VZCZCXRO0508
OO RUEHPA
DE RUEHOS #0073/01 0531540
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O R 221540Z FEB 10
FM AMCONSUL LAGOS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0041
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/COMUSNAVEUR NAPLES IT
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RULSJGA/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 LAGOS 000073 
 
SIPDIS 
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/22 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ECON KCOR SOCI NI
SUBJECT: LAGOS GOVERNOR WANTS U.S. SUPPORT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Blair, Donna, CG, State, Lagos; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 
 
------- 
 
SUMMARY 
 
------- 
 
 
 
¶1.      (C) In a meeting with Assistant Secretary for African 
Affairs Johnnie Carson on February 6, Lagos Governor Babatunde 
Fashola (Action Congress - AC) asked the U.S. to continue to insist 
publicly on scrupulous respect for Nigeria's Constitution.  Fashola 
also described his administration's plans for addressing Lagos 
State's infrastructure deficits, his hopes for a fraud inquiry into 
the 2007 Nigerian elections. He denied that ethnic or religious 
ideology caused recent violence in Jos State.  Fashola asked the 
U.S. to speak to Abuja about removing federal impediments to the 
Lagos State light rail project, and requested that the U.S. strive 
for a deeper understanding of Nigerian culture.  Assistant 
Secretary Carson noted that the U.S. is watching Lagos State with 
keen interest and wished Fashola success in his endeavors.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
FASHOLA CONCERNED ABOUT NIGERIAN CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
 
 
¶2.      (C)  In a meeting on February 6 at his residence in Lagos, 
Lagos Governor Fashola expressed concern about Nigeria's 
constitutional process to Assistant Secretary Carson.  He asserted 
that North-South power-sharing rotation agreements made as a part 
of an informal negotiation process should not supersede the 
Constitution, adding that "it is clear now that if the President 
becomes unable to serve, the Vice President should succeed him." 
He noted that, looking beyond the succession to the next election, 
Northern State Governors seem to be organizing strongly with 
electoral momentum "heading north." 
 
 
 
¶3.      (C) Fashola suggested that adherence to the Constitution 
will lead to electoral reforms, but stressed that electoral reforms 
are not the main concern at this time because "they won't take us 
to a destination."  He pointed out that  new electoral laws 
appeared after every Nigerian election, resulting in confusion 
about acceptable conduct at polling stations.  Fashola noted that 
the Coalition for Democratic Reforms (CODR) is working on electoral 
reforms in Nigeria, and asked the U.S. to consult with them 
regarding the current electoral situation. 
 
 
 
¶4.      (C) The festering issue of Nigerian federal versus state 
power is an issue for the future, not now, Fashola said. 
 
 
 
¶5.      (C) Fashola welcomed support from Washington to ensure 
compliance with the Nigeria's Constitution as the country navigates 
President Yar'Adua's absence and deals with the issue of 
succession. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
ECONOMIC CHANGE COMING TO NIGERIA 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
LAGOS 00000073  002 OF 005 
 
 
¶6.      Governor Fashola claimed that Lagos State grew unchecked 
for 35 years with military and other administrators who did not 
plan for the future.  As a result, Fashola found Lagos crippled by 
abysmal infrastructure when he took office three years ago. He has 
since worked to rectify the infrastructure deficit, including 
planning nine, new medical centers for women and children, and a 
clean water system.  Fashola believes these and other 
infrastructure projects will have a trickle down effect - reducing 
crime and creating jobs. 
 
 
 
¶7.      (C) Fashola added that he believes positive economic change 
is already starting in Nigeria.  Other Governors come to him and 
ask questions to learn about economic reform.  He thinks that when 
other states begin to function better, fewer people will migrate 
into Lagos State, which will help alleviate the state's unchecked 
population growth. 
 
 
 
¶8.      However, Lagos State needs both local and foreign 
investment in short- and long-term projects to reduce the 
infrastructure burden caused by exponential population growth.  He 
complained that progress on projects and reforms is often impeded 
by federal obstacles. 
 
 
 
¶9.      (C) Fashola raised the issue of corruption but argued that 
Nigeria cannot begin to resolve this issue until people's 
desperation is addressed. 
 
 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
FASHOLA ADVOCATES INQUIRY INTO THE 2007 NIGERIAN ELECTIONS 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
 
 
¶10.      (C) Fashola advocated convening an inquiry to investigate 
fraud during the 2007 Nigerian elections, arguing that it is 
necessary to hold election officials accountable.  He claimed that 
prosecuting officials for wrong-doing would "put us well on the 
way" to electoral reform.  In the past, he noted, Nigerians' hopes 
were dashed in every election, adding that hope for building 
democracy depends on credible national elections in 2011.  Fashola 
indicated that, in contrast to earlier elections, voter 
registration processes and polling booths exist, but questioned 
whether voter registration efforts are credible. 
 
 
 
¶11.     (C) In spite of pointed questioning from Assistant 
Secretary Carson, Fashola declined to comment on whether 
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Maurice 
Iwu will have sufficient time between now and the 2011 national 
elections to implement effective electoral reforms.  Fashola did 
eventually offer that Iwu so far has not provided impartial 
leadership, not demonstrated courage in his job as "election 
umpire," and given no indication that he will act fairly in the 
future. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
LAGOS 00000073  003 OF 005 
 
 
POWER VACUUM IN THE ABSENCE OF YAR'ADUA 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶12.      (C) Fashola underlined that President Yar'Adua's absence 
creates a power vacuum on a national level, adding "there is no 
voice in the center."  He noted a "commendable crack" in the 
political facade, due to the Minister of Information's courageous 
appeal to the cabinet to end the current leadership impasse.  He 
noted that problems of succession are common in many third world 
countries. 
 
