Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LAGOS61
2008-02-14 13:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Lagos
Cable title:  

NIGERIA: CG'S ROAD TRIP: A TOUR D'HORIZON OF CROSS

Tags:  EAGR ETRD PGOV PHUM CASC SOCI NI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8192
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHOS #0061/01 0451340
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 141340Z FEB 08
FM AMCONSUL LAGOS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9753
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 9485
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 LAGOS 000061 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W
TREASURY FOR DPETERS, RHALL, RABDULRAZAK
ENERGY FOR PERSON, GAY
COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS
STATE PASS USTR FOR LISER, AGAMA
STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR KSAMPLE
STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN, MSTUCKART, JEDWARDS
STATE PASS TDA FOR EEBONG, DSHUSTER
STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER
STATE PASS USAID FOR NFREEMAN, GBERTOLIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 20 YEARS
TAGS: EAGR ETRD PGOV PHUM CASC SOCI NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: CG'S ROAD TRIP: A TOUR D'HORIZON OF CROSS
RIVER STATE

REF: REF LAGOS 711

Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL DONNA BLAIR FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 LAGOS 000061

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W
TREASURY FOR DPETERS, RHALL, RABDULRAZAK
ENERGY FOR PERSON, GAY
COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS
STATE PASS USTR FOR LISER, AGAMA
STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR KSAMPLE
STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN, MSTUCKART, JEDWARDS
STATE PASS TDA FOR EEBONG, DSHUSTER
STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER
STATE PASS USAID FOR NFREEMAN, GBERTOLIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 20 YEARS
TAGS: EAGR ETRD PGOV PHUM CASC SOCI NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: CG'S ROAD TRIP: A TOUR D'HORIZON OF CROSS
RIVER STATE

REF: REF LAGOS 711

Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL DONNA BLAIR FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (U) Summary: Consul General Donna Blair heard Cross River
State PDP Governor Imoke's vision for the ethnically-diverse
state and his criticisms of the Niger Delta Development
Commission (NDDC) and the federal government as ineffective
in assisting further development. A customs official told
Consul General Blair he was just enforcing the law, despite
the law's crippling impact on the Tinapa Free Trade Zone.
Girls' Power Initiative and the Zero Corruption Coalition are
combating trafficking in persons and corruption in the state.
End Summary.

--------------
Governor's Focus on Economy and Security
--------------


2. (U) Governor Liyel Imoke told the Consul General that he
is strongly focused on the security and economic development
of Cross River State. The success of all agricultural and
tourism projects depends on the government's ability to
provide a stable atmosphere, he said. Cross River State has
made great strides in reducing its unemployment rate as a
preventative measure, a fact he attributed in part to a local
cement factory employing a large number of youths. In terms
of economic development, he stated that other governments
don't pay as much attention to it as they should and as a
result experience more troubles. The key to laying a good
foundation for business and for the overall strengthening of
the business environment is to ensure the safety of investors
and of employees, Imoke reiterated.

--------------
"Unfocused" NDDC a Barrier to Development

--------------


3. (C) Regarding the Niger Delta Development Commission
(NDDC),Imoke stated firmly "they are not the government,"
but they act like it anyway. Their unfocused plan, and their
competition with state governments on government-initiated
projects, distract from the larger purpose, in his opinion.
For example, the NDDC had wanted to renovate some schools and
health clinics that are government-owned, rather than
identify innovative regional projects they could fund.
Service provision to Cross River citizens begins with the
basics such as developing accurate birth and death rate
statistics, the Governor stated. He is trying to implement a
welfare system to provide N5,000 a month (approximately $43
at current exchange rates) to those who could use it, but
"it's hard to implement if you don't know how old someone is
or how many people live in your state," the Governor said.
He also told the Consul General that he is prioritizing HIV
prevalence reduction due to the huge impact the disease has
on the welfare of any population. He stated that the
government procurement process, for example, requires
well-trained individuals in order to function efficiently,
and the state can't afford to lose these. In order to help
provide more educated citizens for the country, the state has
set aside funds for scholarships to enable students to study
abroad, including to institutions in Eastern Europe which are
more affordable than the U.S. or the U.K., Imoke told the
Consul General.

