NIGERIA: AKWA-IBOM GOV APPLAUDS JTF ACTION IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001099 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA BAGHDAD FOR DMCCULLOUGH E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: AKWA-IBOM GOV APPLAUDS JTF ACTION IN DELTA, DEFENDS DEATH PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPING Classified By: Political Counselor Walter N.S. Pflaumer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: During a June 10 courtesy call on the DCM, Akwa-Ibom Governor Godswill Akpabio expressed his full support for the offensive of the Joint Task Force (JTF) against "militants" in the Niger Delta, discussed the resettlement of persons from the Bakassi Peninsula, his recent institution of the death penalty for those involved in kidnapping, and described his efforts to develop his state through road construction and education projects. We have not seen evidence that supports the Governor's claims. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On Wednesday June 10, Governor Akpabio paid a courtesy call on the DCM after applying for a visa. The Governor expressed his full support for JTF's offensive against the groups in the Niger Delta who call themselves "militants." "There is not a single militant camp in my state" he insisted, though he acknowledged that there were occasional "infiltrations" of militants, which had spurred him to create what he described as a mini-JTF. He told the DCM and Poloff that he had met with President Yar'Adua days before and told him "Don't stop... until you're finished" and had encouraged him to "wipe out" all the militant camps. In response to the DCM's stated concern for innocent civilians caught in the way, Akpabio explained that, in his view, the people in the Delta saw, or at least should have seen, the JTF offensive coming, with all the offers for amnesty and warnings that a military campaign would follow if the amnesty was not accepted. According to Akpabio, some of the so-called "innocent" civilians have profited from the criminal activity, if not actively participated in it. He further noted that many of the women and children were family of the militants and perhaps not totally innocent bystanders. "If we don't make sacrifices, we can't cleanse society" he averred, and in his estimation, a unique window of opportunity currently existed to confront and resolve the Delta situation once and for all. ¶3. (C) Akpabio stressed the need to develop the Delta and end what he termed the "economic sabotage". He claimed to have spent 81 billion naira (approx. $547 million) of federal funds on road construction, but lamented the fact that �A;building roads in the region was, in his estimation, ten to sometimes a hundred times more expensive than building roads in the north, because of challenges posed by the often swampy terrain, which necessitated the driving of pilings to support the roadbed, as well as the additional security costs associated as a result of the militants. Nevertheless, he said that crews from the Julius Berger Construction company were currently working on road projects in the state. Akpabio also expressed concern about what he termed the Chinese "incursion" into the oil sector. The Governor further claimed to have connected over 400 communities in his state to the national power grid. "I will be judged on what I built in the state, not how I fought militants" Akpabio offered. ¶4. (C) The Governor discussed his focus on increasing educational opportunities as a means of reducing the attraction to young people to join the militants, highlighting his elimination of all school fees for primary through secondary school. Akwa-Ibom now has free, compulsory education through high school, he noted. He claimed that he would occasionally get texts from militants who had gotten his cell number and would reply to them offering to send them abroad to study if they would lay down their weapons. He solicited USG assistance in the field of education. ¶5. (C) Akpabio takes a decidedly hard-line against the activities of the militants (whom he clearly saw as primarily criminals) and kidnapping, realizing that both adversely affect foreign direct investment in, and hence the development of, his state, though he pointed out that the recent spate of abductions in Akwa-Ibom had not involved expatriates but Nigerians. Nevertheless, he insisted that he takes the matter seriously, as evidenced by his recent ABUJA 00001099 002 OF 002 signing into law of a bill from the State House of Assembly mandating the death penalty for anyone involved in kidnapping. He commented "You may not like it, but I won't have any mercy for those involved in kidnapping." ¶6. (C) Poloff asked about criticisms of the Nigerian federal government's support for resettling internally displaced persons from the Bakassi Peninsula (Note: formally returned to Cameroon last October. End note),particularly given published reports that 80% of the Bakassi population who sought resettlement inside Nigeria were actually indigenes of Akwa-Ibom and not Cross River State, which got all the resettlement money. Akpabio responded "That's what you get when you are closer to the President", an apparent reference to Cross River Governor Liyel Imoke. Akpabio acknowledged that a majority of those affected were his kinsmen and contended that Bakassi had actually been "administered" from Eket local government authority (LGA) in Akwa-Ibom State "for a hundred years" prior to Cross River's latter-day jurisdiction over Bakassi. (Note: Bakassi LGA was created and attached to Cross River State in 1997, three years after Cameroon took the sovereignty issue to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Akwa-Ibom and Cross River were the same state until 1987, when Akwa-Ibom was created out of the old Cross River State. End note.) Akpabio pledged to assist displaced persons from Bakassi with or without federal government assistance. ¶7. (C) COMMENT: Although the Governor's support for the JTF campaign in the Delta was not surprising, his unrepentant lack of sympathy for the plight of civilians was striking. In recent trips to and through Akwa Ibom, we have not seen evidence of the improvements Akpabio says he has made: roads there are among the worst we have seen, and while he may have eliminated school fees, that seems only fair since school buildings have no roofs, no chairs, no books, and no teachers. ExxonMobil disputes his statement about there being no militant camps in Akwa Ibom, and alleges the existence of some opposite the Bakassi Peninsula. End Comment. ¶8. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos. SANDERS