Reference:

I am shocked at some responses on this thread. Where have you folks been all these years. What do you think Shell is. A business. A raw unadulterated business. What is a government, a raw Nigerian government. If you do not know SHELL IS BIGGER THAN THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT. It has been bigger than the government since BP left. Consider this simple analogy. Oil accounts for what 90 percent of our income, thus oil accouts for 90 percent of our GDP. Now Shell, one company produces over 60 percent of this oil. Do the maths. Shell acounts for approx. 50 percent of our GDP. Which means in lay terms for every two policemen one owes his salary to Shell, equally for every two state security men, customs officer, bank staff, fire man, doctor, nurse, mechanic, pastor, etc. Do we talk of infrastructure one of every two kilometres of roads, one airport in two, one minute in two of your airtime, one mega byte of two you use to hang onto Nairaland. If others (telecoms, taxes, hustling, forex repatrations by you good fellows out there, etc) pays one legislator, Shell pays the other. Hell I wonder who they choose to pay, the President or Vice President. So why are you surprised they have information about government. Who's office is it anyway. How can you spy on yourself.

You may ask. How come ? It came by in the sixties and seventies when you abandoned all other sources and forms of productivity and jumped into one. You sold your house to buy a chair. Or is the saying 'he who pays the piper dictates the tune' no longer applicable for Shell. Did they tell you to abandon coal, ginger, hides and skin, tin, copper, did they tell you to abandon agriculture, did the force you not to complete Ajaokuta and bar you from industrialization.

Who in this forum in all sincerity will not grab the monopoly of Shell with both hands. Who will not savour indirect control of this country. We all love power but power corrupts. Shell is massively corrupt because it is massively powerful. Who let it be. We the people because of our laziness, the government because it loves cheap money. So Shell did what all businesses do. It trades. It traded money for power. Government got the money, Shell got the power. As long as our focus remains on personal gain alone, Shell and the likes will continue to rule. Julius Berger, Dangote, Oando, etc are the same, just mini Shells. It is not a white thing. It is a global thing. Corporations control corrupt governments.

Big oil and big defence were key players in the Iraqi debacle because the Bush regime was corrupt. They had eyes and ears in the White House, they controlled the powerful armed services committee of the House. If I was in a business for forty years and traded trillions of dollars I would be grossly foolish not to penetrate every institution that can threaten it.

My friends, due to globalization corporations are the new countries and corporate I.D cards will soon become more valuable than international passports. Maybe, just maybe this 666 business will happen. The top ten fortune companies will buy out Africa three times over.

If you don’t like control don’t worship money. These folks produce everything we need for life and existence and you simply cannot send them away. What you can do is to say no to perceived excesses.  It is called regulation. I believe in foreign investment and foreign participation but I recognize getting the right balance is critical. This is what the Niger-Delta struggle has always been about and some naïve people turn up their noses. The people are not anti-Shell or anti-Nigeria or anti-government. All they want is a fair and right balance in control. The right to say no when they feel cheated. Simple.

My dad once told me partnerships only succeed when one party accepts to be cheated by the other.  True as this may be. Must it.

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INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 8760
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
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RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000320

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR INR/AA, INR/B

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2033
TAGS: PGOV PINR KCOR NI
SUBJECT: (S/NF) NIGERIA: KANO BUSINESSMAN ALLEGES YAR'ADUA
CORRUPTION

REF: 07 ABUJA 2627

Classified By: Political Counselor Walter Pflaumer for Reasons 1.4 (b,
c, & d).

¶1. (S//NF) SUMMARY: XXXXXXXXXXXX alleged a close
association between President Yar,Adua and Katsina native
and rumored smuggler Dahiru Mangal. XXXXXXXXXXXX claimed Mangal
is the President's "Mr. Fix It," taking care of "anything
filthy" Yar'Adua needs done in addition to smuggling items
for several wealthy Nigerian businessmen through Niger into
Kano. Another Kano business contact corroborated XXXXXXXXXXXX 's
allegations, but observed that Mangal no longer deals openly
in illicit activity since Yar'Adua named him a special
advisor earlier this month. As well, XXXXXXXXXXXX maintained that
he had been approached by a man claiming to represent First
Lady Turai Yar'Adua and seeking an USD 2 million pay-off.
While Post cannot independently authenticate these
allegations of corruption by the President or First Lady,
Post has heard rumors of an emergent "Katsina clique" in the
Presidential Villa. END SUMMARY.