Tinapa Foiled by Federal Government
--------------


4. (U) The Tinapa free trade zone is of key importance to the
state, Imoke stated, and sketched his vision for a planned
city near the site with an international school, amusement
park and other amenities to attract more oil company and
other industry executives. Several companies have relocated
from the heart of the Delta to Calabar, in part due to its

LAGOS 00000061 002 OF 004


better security, he said. Customs, however, had shut down
the Tinapa site; it is unclear whether the federal or state
government has true authority over it. Although the state
government initiated the project, the state needs to work out
how it will meet federal requirements, which Imoke hopes will
be adjusted to facilitate the zone's development. He stated
the federal government will gain more than the state
government from the site, ultimately, and the federal
government's lack of a coherent and clear policy on free
trade zones is hampering any gains. He did state they had a
list of tenants ready to do business, but who are afraid to
invest until the issues surrounding Tinapa have been
resolved.

Agriculture: Commissioners Must Farm
--------------


5. (U) In order to further develop the state, the governor
requires office holders to engage in farming on 10 hectare
plots set aside for the purpose. He also foresees this as a
sort of pension for these officials; terms are approximately
three to four years, which is how long most farms take to
become economically viable. After their time in office is
over, office holders will have a source of income other than
another political job.

Resettlement Site Established for Bakassi Residents
-------------- --------------


6. (U) Finally, Imoke told the Consul General about the
settlement site for people who will be displaced by the
handover to Cameroon of the Bakassi peninsula in August. He
admitted the difficulty the people will have in relocating,
but is supportive of the Green Tree Agreement.


7. (C) (Comment: Although the Governor made an impressive
presentation to the Consul General, in his previous positions
he has been accused of incompetence. Under former president
Obasanjo, Imoke was the Minister of Power and Steel, and
oversaw the signing of the Power Sector Reform Bill (preceded
by NEPA's unbundling). From the country's reliance on
generators for power, it is evident that his five-year term
left much to be desired. End Comment)

--------------
Customs' Perspective on Tinapa
--------------


8. (SBU) During a fortuitously-seated plane ride back to
Lagos from Calabar, the Consul General and PolOff sat next to
the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) Deputy Comptroller of
Customs for Cross River State, Augustine Nwosu. As the
officer in charge of the Tinapa project, he described for
PolOff and the Consul General the conflicts that have arisen
between businesses, the state government, the customs service
and the local population around Tinapa. He also described
shifts he has seen in the Customs Service during his
twenty-four years of service and where he saw the need for
modernization.


9. (C) Nwosu framed the conflict over Tinapa between the
state government and the NCS as a question of adherence to
law. He cited a section of Nigeria's import law that
prohibits the duty free imports that are supposed to exist
in the Tinapa zone. Because the law renders such purchases
illegal, Tinapa has had to be shut down until the issue was
resolved. The law, he admitted, is poorly understood even by
those in the government; Customs' role, he stated, is, as a
result, scapegoated for its role in enforcing the flawed
legislation.


10. (C) The NCS is required to seize and destroy all illegal
imports; Nwosu described burning a seized textile shipment
several months ago. This created a lot of anger among the

LAGOS 00000061 003 OF 004


people, who attacked the customs officers during the burn.
Privately, Nwosu agreed that this was a difficult mandate to
adhere to, but said it is important for the local industries
to grow, however painfully, even if the public is resistant
or does not understand. During his employment, he has seen a
slight increase in the use of technology but not enough to
make import processing any faster. On a recent work visit to
Dubai, he and his team watched a container ship be offloaded
in four hours, he marveled; the same size project would have
taken his team approximately one week, because his offloading
capacity is not automated. Nwosu also said that the 100
percent inspection policy, rather than a targeted inspection
policy, is also responsible for the slow processing.

-------------- --------------
Girls' Power Initiative Makes Girls Change Agents
-------------- --------------


11. (U) In a meeting with the Consul General, the Assistant
Director of the Calabar Girls' Power Initiative (GPI) office
Helen Chidi shared success stories of the group in empowering
girls to make good choices for their lives and in developing
their leadership skills. Through regular group sessions with
local girls, counseling sessions with family members, public
education and outreach through TV shows and other media, GPI
works to make girls and women less susceptible to traffickers
and to other abuses. (Note: Most unusual at this meeting was
the attendance of all members of the GPI staff, including
security guards and drivers, who were all encouraged to
contribute thoughts. This is a rare example of a group that
practices what it preaches about addressing all of society
and all of its members. End note.)


