja. BLAIR