¶2. (S//NF) Kano real estate entrepreneur and longtime Mission
contact XXXXXXXXXXXX told PolOff February
10 that Katsina native Dahiru Mangal, who XXXXXXXXXXXX contends
deals in illicit smuggling of goods into Nigeria, is also
known as President Yar'Adua's "Mr. Fix It." XXXXXXXXXXXX alleged
a close association between the President and Mangal, dating
to the former's tenure as governor of Katsina, and claimed
the latter remains to this day Yar'Adua's "go-to man" to
accomplish "anything filthy that Yar'Adua needs done."
Mangal, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, is also the "go-to" for any wealthy
Nigerian, who wants to import "just about anything" into
Nigeria. He declined to state whether Mangal smuggled
weapons, drugs, or persons into Nigeria. (On February 17,
PolOff queried another Kano business contact, who
corroborated XXXXXXXXXXXX 's accusations, however claimed Mangal no
longer goes by "Mr. Fix It" since Yar'Adua officially named
him a special advisor earlier this month. Allegedly,
Yar'Adua instructed Mangal to cease any illicit activity if
Mangal wished to enjoy official recognition by the President.
The contact implied this may connote, inter alia, that
Yar'Adua desires to maintain at least the appearance of
respect for rule of law, and thus, does not want any of his
close advisors openly involved in suspect activity.)

¶3. (S//NF) XXXXXXXXXXXX told PolOff XXXXXXXXXXXX
several Nigerian businessmen who have employed Mangal's
services over the past several years. Reportedly, Mangal owns a warehouse across
the Niger border (likely close to the Katsina border with
Jibiyya and Maradi) in which he stores hundreds of 40-foot
shipping containers. XXXXXXXXXXXX claimed Mangal is able to
import goods from around the world, including China. In
return, Mangal requests a flat fee of 2 million naira (USD
17,000), excluding the cost of goods. Approximately 100
containers per month are brought into Kano, and goods are
then delivered to clients or sold in Kano's Kurmi market.

¶4. (S//NF) Mangal also operates several legitimate
businesses, XXXXXXXXXXXX asserted, including Mangal Airlines. The
National Hajj Commission of Nigeria contracted Kabo,
Bellview, Meridian, and Mangal Airlines for the December 2007
hajj operations, which transported approximately 100,000
Nigerians to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage. (Note:
Many Nigerian Muslims have criticized the GON's handling of
the 2007 hajj claiming several thousand Nigerians were left
stranded in Saudi Arabia and could not return to Nigeria,
except without extraordinary hardship, and several others
were never airlifted from Nigeria at all. End Note.)

¶5. (S//NF) Moreover, XXXXXXXXXXXX said XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXX had been approached recently by a man claiming to speak on
behalf of First Lady Turai Yar'Adua. The person, who arrived
at the meeting with XXXXXXXXXXXX in a Peugeot with a
"presidential" license plate, told XXXXXXXXXXXX the First Lady
would "allow" them to construct the homes so long as she is
given an advance payment of 250 million naira (USD 2
million). XXXXXXXXXXXX said he was willing to offer the First

ABUJA 00000320 002 OF 002


Lady twenty plots of land instead, to which the presumed
emissary grimaced. The negotiations, XXXXXXXXXXXX told PolOff,
continue.

¶6. (C//NF) NOTE: During a late January conversation with
PolOff, XXXXXXXXXXXXX said XXXXXXXXXXXXX
purchased an USD 10 million house in central London
approximately 7 years ago, XXXXXXXXXXXXX.
This house apparently was excluded from President
Yar,Adua,s public declaration of assets in June 2007, which
put his total wealth at approximately USD 7 million. END
NOTE.

¶7. (S//NF) COMMENT: While XXXXXXXXXXXX is a trusted, longtime
Mission contact who has provided veracious information in the
past, we cannot independently confirm his statements
regarding Mangal or the First Lady. Certainly, the man who
approached XXXXXXXXXXXXX seeking a pay-off may simply have been
attempting to exploit the First Lady's name for personal
enrichment. We have heard rumors of the emergence of a
"Katsina clique" in the Villa -- a group of individuals from
the President's home state of Katsina who reportedly
constitute Yar'Adua's inner circle and increasingly, control
access to him. The surfacing of this group may be a
corrollary to Yar'Adua's lack of national exposure (and
hence, his deficiently broad support base) and his inability
thus far to stamp his authority on the ruling People's
Democratic Party. Rumors abound alleging that the First
Lady, Special Advisor Tanimu Yakubu, and Minister of
Agriculture Sayyadi Ruma are involved in corrupt practices.
Reports of both the First Lady and Yakubu's taste for the
high life and tendencies toward illicit enrichment surfaced
during a December 2007 debrief by XXXXXXXXXXXXX
outlined problems he saw in the Villa and cases XXXXXXXXXXXXX
was closely watching (Ref A).
Several contacts from XXXXXXXXXXXXX, moreover, maintain that while
the President "appeared incorruptible" during his tenure as
governor, his wife siphoned off millions in public funds for
private use. Post will closely monitor these accusations and
report any new developments. END COMMENT.
SANDERS

Reference:

Thanks Beaf for amplifying that point. If MTN comes to my home and says it wants to erect a mast, I have a right to say no. If the government forces me to give up my house the result is down the line MTN will take over the government. Simple. Corporations are important but Governments must act as a buffer. The interests of the people come first simply because government is made up of the people. So hitting people is hitting yourself. This simple equation has been lost on our government for ages. If Shell is permitted to bring arms to haunt people it is only a matter of time before they turn these weapons on the government. It is called in CIA parlance 'blow back'. The CIA trained and armed the mullahs in Afghanistan to drive out the Russians. Guess who's been tossed around today. It will always come back. Ask Odili.

