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Viewing cable 08ABUJA2122, NIGERIA: BI-WEEKLY POL/ECON UPDATES FOR OCTOBER 1-15,

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08ABUJA2122 2008-10-28 12:02 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Abuja
VZCZCXRO6566
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #2122/01 3021202
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281202Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4289
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0446
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 002122 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USTR-AGAMA 
DOE FOR GPERSON, CHAYLOCK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM ECON EPET EFIN MOPS PHUM NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA:  BI-WEEKLY POL/ECON UPDATES FOR OCTOBER 1-15, 
2008 
 
1. (U) The Following is a joint Embassy Abuja, ConGen Lagos 
compilation of October 1-15 political/economic highlights, which did 
not feature in our other reporting, covering: 
 
--Economic and Business 
--Oil and Gas 
--Politics 
--Delta Kidnappings 
 
Economic and Business News 
-------------------------- 
2. (U) INTEREST RATES FOR BANKS: At the beginning of October, the 
CBN published commercial bank lending and deposit rates on its web 
site.  Of the 24 banks, Diamond Bank provides the highest interest 
rates on deposits at 15.75%, while the UBA has the lowest rate at 
4.66%.  For lending, bank interest rates vary by sector and are as 
high as 28%. 
 
3. (U) SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND: As reported in the press at the 
beginning of October, the Minister of Finance, CBN Governor and the 
President's Chief Economic Advisor jointly submitted a draft 
proposal for a sovereign wealth fund to the President, after a year 
of deliberations.  The fund would divert a percentage of GON's 
revenues to be invested in international markets, providing a 
cushion when oil prices fall. Establishment of such a fund would 
likely have to be embedded in the Constitution. 
 
4. (U) SENATE AUDITS FEDERATION ACCOUNT: On October 6 the Senate 
requested the Auditor-General of the Federation to audit the 
Federation Account fund for disbursements between 1999 and 2007. 
The audit will focus on cash flow to all federal agencies. 
 
5. (U) DEBT MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS OPEN IN 31 STATES: On October 2, 
the federal Debt Management Office (DMO) disclosed that 31 states 
have established Debt Management Departments (DMDs).  The 
Director-General of the DMO, Agraham Nwankwo, reported that all 
states agreed to establish DMDs but these are currently at various 
stages of formation.  Most of the DMDs are operating under the State 
Ministries of Finance while some are housed in the state governor's 
office. 
 
6. (U) NCS COLLECTED $1 BILLION FROM IMPORT TAXES SINCE 1999:  On 
October 8 the Deputy Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs 
Service (NCS) announced to the Ad-hoc Senate Committee on the 
Investigation of the Transportation Sector that NCS collected over 
120 billion Naira ($1 billion) from import duty taxes from 1999 to 
present. 
 
7. (U) PANALPINA LEAVES NIGERIA: On October 2, Worldwide Premier 
Logistics and Solutions Nigeria (WPLSN), Limited took over the 
business operations of Panalpina World Transport Nigeria Limited, a 
multi-national freight company.  According to press reports 
Panalpina officials engaged in unethical practices, including 
bribing Nigerian Custom officials.  Panalpina was heavily involved 
in supporting the oil and gas sector. 
 
8. (U) FRANCE AND NIGERIA SIGN MOU ON ELECTRICITY:  On October 8, 
Nigerian Minister of State for Energy (Power), Fatima Ibrahim and 
French Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Anne-Marie IDRAC, signed 
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost electricity supply in 
Nigeria.  Press reports on the terms of the MoU indicate that the 
GON "will engage the French national transmission system, Reseau de 
Transport d'Electricite (RTE) in a discussion on the possibility of 
conducting an audit of the power sector in order to establish the 
necessary interventions required for a speedy restoration of 
capacities in the generation, transmission and distribution of 
electricity in Nigeria."  The Minister of State for Energy 
underscored that the MoU was important in the furtherance of 
adequate and reliable electricity supply for socio-economic 
development of the country. 
 
