NIGERIA: SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT BRIEFS AMBASSADOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001431

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2006
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT BRIEFS AMBASSADOR

Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter; reasons 1.5(b) and
(d).



1. (U) Summary: Ambassador Jeter paid a courtesy call on
Secretary to Government for the Federation (SGF) Ufot Ekaette

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on June 15. Ekaette described the role of the SGF in
civilian government as a cross between Chief of Staff and
"super-Minister." In a meeting that ranged widely over
topics of current interest in bilateral relations, the SGF
proved to have a firm command of the issues. He offered his
assistance to the Ambassador if ever USG officials
encountered difficulty getting a directive from the President
translated into action by the Ministries, a common problem.
As proof of his willingness to help, Ekaette concluded the
meeting by asking to be included in correspondence from the
Embassy to the Ministries of Aviation and Internal Affairs
regarding re-deploying INS officials to train airline
employees and GON officers in identifying and interdicting
fraudulent documents. End Summary.



2. (U) SGF Ekaette described for the Ambassador the role of
his office within Nigeria's new democratic dispensation.
Under military rule, the SGF normally acted as Head of the
civil service, but this function has been separated since the
return of democracy. Ekaette said that the SGF sits as
Secretary on all Executive Councils: Council of State,

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Federal Executive Council, and Security Council. He said
that all action items produced by Ministries are routed
through his office, and if he disagrees with them on policy,
budgetary or administrative grounds, they are sent back for
reconsideration. Ekaette added that the President, when
dissatisfied with solutions proposed by the Council of State,
will ask the SGF to chair a committee of Ministers to work on
an alternative.



3. (C) The SGF has six Permanent Secretaries on his staff,
and is in charge of a number of Ministers of State working
directly in the President's office, including Political,
Economic and Administrative Affairs. (Comment: Protocol
hierarchy is both very sensitive and unsettled within the
GON: practically speaking, Ministers follow the Speaker of
the House, after the Senate President and Vice President.
The SGF appears to hold a practical rank equivalent to that
of Minister, while appearing to be primus inter pares in
terms of his influence and co-ordinating role between the
Presidency and Ministries. End Comment.) Ekaette denied
having a direct supervisory role over the Head of Service or
Ministers, yet his influence is perhaps indicated by the fact
that he announced the sacking of several ministers in a
surprise move last week. The SGF offered to assist if ever
there appears to be a "logjam" in getting something
accomplished through Ministerial channels. "I break
through," he said.



4. (C) The Ambassador asked Ekaette, an indigene of Akwa
Ibom, his position on Niger Delta issues. The SGF replied
that there would likely be a political solution to the
problem despite the current litigation in the Supreme Court.
"The President's mandate is national--he must balance the
demands of individual states with the demands of the whole."
On the state of the Civil Service, Ekaette said he felt the
GON had adequately dealt with the issue of ghost workers,
although some may remain. He estimated the total number of
GON employees, including the military and police, to be
247,000. The SGF was equally conversant in other topics
raised by the Ambassador, including the Anti-Corruption
Commission, AGOA, and rule of law/sanctity of contract
issues. On the latter, the SGF said it was unfortunate to
unilaterally nullify contracts, but he defended the practice
when the contracts in question are "fictitious." He said
that the current Government inherited a large number of
contracts which existed only to the extent that the
"mobilization fee" (roughly 50 percent of the contract's
value) was paid, but no work was ever done.



5. (C) Finally, the Ambassador raised the problems
surrounding the use of fraudulent documentation by passengers
on the South African Air/ Nigerian Airways flight from Lagos
to New York. Ambassador Jeter described his efforts with
Kema Chikwe, Minister of Aviation, and Sunday Afolabi,
Minister of Internal Affairs, to promptly reach agreement
regarding the return of INS officials to Nigeria to assist in
training Nigerian and South African airline employees and
possibly GON officials in identifying fraudulent documents.
Ekaette asked to be included in the communication regarding
this issue, and promised to assist, if needed.



6. (C) Comment: Ekaette may prove to be a vital link that
the Mission has lacked in persuading Ministries to translate
verbal commitments into action. Where an action requires
more than the assent of one minister, such as the USD 3.5
million dollar payment to MPRI, GON officials seem content to
kick the ball but never reach the goal line. As for the
SGF's real influence, after walking us down to the car,
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, and impressive Permanent Secretary who was
recently at the Ministry of Commerce, shook his head and said
that the SGF was being modest. "He can make Ministers do
things." We will see. End Comment.


Jeter