 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
JOS VIOLENCE IS NEITHER ETHNIC NOR RELIGIOUS 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶13.     (C)  Fashola denied that recent violence in Jos had ethnic 
or religious origin.  He claimed instead that a small number of 
inciters had taken advantage of people's ignorance  to inflame the 
local population. 
 
 
 
¶14.     (C) The solution to this problem, he said, is more 
education and enlightenment.  Nigerian society is too interwoven to 
fight a religious war, he asserted, taking as an example his own 
family:  he is Muslim; his wife is Catholic; he has six siblings 
who are Christian; his wife's parents are Anglican; their children 
are a mix of Muslim and Catholic.  In their bedroom, he noted, his 
prayer rug is on one side and his wife's rosary on the other. 
Since tribal affiliations cross religious lines, Fashola questioned 
whether religion fueled the Jos violence, and insisted that days of 
ethnic cleansing are gone forever.  He commented that "people here 
are not ideologues."  (NOTE:  Fashola did not explain how "a small 
number of inciters" could spark violence in the absence of 
religious conflict.  END NOTE.) 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
FASHOLA REQUESTS U.S. ASSISTANCE ON LAGOS LIGHT RAIL TRACK 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
 
 
¶15.      (C) Assistant Secretary Carson described his ride along 
the tumultuous Badagry Road and asked about a proposed light rail 
project.  Fashola expressed regret that Lagos State is unable to 
wholly fund a light rail line; however, he noted that World Bank 
and the Central Bank of Nigeria are now both interested.  Fashola's 
plans call for Lagos State Government to build the light rail 
tracks and infrastructure, and then contract private 
concessionaires to run the trains.  The light rail design is 
complete and a Chinese construction firm is ready to begin work, 
but federal authorities abruptly intervened to stop construction 
allegedly because one of the rails runs beside a federal road on 
federal property. Fashola asked Ambassador Carson to use his 
influence in Abuja to remove this federal impediment to the light 
rail project. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
LAGOS MEGACITY PROJECT ON TRACK TO MEET ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES 
 
LAGOS 00000073  004 OF 005 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
 
 
¶16.     (C) Fashola described the EKO Atlantic City project as a 
partnership with a developer  designed to protect Victoria Island 
and Ikoyi from coastal erosion.  Lagos State, he said, is working 
with a Dutch firm to reclaim lost land, with EKO Atlantic City to 
be built on the reclaimed land.  According to Fashola, the Clinton 
Global Initiative has endorsed the Lagos MegaCity project, and 
Fashola believes that this endorsement will open doors to better 
pricing, procurement opportunities, and environmentally sensitive 
planning.  Fashola claimed that his vision for the Lagos MegaCity 
is environmentally friendly. 
 
 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
U.S. NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND NIGERIAN CULTURE 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶17.     (C) While in Chicago during the 2008 U.S. presidential 
campaign, Fashola said he wrote a letter to then candidate Obama in 
response to his speech in Germany because Fashola feels the U.S. 
does not understand Nigerians adequately.  He predicted that rules 
that work in the west will not work in Nigeria without adaptation, 
using as an example the "winner-takes-all" outcome of litigation in 
western countries.  He said such a judicial system would not work 
in Nigeria because tribal and village communities wish to arbitrate 
disputes.  Nigerian values and communal way of life -- where a man 
is accountable for his brother as if the brother is his own son -- 
are intrinsically different from the western family model where 
children are expected to start paying their way independently at 
age 16.  He thinks that development programs must take into account 
that Nigerians use communal ways to control systems. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
A/S CARSON STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF LAGOS EXAMPLE 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
 
 
¶18.     (C) Assistant Secretary Carson stressed that Fashola enjoys 
an outstanding reputation in Washington as one of Nigeria's very 
best Governors.  Noting that Nigeria is in a period of political 
uncertainty due to the weak health of President Yar'Adua, Assistant 
Secretary Carson pointed out that "this is not the time for 
military or extra-legal power."  He added that "Leaders like you 
can move forward within the framework of the constitution." 
Assistant Secretary Carson also expressed support for Fashola's 
infrastructure and MegaCity projects, and thanked the governor for 
explaining the integration of Nigeria through diversity. 
Acknowledging the vacuum in Abuja, Assistant Secretary Carson 
stressed Nigeria's need for leadership and expressed surprise that 
the Nigerian federal cabinet is not willing to acknowledge this. 
Assistant Secretary Carson issued an invitation to Governor Fashola 
to come to the U.S. to tell the story of Lagos State to Americans 
because many people are interested, and assured Fashola that 
Washington is watching Nigeria and especially Lagos State with 
acute interest.  The importance of Lagos, Assistant Secretary 
Carson stressed, was that Fashola's success in encouraging economic 
reforms could have a catalytic influence on the rest of Nigeria. 
Assistant Secretary Carson concluded his remarks by stressing that 
the U.S. wants Nigeria to succeed -- lawfully, democratically and 
constitutionally. 
 
LAGOS 00000073  005 OF 005 
 
 
¶19.     (C) COMMENT:  Reforms in Lagos State, if successful, could 
serve as a model for reforms and good governance across the 
country.  If Governor Fashola continues to perform well and attract 
both a national and international following during the next few 
years, he will almost certainly emerge as a major contender for 
Nigeria's Presidency.  END COMMENT 
 
 
 
¶20.     (U) Congen Lagos coordinated this telegram with Embassy 
Abuja. 
 
 
 
¶21. (U) Assistant Secretary Carson departed from Lagos before he 
had an opportunity to clear this telegram. 
BLAIR