9. (U) GON RECEIVES WORLD BANK URBAN DEVELOPMENT GRANT: On October 
6, World Habitat Day, Minister of State for Environment, Housing and 
Urban Development Chuka Odom reported that the GON received a $110 
million grant under the World Bank Community Based Urban Development 
Project to invest in critical urban infrastructure in eight states. 
He explained that the grant was part of the Ministry's involvement 
in several international bilateral and multilateral programs 
directed at urban infrastructure development. 
 
ABUJA 00002122  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
10. (U) SCHOOL CHILDREN ABSENCES HIGH IN NORTHERN NIGERIA: During 
the Northern Nigeria Economic and Investment Summit in Abuja on 
October 13, Minister of Finance Shamsudeen Usman quoted a World Bank 
statistics figure that Northern Nigeria has the highest rate of 
children not enrolled in schools.  Usman said he holds northern 
Nigerian leaders responsible and called for experienced and educated 
retired northerners to get involved with education. 
 
11. (U) NORTHERN NIGERIA ECONOMIC AND INVESTMENT SUMMIT: 
Participants at the October 13 Northern Nigeria Economic and 
Investment Summit in Abuja also blamed the poor economy for the lack 
of peace in central parts of Nigeria.  The Summit was poorly 
attended by State Governors.  Of the 19 Northern leaders only Bauchi 
State Governor Alhaji Isa Yugunba and Zamfara State Governor Alhaji 
Ibrahim Shinkafi were present.  According to press reports, the 
Sultan of Sokoto, who attended the conference, called for the 
political will to reposition the North, stating, "The North, in the 
past, created wealth and this must be repeated."  He challenged the 
Summit to revive the textile and groundnut industries. 
 
Oil and Gas 
----------- 
12. (U) PETROLEUM CONTRACTOR TRADE SECTION FORMED: Oil service 
companies have banded together as the Petroleum Contractors Trade 
Section (PCTS) of the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce.  Like the Oil 
Producers Trade Section (OPTS), the group will represent members' 
interests to Nigeria's federal and state governments.  Steve Fulgham 
of Schlumberger is head of PCTS. 
 
Political News 
--------------- 
13. (U) FORMER GENERAL BUHARI PRESSES HIS CASE: On October 2, The 
Guardian Newspaper reported that retired General Muhammadu Buhari 
said he will not withdraw his case from the Supreme Court despite 
pressure from the ANPP because his campaign represented both the 
ANPP and seven additional political parties.  Rumors continue to 
circulate regarding the Supreme Court's upcoming decision; on 
October 2 SaharaReporters claimed that their sources revealed that 
President Yar'Adua had worked out an understanding with the Court to 
uphold his election.  On October 3 the Daily Trust and ThisDay 
reported that Yar'Adua's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, 
Olusegun Adeniyi said "Buhari was swimming against the tide as far 
as his case against the president was concerned, as he had not only 
a weak case, but had also lost the backing of his political party on 
which he contested the election."  However, Adeniyi added that 
Buhari is known for his integrity, has a lot to contribute to 
Nigeria, and will not be ignored by Yar'Adua after he wins the case. 
 Following these reports, the Action Congress (AC) issued a 
statement cautioning the President against predicting the decision 
of the Supreme Court, calling the President's statements dangerous 
and contributing to cynicism among Nigerians on whether the courts 
can act independently. 
 
14. (U) MINISTERS AND AIDES UNDER SURVEILLANCE: On October 6, a week 
after aides within the Executive Branch were administered an oath of 
secrecy, the Punch Newspaper reported that ministers and aides to 
the President and Vice President were "panic stricken" following 
suspicions that their telephone lines may be bugged.  The Punch 
quoted an aide as saying, "Since the day they administered the oaths 
of secrecy on us, we have been placed under special surveillance." 
 
