Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ABUJA1446
2007-07-06 14:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abuja
Cable title:
NIGERIAN SENATE RECEIVES LIST OF MINISTERIAL
how-toVZCZCXRO5177 PP RUEHPA DE RUEHUJA #1446/01 1871450 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 061450Z JUL 07 FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0162 INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 0428 RUEHCD/AMCONSUL CIUDAD JUAREZ 0429 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUEAUSA/DEPT OF EDUCATION WASHDC RUEKJCS/DIA WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 001446
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DOE FOR CAROLYN GAY
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINR NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN SENATE RECEIVES LIST OF MINISTERIAL
NOMINEES
ABUJA 00001446 001.2 OF 003
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Heather Merritt for Reasons 1
.4 (b and d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 001446
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DOE FOR CAROLYN GAY
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINR NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN SENATE RECEIVES LIST OF MINISTERIAL
NOMINEES
ABUJA 00001446 001.2 OF 003
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Heather Merritt for Reasons 1
.4 (b and d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: The Nigerian Senate received a list of 34
ministerial nominees from President Yar'adua on July 5 after
weeks of public speculation and security vetting. The list,
which does not include any reference to portfolios, is
comprised predominantly of technocrats, politicians, and
party officials, and includes four former Obasanjo
administration ministers. Most of the nominees on the
current ministerial list are uncontroversial and are likely
to be confirmed without difficulty. However, some nominees
may be substituted in coming weeks to assuage inter and
intra-party wrangling. END SUMMARY
2. (C) The Nigerian Senate received a list of 34 ministerial
nominees from President Yar'adua on July 5. The press in the
weeks immediately prior claimed at least four lists were in
circulation and that the Nigerian Executive had been keeping
the list close-hold until nominees were announced on the
Senate floor. Observers had expected the Senate, which
reconvened on June 25 after a three week recess, to receive
the list early the previous week. President Yar'adua,
however, said he delayed submitting the list to the Senate to
allow Nigerian law enforcement and security services to
perform security background investigations on the ministerial
candidates. The Senate will begin ministerial confirmation
hearings on July 10.
3. (C) The nomination process began in late May when
Yar'adua required each state governor to submit to the
Presidency three names. President Yar'adua then selected
from among these to form his list of ministerial nominees.
Political observers expressed concern that the list would be
heavily skewed towards former state governors and advisers of
former President Obasanjo.
4. (C) The list released on July 5 is comprised
predominantly of technocrats, politicians, and party
officials, and includes four former Obasanjo administration
ministers. It does not make any reference to what portfolios
each minister will occupy. With the exception of these few
notable former ministers and high-level technocrats, most of
the nominees are relative unknowns. No former state
governors are among the nominees and Benue, Jigawa, Kebbi,
and Kaduna States are not yet represented among the
ministerial candidates. Gombe and Kano States have two
candidates each.
--------------
Technocrats:
--------------
5. (U) Adamu Maina Waziri - Yobe State
Waziri is a former technocrat and losing 2007 PDP
gubernatorial candidate for Yobe State. He served as Special
assistant to the Minister of Agriculture and as Special
Assistant to the President under Obasanjo. He also led the
controversial Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).
6. (U) Dr. Shamsudden Usman - Kano State
Usman is an economist and currently Deputy Governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Prior to this he served as
Managing Director of NAL Merchant Bank and for the Kano state
Government as Director of Budget. Usman received his MSc and
PhD from the London School of Economics and briefly taught
economics at Ahmadu Bello University.
7. (U) Charles Ugwuh - Imo State
An engineer, Ugwuh is the immediate past chairman of the
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). The courts
disqualified him from the 2007 Imo State gubernatorial
elections.
8. (U) Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke - Bayelsa State
Alison-Madueke is currently the Director of External
Relations for Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria
(SPDC). Her husband is a retired admiral and Chief of Naval
Staff during the military era. She is a graduate of Howard
University in Washington, DC.
ABUJA 00001446 002.2 OF 003
9. (U) Yayale Ahmed - Bauchi State
Ahmed is the current Head of Civil Service of Nigeria and
started his career in Bauchi State government.
10. (U) Bode Augusto - Lagos State
Augosto served as Director General of the Budget Office of
the President. He is a former partner at PriceWaterhouse and
founded Augusto & Co Ltd., the first credit rating agency in
Nigeria licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
11. (U) Chief Sarafa Isola - Ogun State
--------------
PDP Officials:
--------------
12. (U) Chief Ojo Maduekwe - Abia State
Maduekwe is currently National Secretary of the PDP and held
a cabinet post under President Obasanjo.
13. (U) John Odey - Cross River State
Odey is the PDP Publicity Secretary.
14. (U) Ahmed Mohammed Gusau - Sokoto State
Gusau is the Special Adviser to the PDP National Chairman.
He served as Deputy Governor in Sokoto State and as
administrator of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC).
--------------
Former Ministers:
--------------
15. (U) Dr. Hassan Muhammad Lawal - Nasarawa State
Lawal is the former Minister of Labor and Productivity.