If the government calls me instead and explains the need for the mast for the 'common good' the respect the government shows me is bound to rub off on MTN. Now if government returns to its base how on earth will MTN now erect two masts or build a refuse dump instead. They can't because there is now a chain of watchdogs. Just imagine the differences in response to the gulf oil spill and those that happen in Nigeria.

This country is a real gangsters paradise.

Reference:

Thanks Beaf for amplifying that point. If MTN comes to my home and says it wants to erect a mast, I have a right to say no. If the government forces me to give up my house the result is down the line MTN will take over the government. Simple. Corporations are important but Governments must act as a buffer. The interests of the people come first simply because government is made up of the people. So hitting people is hitting yourself. This simple equation has been lost on our government for ages. If Shell is permitted to bring arms to haunt people it is only a matter of time before they turn these weapons on the government. It is called in CIA parlance 'blow back'. The CIA trained and armed the mullahs in Afghanistan to drive out the Russians. Guess who's been tossed around today. It will always come back. Ask Odili.

If the government calls me instead and explains the need for the mast for the 'common good' the respect the government shows me is bound to rub off on MTN. Now if government returns to its base how on earth will MTN now erect two masts or build a refuse dump instead. They can't because there is now a chain of watchdogs. Just imagine the differences in response to the gulf oil spill and those that happen in Nigeria.

This country is a real gangsters paradise.

sochan:

Lets blame everything on the West, including Ibori and his brother who have stolen all the money from Delta state. Na Oyibo man make us do am. From a people that cannot even elect themselves a credible leader.

ahf:

¶4. (S/NF) The Ambassador asked what Shell's thoughts were on any
potential for a coup. Pickard answered that there is little
intellectual capital to plan and execute a coup and Shell sees little
potential for one.

SANDERS

Quote from: ahf on Today at 02:53:25 PM
¶4. (S/NF) The Ambassador asked what Shell's thoughts were on any
potential for a coup. Pickard answered that there is little
intellectual capital to plan and execute a coup and Shell sees little
potential for one.

SANDERS

eldee:

Damn . . .

[/b]

very sad isn't it? But we can work within our own individual spheres of influence to push for change and champion enlightened socio-political knowledge, it is all of our responsibilities, especially those who are more enlightened than the average Nigerian. Our people are ignorant and helpless, it is a hard fact to swallow but Nigerians are not giants of enlightenment or education like we try to believe.

If you have a family, share the knowledge with them, with friends and acquaintances do the same, every bit helps, till we revolt or get a benevolent visionary leader who can lead this country right. We cannot afford to resign to fate. Every little bit of positive propaganda helps. Our future depends on it.

kodewrita:

A post filled with so many ignorant people arguing based on rumour and self-supporting inane opinions.

The FG nationalized BP in the 70s. did we lose our sovereignity for that? Venezuela (much closer to the reach of the US airforce) threatened the oil majors, got them to play ball and got away with it.

besides the people in government will only go along if it serves their purpose.

Shell has no power to deeply influence an already crooked nigeria.

Interestingly half of the people making comments have never worked in an oil major (not even as contract staff or external contractor or even industrial attache) yet they claim to know.
As for this comment, The Land Use Act of 1977 says you cant refuse if the government awards MTN your house unless you have a C.of O in which case they compensate you(if they remember). All Land belongs to the Federal Government of Nigeria. capisce. so your argument holds no water.

There's no line in that cable that suggests shell imported arms, it claims they suspect importation of arms. read well.

besides you all shout shell as if its a company of 5000 white men climbing all over your land. investigate and you will find out its almost wholly filled with nigerians. it is one of the most indigenised of the oil majors. enough said.

Of course it will be a scary thing if this were true but I choose to take it with a pinch of salt. that someone says he killed another person doesnt make it true unless he actually did. if that holds in a court of law why not here.

Naiive is 'nationalise the oil companies' . . . logical is, 'you cannot do without them, but at least deter them from continuing with this'.
What . . . you think Microsoft does not contribute to Europe's economy?? Or you think companies that get fined in the UK don't contribute to their economy??
Now you come here with your 'I have a dream' speech of 'clear out the leaders, change their mentality overnight' and I'm here talking about how we should do sumn to caution them and you accuse me of naivety??

I guess I'm satisfied with being 'Nigerians'.

Omenani:

Blame everyone but yourselves.

Uncle Tom Africans are willing to sell themselves to the highest bidder like an ashawo. Reminds me of Mobutu Sese Seko.