12. (U) GPI reported to the Consul General that the regular
December surge in trafficking in persons had again occurred
in 2007, and that Immigration officers, though aware of the
transport trucks that come to take away the victims, were
unable to intercept them. Immigration officials, GPI, the
police and other NGOs and service providers are members of a
Cross River coalition on trafficking in persons; this
coordination has helped victims who are referred to NGOs or
are taken back to their families when rescued. The group
identified Yakurr and Buki towns (Buki is close to the
Camerooon border) as the two key hot spots for trafficking
within the state. There have been no prosecutions of
traffickers in Cross River State.


13. (U) When asked by the Consul General about their
interactions with the community, GPI admitted they have met
resistance by "misinformed" people in conducting their
outreach and in holding their sessions with community girls,
including members of the community trying to shame the
attendees by calling them lesbians. Parents sometimes resist
their daughter's participation in their educational sessions
as well, but parent-child sessions and forums have proven a
useful venue for addressing these concerns. Even when the
girls have been forbidden from participating, GPI stated,
they find ways of remaining in touch or of joining the
program later on. Their efforts, Chidi admitted, are a slow
start to changing the culture that doubly disempowers females
and children, but they have success stories to share as well.



14. (U) (Note: The NGO Girls' Power Initiative was founded in
1993, and focuses on the education, leadership and other life
mananagement skills and reproductive rights of adolescent
girls aged 10-18. The Benin City office has worked with the
Consulate on trafficking grants and efforts in the past. End
Note.)

-------------- --------------
Zero Corruption Coalition Places Hope on Judiciary
-------------- --------------


LAGOS 00000061 004 OF 004



15. (C) Dr. Edet Ikpi, Director of the Zero Corruption
Coalition, told the CG that militancy in the Niger Delta is a
direct result of deprivation and corruption in the region,
and that the NDDC Master Plan is fraught with fundamental
weaknesses. Though there is no current mechanism in place to
assess performance either of companies, corporations or state
governments, his feeling is that the frequency of corruption
increases with the number of state projects. Dr. Ikpi
provided two examples, a three kilometer section of road that
cost N300 million, and a large transformer given to an NDDC
official under suspicious circumstances, of this dynamic at
play. The lack of education and exposure in the region has
reduced people's will to combat the corruption, he said.


16. (C) Dr. Ikpi and his two colleagues, all three doctors,
commended NAFDAC for the work it was doing and said the
agency has instilled fear in those who wish to circumvent its
processes. However, they feel these are not yet
institutionalized abilities; should the Director depart,
there is no guarantee of its further high performance. They
expressed a lot of hope in Yar'Adua as the first Nigerian
leader to hold a university degree, and commended his efforts
to remove the immunity clause for office holders; however,
they were not optimistic about others in the federal
government. They commended the EFCC as well for its efforts,
but are supportive of an amendment to its Act to bolster its
independence. They also commended the judiciary, overall, as
the last respite of hope for the Nigerian people, and think
it is supported by Yar' Adua's rule of law policy.


17. (C) Dr. Ikpi creatively suggested international
intervention or a U.N. summit to deal with the problems of
the Niger Delta, given its importance to the region and
Nigeria's importance to the world. The Consul General
responded that the United States is partnering with Nigeria
and support its efforts in several key arenas such as
corruption.

--------------
Educational Outreach Touches Hundreds
--------------


18. (U) Consulate Lagos' Educational Advisor Margaret Anyigbo
spoke to three hundred students about studying in the United
States at the American Corner in Calabar, while Consul
General Blair met with the American Corner Director and
toured the facility. The Corner is located in a
well-maintained building that acts as a community center, on
a landscaped compound. The Consul General also delivered two
computers to the Holy Child Secondary School in Calabar as
part of the Adopt-a-School program. Previous visits to the
school by the Consulate were warmly remembered by the Sisters.


This message has been cleared by Embassy Abuja.
BLAIR