16. (U) Abba Sayyadi Ruma - Katsina State
Ruma served as Minister of education under President Obasanjo
and as Secretary to the Government of Katsina State.
17. (U) Dr. Aliyu Umar Moddibo - Gombe State
Moddibo is a US-trained journalist and served as Minister of
Commerce and as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff under
President Obasanjo. In the private sector, Moddibo worked
with the National television Authority (NTA) and was chairman
of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN).
18. (U) Halima Tayo Alao - Kwara State
An architect, Alao was former Minister of Health under
President Obasanjo.
--------------
Politicians:
--------------
19. (U) Sanusi Daggash - Borno State
Daggash served in the Nigerian Senate from 2003 to 2007 and
in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003.
20. (U) Ambassador Bagudu Hirshe - Plateau State
Hirshe has worked extensively at both the state and federal
level. He served as Nigeria's High Commissioner to Namibia
in 1999 and has been involved in partisan politics since the
early 1990s. He studied at Ahmadu Bello University and Zaria
and received training in journalism at the BBC in London.
21. (U) Prince Adetokunbo Kayode - Ondo State
22. (U) Senator John James Akpanudoedehe - Akwa-Ibom State
--------------
Others:
--------------
23. (U) Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong - Adamawa State
24. (U) Mrs. Ekipwhre Grace - Delta State
25. (U) Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu - Ebonyi State
26. (U) Maj. Gen. Godwin Abbe (rtd) - Edo State
ABUJA 00001446 003.2 OF 003
27. (U) Prince Dayo Adeye - Ekiti State
28. (U) Mrs. Fidelia Akubata Njeze - Enugu State
29. (U) Hajia Aishatu Jibril Dukku - Gombe State
30. (U) Ahmed Garba Bichi - Kano State
31. (U) Gabriel Yakubu Aduku - Kogi State
32. (U) Abulrahman Hassan Gimba - Niger State
33. (U) Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi - Osun State
34. (U) Chief Aderemi W. Babalolo - Oyo State
35. (U) H. Hodein Ajumogobia - Rivers State
36. (U) Ibrahim El-Sudi - Taraba State
37. (U) Tijjani Yahaya Kaura - Zamfara State
38. (U) Prince John Okechukwu Emeka - Anambra State
--------------
Comment:
--------------
39. (C) Most of the nominees on the current ministerial list
are uncontroversial and are likely to be confirmed without
difficulty. However, some nominees may be substituted in
coming weeks to assuage inter and intra-party wrangling as
political parties agreeing to participate in the Government
of National Unity (GNU) seek representation in Federal
Government ministries. Furthermore, some state governors may
balk at certain selections leaving their states' ministerial
slots vacant, either because they are unsatisfied with
President Yar'adua's nominee or pressured by local party
members to select a consensus candidate. Nominees that are
former ministers are from the North and are not seen as
Obasanjo cronies, and there are few PDP stalwarts on the
list, which helps to ease concerns that Obasanjo would
attempt to stack the ministries with his supporters.
CAMPBELL
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DOE FOR CAROLYN GAY
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINR NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN SENATE RECEIVES LIST OF MINISTERIAL
NOMINEES
ABUJA 00001446 001.2 OF 003
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Heather Merritt for Reasons 1
.4 (b and d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: The Nigerian Senate received a list of 34
ministerial nominees from President Yar'adua on July 5 after
weeks of public speculation and security vetting. The list,
which does not include any reference to portfolios, is
comprised predominantly of technocrats, politicians, and
party officials, and includes four former Obasanjo
administration ministers. Most of the nominees on the
current ministerial list are uncontroversial and are likely
to be confirmed without difficulty. However, some nominees
may be substituted in coming weeks to assuage inter and
intra-party wrangling. END SUMMARY
2. (C) The Nigerian Senate received a list of 34 ministerial
nominees from President Yar'adua on July 5. The press in the
weeks immediately prior claimed at least four lists were in
circulation and that the Nigerian Executive had been keeping
the list close-hold until nominees were announced on the
Senate floor. Observers had expected the Senate, which
reconvened on June 25 after a three week recess, to receive
the list early the previous week. President Yar'adua,
however, said he delayed submitting the list to the Senate to
allow Nigerian law enforcement and security services to
perform security background investigations on the ministerial
candidates. The Senate will begin ministerial confirmation
hearings on July 10.
3. (C) The nomination process began in late May when
Yar'adua required each state governor to submit to the
Presidency three names. President Yar'adua then selected
from among these to form his list of ministerial nominees.
Political observers expressed concern that the list would be
heavily skewed towards former state governors and advisers of
former President Obasanjo.
4. (C) The list released on July 5 is comprised
predominantly of technocrats, politicians, and party
officials, and includes four former Obasanjo administration
ministers. It does not make any reference to what portfolios
each minister will occupy. With the exception of these few
notable former ministers and high-level technocrats, most of
the nominees are relative unknowns. No former state
governors are among the nominees and Benue, Jigawa, Kebbi,
and Kaduna States are not yet represented among the
ministerial candidates. Gombe and Kano States have two
candidates each.
