Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ABUJA1633
2009-09-02 16:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abuja
Cable title:
NIGERIA: OIL-GAS UNIONS AND EXXONMOBIL WEIGH IN ON
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001633
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: OIL-GAS UNIONS AND EXXONMOBIL WEIGH IN ON
AMNESTY
Classified By: Political Counselor James McAnulty for reasons 1.4. (b &
d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001633
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: OIL-GAS UNIONS AND EXXONMOBIL WEIGH IN ON
AMNESTY
Classified By: Political Counselor James McAnulty for reasons 1.4. (b &
d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: LabOff and Lagos EconOff met with ExxonMobil
and Nigeria's oil and gas unions on August 26 in Lagos to
hear their perspectives on President Yar'Adua's amnesty
initiative. The unions and ExxonMobil agreed that amnesty is
a good idea, but questioned the sincerity of both the GON and
the militants. END SUMMARY.
--------------
EXXONMOBIL
--------------
2. (C) ExxonMobil Nigerian representative Udom Inoyo, a
resident of Akwa Ibom state, told LabOff and EconOff that
amnesty is not going well at all. He suggested that "the
percentage of arms being laid down, in comparison to the
percentage of actual arms, is highly questionable" and added
that he was not convinced that the GON even knows its own
next steps. Inoyo offered that should the amnesty initiative
not work, the GON will not be interested in another round of
talks. He asserted that the Akwa Ibom governor and many
other southern leaders viewed GON,s quashing of Boko Haram
in the north as an intentional demonstration of GON power to
crush any uprising that challenges its interests.
--------------
OIL AND GAS UNIONS
--------------
3. (C) Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of
Nigeria (PENGASSAN) President Babatunde Ogun stated that
amnesty is a good idea, but saw no sign of any long-term
development component, which Ogun described as "critical" to
any solution in the Niger Delta conflict. Nigeria's National
Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) President
Peter Akpatassan claimed ample evidence existed that
militants are handing over old weapons. He perceived no
evidence yet of a more sustainable development component to
amnesty, the absence of which, he concluded, would leave only
one option -- maintaining the status quo. "Unless the
government wants to shut down oil production for two years,"
he said, "a large-scale Niger Delta war is also not an
option." Akpatassan added that corrupt political and
economic interests involved in oil bunkering among both
militants and politicians is too vast to ignore or overcome.
4. (C) Two of Nigeria's largest umbrella union consortiums,
Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC)
described the amnesty initiative as "putting the cart before
the horse." Both said that a Niger Delta solution cannot be
just about a military solution, but rather a political and
economic one. They observed that unless the root cause of
the problem -- corruption -- is addressed, there will be no
hope for moving forward. NLC Director for Lagos Denja Yakub
cited the case of former Delta governor James Ibori as a
perfect example. Yakub claimed that Ibori is a principal
beneficiary of bunkering, using militants in the last three
elections to intimidate voters and rig elections. "Everyone
is connected in some way," claimed Yakub.
5. (C) COMMENT: Hundreds of PENGASSAN and NUPENG members
work, travel through, or live in the Niger Delta, and their
leaders do not seem to see any change or potential change for
the volatile region as a result of amnesty. END COMMENT.
6. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos.
MCCULLOUGH
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: OIL-GAS UNIONS AND EXXONMOBIL WEIGH IN ON
AMNESTY
Classified By: Political Counselor James McAnulty for reasons 1.4. (b &
d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: LabOff and Lagos EconOff met with ExxonMobil
and Nigeria's oil and gas unions on August 26 in Lagos to
hear their perspectives on President Yar'Adua's amnesty
initiative. The unions and ExxonMobil agreed that amnesty is
a good idea, but questioned the sincerity of both the GON and
the militants. END SUMMARY.
--------------
EXXONMOBIL
--------------
2. (C) ExxonMobil Nigerian representative Udom Inoyo, a
resident of Akwa Ibom state, told LabOff and EconOff that
amnesty is not going well at all. He suggested that "the
percentage of arms being laid down, in comparison to the
percentage of actual arms, is highly questionable" and added
that he was not convinced that the GON even knows its own
next steps. Inoyo offered that should the amnesty initiative
not work, the GON will not be interested in another round of
talks. He asserted that the Akwa Ibom governor and many
other southern leaders viewed GON,s quashing of Boko Haram
in the north as an intentional demonstration of GON power to
crush any uprising that challenges its interests.
--------------
OIL AND GAS UNIONS
--------------
3. (C) Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of
Nigeria (PENGASSAN) President Babatunde Ogun stated that
amnesty is a good idea, but saw no sign of any long-term
development component, which Ogun described as "critical" to
any solution in the Niger Delta conflict. Nigeria's National
Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) President
Peter Akpatassan claimed ample evidence existed that
militants are handing over old weapons. He perceived no
evidence yet of a more sustainable development component to
amnesty, the absence of which, he concluded, would leave only
one option -- maintaining the status quo. "Unless the
government wants to shut down oil production for two years,"
he said, "a large-scale Niger Delta war is also not an
option." Akpatassan added that corrupt political and
economic interests involved in oil bunkering among both
militants and politicians is too vast to ignore or overcome.
4. (C) Two of Nigeria's largest umbrella union consortiums,
Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC)
described the amnesty initiative as "putting the cart before
the horse." Both said that a Niger Delta solution cannot be
just about a military solution, but rather a political and
economic one. They observed that unless the root cause of
the problem -- corruption -- is addressed, there will be no
hope for moving forward. NLC Director for Lagos Denja Yakub
cited the case of former Delta governor James Ibori as a
perfect example. Yakub claimed that Ibori is a principal
beneficiary of bunkering, using militants in the last three
elections to intimidate voters and rig elections. "Everyone
is connected in some way," claimed Yakub.
5. (C) COMMENT: Hundreds of PENGASSAN and NUPENG members
work, travel through, or live in the Niger Delta, and their
leaders do not seem to see any change or potential change for
the volatile region as a result of amnesty. END COMMENT.
6. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos.
MCCULLOUGH