VZCZCXRO0405
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #0784/01 1200809
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290809Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
INFO RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 9151
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2717
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 000784
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INL/AAE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV SNAR ECON NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: FY 2008 INL PROPOSAL, Request FOR $1.190 Million
REF: STATE 10511
1. Summary: Per reftel instructions, Post proposes 3 key INL
projects and 1 alternate project to be funded with FY 2008 funds for
a total amount of $1.190 million dollars. This amount includes
$600,000 in Program Development and Support(PD$S): $300,000 in
Interdiction and $290,000 in the area of Ddeny Access to Criminals.
Post's objective is to enhance capabilities of Nigerian
counter-narcotics efforts and to increase the country's
anti-corruption institutions' capacity to fight corruption. End
Summary.
2. The following responses are keyed to questions in reftel
paragraph 19.
PROJECT 1
I.)TITLE/ESTIMATED COST/PRIORITY.
Narcotics Control Capacity Building at Nigeria's Seaports. Initial
Funding $300,000, additional funding request in subsequent fiscal
years depends on success of the initial contribution. Priority one
out of four.
II.)BACKGROUND
INL has pressed Nigeria through the Majors' List review process to
assign National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) officers to
Nigeria's seaports so that narcotics inspections can take place at
Nigeria's ports. Currently, there is no capacity for efficient
identification and inspection of suspect cargo transiting or
entering Nigeria's seaports. Knowledgeable observers believe
seaports are a significant weak link in Nigeria's narcotics
interdiction control regime.
III.)GOAL
The aim of this project is to help Nigeria create the capacity to
identify and inspect suspicious cargo for narcotics as it moves
through Nigeria's seaports. The project will entail developing a
system for identifying which cargo to inspect (intelligence,
shipper/country of destination profiling), and then developing,
staffing and training teams of inspectors in tactics for effective
counter narcotics cargo inspection.
IV.)PROJECT DESCRIPTION
INL Rep in country (Narcotics Affairs Section -NAS) will negotiate a
Letter of Agreement with Nigerian authorities which contains strict
commitments on their ability to create teams of cargo inspectors
made up of officers from Customs and the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which is charged with the task of
narcotics interdiction control at the port.
V.)PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Creation, staffing and training of an interagency team to detect and
prevent flow of narcotics through seaports; Effective narcotics
control interdictions as measured by the amount of contraband
seized, arrests related to narcotics trafficking, number of
containers inspected.
VI.)SUSTAINABILITY
To encourage Nigerian commitment necessary to create the capacity to
interdict narcotics moving through the ports, INL will be offering
seaport operations assessment. This assessment by joint teams of US
Customs and DEA would develop recommendations on how to carry out
efficient port interdiction operations, and then follow-on INL
assistance would be used to implement any recommendations following
from the assessment. However, this assessment, and any other
assistance INL might be prepared to provide, will only be offered to
Nigerian officials based on a firm commitment obtained in writing in
the form of a Letter of Agreement regarding clear changes in this
direction. We expect that success in setting up a team,
implementing procedures and interdicting narcotics will create
buy-in and motivation. If there is no will to create an efficient
narcotics interdiction capacity on the part of Nigerian authorities
through the necessary changes at ports, INL will not pursue this
project, and will use funding targeted for this project for the
Legal Advisory project described under Project 2.
EVALUATION
NAS will request regular reports on activities of inspection teams
to include amount of contraband seized, arrest related to narcotics
trafficking, number of containers inspected. DEA and NAs will
conduct unannounced on-site visits and monitoring of port
operations.
TIMELINE
Project should commence by end of FY 2008 through mid FY 2009.
PROJECT 2
I.)TITLE/ESTIMATED COST/PRIORITY
Continuing Legal Assistance to the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other
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Related Offenses Commission (ICPC). $290,000.Priority two out of
four.
II.) BACKGROUND.
Corruption and organized crime are major problems in Nigeria. Both
the EFCC and the ICPC focus on corruption; EFCC conducts
sophisticated investigations into the proceeds of various types of
organized crime, and prosecutes individuals with the objective of
forfeiting those proceeds. EFCC is also the organizational home for
Nigeria's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and assisting the FIU
with its anti-graft capability will also be important. ICPC's focus
is on corruption and crime in the Nigerian government itself. The
agency is tasked with investigating and prosecuting government
malfeasance. Both agencies have received INL-sponsored training and
advisory assistance in the past. A Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) was
assigned to ICPC and worked to improve investigatory and
prosecutorial skills, but part of her training and advising also
benefited EFCC. This project will build on her work with these two
agencies and seek to extend it through additional training and
mentoring and perhaps some equipment donations.
III.)GOAL.
The goal of this project is to improve the capacity of ICPC and EFCC
to conduct sophisticated investigations into organized criminality,
and to develop an enhanced capacity for competent prosecutions of
organized criminals and corrupt individuals in government. INL
assistance will also assist these agencies to identify and to
recover the proceeds of crime for the Nigerian treasury.
IV.) PROJECT DESCRIPTION.
The project will support the services of an Intermittent Legal
Advisor (ILA) to EFCC and ICPC to continue offering both agencies
assistance on investigations, prosecution/case management and
systems for monitoring for government fraud and malfeasance. The
ILA might recommend specialized training, delivered by TDY trainers
traveling to Nigeria from the US, and might identify legal research
literature to be donated to the ICPC training facility.