--------------
Technocrats:
--------------
5. (U) Adamu Maina Waziri - Yobe State
Waziri is a former technocrat and losing 2007 PDP
gubernatorial candidate for Yobe State. He served as Special
assistant to the Minister of Agriculture and as Special
Assistant to the President under Obasanjo. He also led the
controversial Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).
6. (U) Dr. Shamsudden Usman - Kano State
Usman is an economist and currently Deputy Governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Prior to this he served as
Managing Director of NAL Merchant Bank and for the Kano state
Government as Director of Budget. Usman received his MSc and
PhD from the London School of Economics and briefly taught
economics at Ahmadu Bello University.
7. (U) Charles Ugwuh - Imo State
An engineer, Ugwuh is the immediate past chairman of the
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). The courts
disqualified him from the 2007 Imo State gubernatorial
elections.
8. (U) Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke - Bayelsa State
Alison-Madueke is currently the Director of External
Relations for Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria
(SPDC). Her husband is a retired admiral and Chief of Naval
Staff during the military era. She is a graduate of Howard
University in Washington, DC.
ABUJA 00001446 002.2 OF 003
9. (U) Yayale Ahmed - Bauchi State
Ahmed is the current Head of Civil Service of Nigeria and
started his career in Bauchi State government.
10. (U) Bode Augusto - Lagos State
Augosto served as Director General of the Budget Office of
the President. He is a former partner at PriceWaterhouse and
founded Augusto & Co Ltd., the first credit rating agency in
Nigeria licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
11. (U) Chief Sarafa Isola - Ogun State
--------------
PDP Officials:
--------------
12. (U) Chief Ojo Maduekwe - Abia State
Maduekwe is currently National Secretary of the PDP and held
a cabinet post under President Obasanjo.
13. (U) John Odey - Cross River State
Odey is the PDP Publicity Secretary.
14. (U) Ahmed Mohammed Gusau - Sokoto State
Gusau is the Special Adviser to the PDP National Chairman.
He served as Deputy Governor in Sokoto State and as
administrator of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC).
--------------
Former Ministers:
--------------
15. (U) Dr. Hassan Muhammad Lawal - Nasarawa State
Lawal is the former Minister of Labor and Productivity.
16. (U) Abba Sayyadi Ruma - Katsina State
Ruma served as Minister of education under President Obasanjo
and as Secretary to the Government of Katsina State.
17. (U) Dr. Aliyu Umar Moddibo - Gombe State
Moddibo is a US-trained journalist and served as Minister of
Commerce and as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff under
President Obasanjo. In the private sector, Moddibo worked
with the National television Authority (NTA) and was chairman
of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN).
18. (U) Halima Tayo Alao - Kwara State
An architect, Alao was former Minister of Health under
President Obasanjo.
--------------
Politicians:
--------------
19. (U) Sanusi Daggash - Borno State
Daggash served in the Nigerian Senate from 2003 to 2007 and
in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003.
20. (U) Ambassador Bagudu Hirshe - Plateau State
Hirshe has worked extensively at both the state and federal
level. He served as Nigeria's High Commissioner to Namibia
in 1999 and has been involved in partisan politics since the
early 1990s. He studied at Ahmadu Bello University and Zaria
and received training in journalism at the BBC in London.
21. (U) Prince Adetokunbo Kayode - Ondo State
22. (U) Senator John James Akpanudoedehe - Akwa-Ibom State
--------------
Others:
--------------
23. (U) Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong - Adamawa State
24. (U) Mrs. Ekipwhre Grace - Delta State
25. (U) Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu - Ebonyi State
26. (U) Maj. Gen. Godwin Abbe (rtd) - Edo State
ABUJA 00001446 003.2 OF 003
27. (U) Prince Dayo Adeye - Ekiti State
28. (U) Mrs. Fidelia Akubata Njeze - Enugu State
29. (U) Hajia Aishatu Jibril Dukku - Gombe State
30. (U) Ahmed Garba Bichi - Kano State
31. (U) Gabriel Yakubu Aduku - Kogi State
32. (U) Abulrahman Hassan Gimba - Niger State
33. (U) Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi - Osun State
34. (U) Chief Aderemi W. Babalolo - Oyo State
35. (U) H. Hodein Ajumogobia - Rivers State
36. (U) Ibrahim El-Sudi - Taraba State
37. (U) Tijjani Yahaya Kaura - Zamfara State
38. (U) Prince John Okechukwu Emeka - Anambra State
--------------
Comment:
--------------
39. (C) Most of the nominees on the current ministerial list
are uncontroversial and are likely to be confirmed without
difficulty. However, some nominees may be substituted in
coming weeks to assuage inter and intra-party wrangling as
political parties agreeing to participate in the Government
of National Unity (GNU) seek representation in Federal
Government ministries. Furthermore, some state governors may
balk at certain selections leaving their states' ministerial
slots vacant, either because they are unsatisfied with
President Yar'adua's nominee or pressured by local party
members to select a consensus candidate. Nominees that are
former ministers are from the North and are not seen as
Obasanjo cronies, and there are few PDP stalwarts on the
list, which helps to ease concerns that Obasanjo would
attempt to stack the ministries with his supporters.
CAMPBELL