NIGERIA: VANDALISM NOT MILITANCY PLAGUES THE NIGER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000190 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, AF/EX AND INR/AA STATE PASS FOR USAID/AFR/WA, AFR/SD, AND EGAT MOTT STATE PASS TO USTR-AGAMA GABARONE FOR PHIL DROUIN DOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS AND 3130/USFC/OIO/ANESA/DHARRIS TREASURY FOR PETERS AND HALL RHMFIUU/COMUSNAVEUR NAPLES IT RHPHOGB/COMUSNAVEUR NAPLES IT E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2018 TAGS: PGOV EPET SENV KCOR KCRM NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: VANDALISM NOT MILITANCY PLAGUES THE NIGER DELTA REF: LAGOS 14 Classified By: Consul General Donna Blair, Reasons 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Former militant Sheriff Mulade told PolOff on March 27 that the vast majority of the kidnappings in the Niger Deltat are committed by criminals while most oil-theft is conducted by non-violent means. As a result, closing the militant camps and offering amnesty and skills training to the youth would not end either illegal bunkering, attacks on oil installations or kidnapping. Mulade, who himself is a product of nonviolence training, argued that in place of disarmament and nonviolence training, communities and youth had to be convinced that their self-interest lay in ending oil theft and thus stopping environmental degradation. While Mulade is probably right that amnesty and skills training alone will not end the crisis, most of our interlocutors believe these would be necessary first steps. Nevertheless, Mulade's suggested "anti-corruption" training and public enlightenment campaigns to awaken communities to the negative environmental impacts of illegal bunkering might be an important part of a comprehensive plan to resolve the problems in the Niger Delta. End Summary. Oil Theft, Protection Money and Bogus Contracts -------------- -- ¶2. (C) Sheriff Mulade, a former Niger Delta militant who now heads Apex Environmental Consultants Ltd, told PolOff on March 27 that armed attacks on oil installations and the seizure of foreign workers for ransom by militants accounted for only a tiny proportion of the oil theft and kidnappings in the Niger Delta respectively. The majority of kidnapping victims were Nigerians, while most oil spills were the result of "vandalism" rather than "sabotage." Mulade stressed the devastating environmental and moral impact of the widespread oil-theft and the associated corruption. He described not only the familiar pattern of illegal bunkerers loading oil without any environmental protection measures, but claimed that even the contractors paid to repair pipelines or conduct oil-spill clean-up were often involved in vandalizing pipelines to ensure they had a steady flow of contracts. He said in some cases communities had likewise caused oil spills in order to get payments from the International Oil Companies (IOCs). He added that youths paid to protect facilities looked the other way or participated in the vandalism. In short, because traditional livelihoods such as fishing and farming have largely become impossible in the Niger Delta, virtually everyone attempts to get a piece of the oil "pie" by stealing oil, taking protection or compensation money, or living from contracts based on oil-theft and oil-spills. The result is environmental degradation on an unprecedented scale while easy oil money makes many Niger Delta inhabitants disinterested in real employment. Stop Protection Money, Pay Bonuses for Success -------------- - ¶3. (C) Mulade suggested that the IOCs should stop paying large salaries to youths for "protection," and stop making payoffs to communities. He said that instead the IOCs should hold the youths and communities responsible for the safety of their installations and pay "bonuses" when no incidents of vandalism occur. He further recommended that contracts for repair and clean up be awarded via a transparent process to qualified firms only and that the results be monitored. Firms that fail to perform should be black-listed, and employees awarding contracts without following due procedures should be fired, Mulade said. Amnesty and Rehabilitation Only Part of the Answer LAGOS 00000190 002 OF 002 -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Mulade expressed doubt about the efficacy of proposed amnesty and rehabilitation of militant youth. He said that previous nonviolence and skills training conducted in collaboration by the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigerian (FEHN) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) had largely failed because of the lack of employment opportunities and the reluctance to work for realistic wages as long as more money could be made from oil theft, hand-outs, bogus contracts or kidnapping. Mulade believes that the residents of the Niger Delta need to be made to see that despite higher short-term gain, the long-term impact of abetting oil theft is devastating. He said the inhabitants of the Niger Delta need to take an active interest in protecting their environment rather than contributing to the problem and holding out their hands to the IOCs. He suggested that rehabilitation and training efforts had to focus on educating youths and entire communities about the long-term effects of the current system which fosters and aggravates the severe environmental degradation of the region. ¶5. (C) Comment: Mulade's suggestion to institute anti-corruption and environmental impact training for communities might in the long run have some effect on the complicity of indigenes in the widespread oil theft if conducted by credible organizations and if it takes place in the context of a comprehensive solution. However, there are not likely to be any "quick fixes" to the problems of the Niger Delta, and development and jobs remain the key to long-term solutions. End Comment. ¶6. (U) This cable was cleared with Embassy Abuja. HUDSON