V.) PERFORMANCE INDICATOR
Indicators would be more prosecutions based on better investigatory
techniques; establishment and operation of monitoring and case
management systems; and amount of seized and forfeited assets.
VI.) SUSTAINABLITY
EFCC and ICPC's increased capabilities will be sustainable only if
the GON provides a budget sufficient to meet operational needs. INL
will provide technical assistance and donations of equipment
contingent on the level of GON commitment to contribute to the
budget of these agencies.
VII.) EVALUATION
INL and ILA will continue to monitor the use of equipment regularly
and will request monthly reports on the number of successful
arrests/prosecutions and the amount seized and forfeited assets.
VIII.) TIMELINE
Project to commence end of FY 2008 through FY 2009
PROJECT 3
I.)TITLE/ESTIMATED/PRIORITY.
Advisory Assistance to the Nigerian National Police to Improve
Administration of the Police Force through Sustainable Automation of
Police Personnel Records, and other Internal Administrative Records.
Priority three out of four.
II.)BACKGROUND. Current administration of the 300,000 member-plus
Nigerian National Police (NPF) is chaotic. The central
administration of the Police Force is unable to say how many police
officers are employed and staff is frequently not paid on time.
There are reliable reports that the Police Service has been
infiltrated by criminal elements. Corruption goes hand-in-hand with
mismanagement and the NPF is held in very low esteem by the average
Nigerian citizen.
III.)GOAL.
The aim of this project is to strengthen the personnel
administration of the NPF as part of a strategy to improve its
function and role in Nigeria. The changes the project seeks amount
to fundamental reform in the way the NPF is structured, and will
create a basis for additional reforms to improve operational
capability.
IV.) PROJECT DESCRIPTION.
The U.S will provide an intermittent technical advisor, who will
recommend hardware and software capable of automating personnel
records at NPF. The U.S. advisor will then assist Nigerian staff to
implement a plan to automate police internal record keeping, and
mentor them during the period when they are beginning to get their
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personnel records in order.
V.) PERFORMANCE INDICATOR.
Purchase and installation of hardware/software. The use of the
equipment for the purpose, creation of a database of NPF personnel.
The project will be considered to be successful if sufficient funds
are allocated by GON for procurement of all of the hardware
(computers, printers, file cabinets etc.) necessary to mechanize NPF
offices.
VI.)SUSTAINABILITY/EVALUATION.
This project can be sustainable only if the NPF can commit
sufficient funds to purchase and install hardware, software and
other requirements.
VII.) EVALUATION
NAS and the intermittent technical advisor will monitor development
and use of database through regular reports from NPF.
VIII.)TIMELINE
Project should commence by end of FY 2008 through FY 2009.
ALTERNATE PROJECT
I.) TITLE/ESTIMATED COST/PRIORITY
Alternate Project, Advisory Assistance and Light Equipment Donations
to Permit an Extension of the Kaduna Community Policing Project to
Three more Nigerian States (Kano, Enugu and Borno).Priority four out
of four.
II.) BACKGROUND.
INL supported a introduction of community policing concepts into
some police operations in the Nigerian state of Kaduna. INL
provided training and advisory-mentoring assistance as well as some
light equipment to make the project work. A key element in the
success of this project was the personal interest and support of the
state governor of Kaduna, who also provided equipment to encourage
community policing to take root.
III.) GOAL.
The project aim will extend the ideas, training and equipment
necessary to introduce community policing ideas and practices
analogous to those introduced in Kaduna to three more Nigerian
states, namely, Kano, Enugu, and Borno.
IV.) PROJECT DESCRIPTION.
The U.S. will provide training and on-site mentoring to appropriate
units of National Police to transform their operational style from a
current one of static, wait-for-a-call policing to one that is
mobile, visible/accessible in the community. This will require
classroom and on-site instruction and the provision of light
equipment including at least bicycles to enhance officer mobility.
V.) PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.
NAS will seek evidence of government support for the project both at
central and provincial levels of police administration through
commitments to change in writing, in the letter of agreement,
negotiate to implement the project. This project is available as an
alternative to base project 3,an MOU stating the plans of a
fundamental reform of the Nigerian police administration should be
the commitment necessary to do this ambitious project. INL Abuja has
about $682K for Law Enforcement Assistance from FY05 funds
available. We intend to use these funds to supplement our assistance
to NPF and other agencies. CP is high on the President agenda and we
are working to gauge commitment from the GON for implementation of
projects. INL Abuja is working closely with DOJ/ICITAP to restart
the programs which were shutdown abruptly due to lack of political
will. Once we gain assurances that efforts will be supported by GON,
the CP program can be a top priority for the next fiscal year.
VI.) SUSTAINABILITY
This project received support from GON in Nigeria and is a project
GON continues to request, the success will be in the readiness of
the NPF to provide support in release of officers for training and
deploying the officers effectively.
VII.) EVALUATION
NAS and ICITAP will monitor the commitment of NPF to pursue CP
training as part of its academy curriculum and the implementation of
CP concepts by surveying both police and citizen on the improvement
of their relationship and the reduction of crime.
VIII.) TIMELINES
Project should commence late FY2008 through mid FY 2009.
SANDERS