[War] Nigeria: An Informal Introduction/Business as Usual

[lee.tarnow at utoronto.ca]

"An Informal Introduction/Business as Usual"
Nigeria
---

There is no summer or winter in Nigeria; instead, what you have is a  
dry season and a rainy season - and then in between you have an  
interesting type of weather called harmattan.

---
11:03 PM
28 June 2013
Uyo, Akwa Ibom (Nigeria)
---

Paul Babatunde wrapped his arms around his darling, Mary. He whispered  
in her ear,

"Can you hear the rain, love?"

Paul was a professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Uyo.  
Recently 30, recently tenured, Paul had his whole life ahead of him.  
He pulled Mary close - rested her head on his shoulder. She sighed her  
approval, turned to face him. They kissed.

That's when the room filled with smoke. Paul heard a crash... a  
scream. He felt Mary being taken away from him. He tried pulling her  
back, but instead found the cold end of a Chinese Type 03 assault  
rifle. The butt landed flush against his temple, and he felt his legs  
wobble. The room swam around him - all he could make out were the  
muffled screams. He reached out for Mary, but was met by steel toe  
boots for the effort. He tasted some blood - spat out some teeth. A  
sharp kick to his side rolled him over.

"Good evening, Professor Babatunde."

A baritone voice, dark sunglasses. He had no reflection in the  
moonlight. A cold, heartless man in a cold, heartless SSS (State  
Security Service) uniform. He sat on the bed and shook out some  
cigarettes. Paul made out Mary's face in the new found order. She was  
crying. A cold sweat had covered her soft skin, an exposed breast had  
found its way out of her white cotton nightie. An SSS soldier held a  
knife at her throat. She wimpered as he clutched her breast. Tears  
streamed down Paul's face. The reflectionless man lit a smoke.

""So tell me about your friends, Paul."

"Huh?"

Kick. Paul was lifted into the air. He crashed against the wall, and  
coughed deeply. His mouth was full of blood, it hurt to breathe. He  
could barely see. There were two Type 03s pointed at his face. The  
steel toe boot pinned his neck against the wall. Paul's chest heaved.

"I do love games, Paul. So tell me, do you love your wife?"

More tears. Paul nodded.

"We're going to play a game with your wife, Paul, and the sooner you  
tell us what we want to know, the sooner we'll leave you alone..."

---
15 July 2014
Abuja, FCT (Nigeria)
HH Eheneden Erediauwa, 39th Oba of Benin, Edaiken of Uselu, Member of  
the Uzama, 3rd President of the Nigerian Fourth Republic
(and others)
---

Whether it was coincidence, or divine circumstance, Eheneden was  
thankful for what he had been given. His father, Erediauwa I, the 38th  
Oba of Benin, and President Yar'Adua had died around the same time.  
Vice President Jonathan had proven unlikeable, and with his name in  
the media, the ANPP had thrust Eheneden into the political limelight.

He was the logical choice, really. Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa,  
born 1953, Nigerian Ambassador to Norway, Nigerian Ambassador to  
Angola. B.A. in economics and sociology from the University of Wales.  
Member of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. Since 1987  
he had been active in leading positions within the Nigerian business  
community, especially the gas and oil industries. 6' tall (like his  
father), well liked, handsome. He was the perfect man for the job.

The phone rang.

"Ób'ínwìnà, Eheneden."

It was a cold baritone. An evil, yet important man. It was him who had  
dealt with MEND; him who had dealt with the OPC. He was an important  
friend, and an incredibly dangerous enemy.

"No ngoola daa, Muhammadu. How are you enjoying Lagos?"

"It is Lagos, highness. How are you finding Abuja?"

"It's not Edo, that's for sure," Eheneden laughed. He already missed  
the imperial city, Benin City, "When will you be back in Abuja?"

"I am already done," Eheneden shuddered. It was important that  
Muhammadu carry out his despicable business, for no man with a soul  
could do the things necessary to ensure the freedom of Nigeria. At the  
same time, no man with a sould could be comfortable with these deeds,  
and Eheneden reflected this.

"I will see you soon, Muhammadu."

"Goodbye, highness."

Click.

Eheneden placed the cordless on the table. He rubbed his face in his  
hands, and thought of his family. He had married his wife, Rebecca (b.  
1962), at 34 and soon had 3 sons, Clipper Oro-Biru (1988), Shaggy  
Ogi-Suo (1994), and Goose Ore-Oghene (1996) and 1 daughter, Misty Evbu  
(1992). Oro-Biru had become a successful investment banker with  
Goldman Sachs, and Ogi-Suo and Evbu were finishing up college.  
Ore-Oghene (or Goose, as his American friends called him) was a  
different story. Like his brothers and sisters, Goose had gone to
boarding school in the United States; unlike his brothers and sisters,  
he was quiet and reserved, and found solace in individual sports, such  
as judo, and wrestling. This was fine, but when Goose chose to accept  
an athletic scholarship to a public university instead of attending a  
private university as per his father's wishes, there was a definite  
falling out of sorts. That, and his latest obsession with jiu jitsu.  
Judo, and wrestling Eheneden could accept, but jiu jitsu seemed a  
little too homosexual for Eheneden's tastes. Perhaps it was a phase  
the Ore-Oghene would grow out of. That, and with Ore-Oghene back in  
Nigeria for the summer, perhaps there would be an opportunity for the  
two to talk...

Eheneden's train of thought was interupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in."

It was Adamu Ogwu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He had completely  
forgotten that this was the entire purpose of his morning.

"Ób'ínwìnà, Mr. President. How goes your morning?"

"Its alright, Adamu," Eheneden responded, standing behind the dark  
mahogany desk in the presidential office. He outstretched his hand,  
which Ogwu shook, and gestured to a chair, "Please sit down."

Ogwu took a seat, he noticed President Erediauwa shuffling with the  
papers on his desk, looking for Ogwu's proposal.

"I'll just get down to brass tacks," Ogwu announced, "The Algerian  
government would like to license some of our unused OPEC quota, since  
their capacity far overextends their quota," he cleared his throat,  
"After discussing the proposed licensure, the Ministers of Energy and  
Finance, and I have-"

"Give it to them for free."

Ogwu's jaw dropped, "Mr. President I would strongly recommend against-"

"Free. I'm in no interest in charging our friends for favors. Who  
knows when we'll be the one's in need," Eheneden paused to scan Ogwu.  
He seemed genuinely shocked, "As well, contact our friends in Angola,  
Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon, and see if they would be  
interested in collectively sharing their quotas as well. We're an OPEC  
founding member, we can bring up a collective case with the greedy  
pigs in the Kingdom and Iran. Unless they're too busy warmongering."

Ogwu was distressed. Erediauwa was going to anger some important  
people in Caracas, Riyadh, and Tehran. "President, I-"

"That is all, minister."

Ogwu nodded at the curt, dismissive gesture, and got up to leave.  
Eheneden extended a hand to Ogwu, which he shook carefully, and was on  
his way.

"Well at least we're doing something different."

---

Actions:
1) Introductory Post
3) Have Minister of Energy, and Minister of Finance write up a fair  
Quota-Sharing agreement for Nigeria, that is not extortive in nature
3) Have foreign minister present Quota-Sharing agreement with friendly  
African Petroleum-producing nations, ie, Algeria, Angola, Cameroon,  
Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and OPEC.