15. (SBU) EFCC DETAINS STATE OFFICIALS: On October 6, the Economic 
and Financial Crimes Commission detained the Secretary to the State 
Government of Rivers State, Magnus Abe, and the Chief of Staff to 
Rotimi Amaechi, the Governor of Rivers State, Nyeson Wike. Mr. Abe 
was released after 48 hours, but Mr. Wike was charged with diverting 
5 billion Naira ($43 million) in public funds to personal accounts. 
He was granted bail by a court in Abuja for 50 million Naira ($427, 
350); hearings will continue later this month. Wike, Abe and 
Governor Amaechi have denied all wrong-doing on the part of Rivers 
State Government officials, but the Movement for the Emancipation of 
the Niger Delta (MEND) was quick to issue a statement claiming: "The 
recent revelation by the Economic and Crimes Commission (EFCC) of 
huge financial crimes by top government functionaries in the Rivers 
State government...just confirmed what MEND has always known." 
 
16. (SBU) THE SOURCE OF PROBLEMS IN THE DELTA REGION: Ebruke Esike, 
Executive Director of Global Peace Development, an NGO based in 
 
ABUJA 00002122  003 OF 003 
 
 
Delta State, told ConGen Lagos Poloff on October 10, that the source 
of all problems in the Niger Delta is the absence of credible 
elections.  He claimed, "if we had elections, these crooks wouldn't 
be in power."  Esike claimed that these unelected governors created 
the militants and keep them alive by paying them off.  What is 
happening in Rivers State is simply a "clash of titans" as Governor 
Rotimi Amaechi tries to replace his predecessor's militants with his 
own followers.  In Delta State, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan allegedly 
pays the primary militant, "Tom Polo," six million Naira ($51, 200) 
monthly to keep quiet, but if the same money were invested in 
infrastructure it would not be necessary to make pay-offs, Esike 
argued.  According to Esike, the rank-and-file militants see little 
more than 200 Naira (less than $2) a month and would give up the 
life in the camps for a job paying more than that.  As Esike put it: 
"a military leader without followers is nobody, so the problem of 
militants would go away if there were sufficient infrastructure to 
start creating jobs." 
 
Delta Kidnappings; No Americans Involved 
---------------------------------------- 
17. (U) BRITISH HOSTAGE RELEASED: On October 4, a British citizen 
taken from his home in Port Harcourt on Sept. 15 in what appears to 
have been a purely criminal kidnapping, was released. 
 
18. (U) FILIPINO HOSTAGES RELEASED: In a separate incident on 
October 4, gunmen kidnapped five Filipino workers from the MV Avero 
during an attack on the oil service vessel three nautical miles from 
the Bonny Fairway Buoy.  A speedboat carrying twelve gunmen attacked 
the vessel and took six hostages, including the boat's captain and 
two engineers.  No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, 
but the Filipinos were released October 13. 
 
19. (U) NIGERIAN HOSTAGES RELEASED: On October 5, the Movement for 
the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) issued a statement that 
it had released 19 Nigerians kidnapped from an oil supply vessel the 
H.D. Blue Ocean on September 9. (Note: Two South Africans taken at 
the same time were released September 13.)  MEND claims to be 
holding the remaining five captives (two Britons, a Ukrainian, and 
three Nigerian cooks) for "security concerns" described as "the 
threat of an ambush by the Joint Task Force JTF, on the 
Niger-Delta." 
 
20. (U) FISHING TRAWLERS SEIZED: On October 16, eight fishing 
trawlers were seized by armed men while trawling off Bayelsa State. 
All 96 crew members were taken hostage. Although the incident was 
reported to the Nigerian Navy, they claimed "not to have 
jurisdiction." 
 
21. (U) PIRATES ATTACKS OFF NIGERIA'S COAST: Pirates attacked three 
ships off Bayelsa State on October 25.  The first ship was under 
contract to Addax.  Ten French and Nigerian nationals were taken and 
released the same day.  Second ship, reportedly under contract to 
Total, escaped with bullet holes in the hull.  No hostages were 
taken.  Third vessel was unidentified.  Pirates reportedly robbed 
crew of cell phones and valuables.  No Americans were involved in 
these attacks. 
 
SANDERS