NIGERIA: AMBASSADOR'S COURTESY CALL ON SENATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002100

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA
DOE FOR GEORGE PERSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: AMBASSADOR'S COURTESY CALL ON SENATE
LEADERSHIP

Classified By: Political Counselor Walter Pflaumer for reasons 1.4. (b
& d).


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Ambassador paid a courtesy call on Senate
President David Mark and the Senate leadership on Wednesday
October 22. During this initial meeting, the Ambassador and
Senators engaged in an informal discussion on issues of
mutual concern, including health programs, AFRICOM,
corruption, the Niger Delta, and fostering more opportunities
for consultation, legislative exchanges and Senate capacity
building. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) The Ambassador, accompanied by PolOff (notetaker)
met with Senate President David Mark (PDP-Benue South),
Majority Leader Teslim Folarin (PDP-Oyo Central),Majority
Whip Mahmud Kanti Bello (Katsina Central),Deputy Majority
Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (Cross River Central),Deputy
Minority Leader Adeleke Mamora (AC-Lagos East),Deputy
Minority Whip Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya (ANPP-Kano South),
Ambassador Anthony George Manzo (PDP-Taraba North) Vice
Chairman of the Committee on Information and Media, Ayo Arise
(PDP Ekiti North) Chairman of the Committee on Privatization,
Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello (PDP-Ogun Central) Chairwoman of the
Committee on Health, and Ayogu Eze (PDP-Enugu North) Chairman
of the Committee on Media and Information.


3. (C) Senator Obasanjo-Bello thanked the Ambassador for USG
assistance in the field of health, particularly via the
President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program.
She encouraged increased engagement and assistance
particularly in relation to maximizing Nigeria's
participation in the Global Fund and asked that the
Ambassador make the promotion of female education one of her
priorities. The Ambassador noted President Bush's African
Education Initiative and the Fulbright program as successful
educational programs which included many female participants,
as well as the fact that Nigeria did not initially invite USG
participation in its Global Fund discussions.


4. (C) Senator Manzo asked for the Ambassador's views on
AFRICOM, to which she reiterated that it was simply a more
logical reorganization of the US military. The Ambassador
added that, in her experience, the evolution of AFRICOM was a
positive step which would lead to more opportunities for
cooperation and capacity building between the U.S. and
Nigerian militaries. "I appreciate that now I can call one
office for decisions, rather than three or four as before,"
she commented. The Senate President (SP) acknowledged that
though he understood the roles of the different geographical
combat commands and appreciated how the new AFRICOM
represented a more streamlined organization, many Nigerians
did not. In response to a question about the impending
Presidential transition in the U.S., the Ambassador asked the
SP about the possibility of a transition in Nigeria were the
Nigerian Supreme Court to overturn the 2007 election. Mark's
reply was that speculating on such transition issues was "not
within my purview."


5. (C) In response to a question about what Africans can
expect from the U.S. for Africa, the Ambassador said the USG
has not received enough credit for its initiatives in Africa,
and that based on her years of attention to African issues,
she felt there has been a much better partnership between the
U.S. and Africa in the last 12 years than previously, "though
it's not always as much as you may want." The Ambassador
noted that she had just returned from Washington and that
there are two main concerns about Nigeria: corruption and the
Niger Delta. In his response, SP Mark focused on 419 scams,
pointing out that there are two parties in these scams and
both the perpetrator and the victim are at fault. The Delta
was duly acknowledged as a GON priority, with the SP
heralding the creation of the Niger Delta Ministry as a step
forward.


6. (C) The SP also expressed a desire for greater
legislative exchanges between the Nigerian and U.S. Senates
as a means of institutional capacity building, particularly
at the committee level. The Ambassador mentioned that many

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of the opportunities for interaction with their American
legislative counterparts through visits by members of the
U.S. Congress, had not been taken advantage of by the
Nigerian Senate. Mark noted that the Senate's preference was
to meet only with U.S. senators and possibly travel to the
U.S. for interaction there with the U.S. Congress.


7. (C) COMMENT: Mark's reply that speculating on transition
issues was "not within my purview" indicates that he is just
keeping his cards close to his vest on the ramifications of
the Supreme Court overturning the election, and his
Constitutionally mandated role in leading an interim
government. On corruption, Mark failed to address the EFCC
or any corruption issue at the national level. Overall, the
meeting was very cordial and seemingly much appreciated by
the Senate leadership. END COMMENT.

This cable coordinated with Consulate Lagos.
Sanders