NIGERIA: PRESIDENT DISMISSES 20

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 002146

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/28/2018
TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: PRESIDENT DISMISSES 20
MINISTERS/MINISTERS OF STATE

REF: ABUJA 1986

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


1. (C) SUMMARY. Late on October 29, President Yar'Adua
announced the dismissal of 9 Ministers and eleven Ministers
of State, believed to be the first step in his long-awaited
Cabinet reshuffle (reftel). The Ministers of Commerce,
National Planning, Mines and Steel Development, Air
Transport, Education, Environment, Federal Capital Territory,
Women's Affairs, and Sport were among those removed, as well
as Ministers of State for Commerce, Energy (Power),Energy
(Gas),and Foreign Affairs. Among those who were notably
unaffected by the dismissals are the Ministers of Foreign
Affairs, Finance, Justice and Labor, as well as the Minister
of State for Energy (Petroleum). The list of new Ministerial
nominees to replace those dismissed has not yet been
released. Home-state politics appears to have been behind at
least some of the dismissals. We will need to work hard to
ensure continuity of some of the economic initiatives on
which we have been working, particularly regarding our
efforts to secure a BIT and a TIFA. The complete list of
those dismissed and those placed in acting capacity are
provided in paras 5 and 6. END SUMMARY.

PROCESS TO NAME NEW MINISTERS
--------------

2. Section 147 of the Nigerian Constitution requires that
Ministers be nominated by the President and confirmed by the
Senate. At least one Minister must be appointed from each
state, in accordance with Section 14(3),which stipulates
that assignments to public office must reflect the federal
character of Nigeria. In recent practice, the President has
made his nominations in close consultation with governors and
senior leaders of the respective states. The list of
Ministerial nominees sent forward to the Senate for
confirmation is not required to indicate to which Ministry
the nominee will be assigned, and in practice such
information is not made available until after confirmation.
Minister of States are Ministers by legal definition, with
the differentiation made only within the executive for the
purpose of portfolio assignments. (Comment: Because of the
Constitutional requirement of "Federal Character" the state
from which the dismissed Minister comes is of particular
importance. The new list of ministerial nominees will have
to contain individuals from the same states as those
dismissed, although they will not necessarily be assigned to
the same ministry. End Comment.)

INITIAL ANALYSIS OF THE DISMISSALS
--------------

3. (C) Comment. Post's initial impressions of the dismissals
is that politics in the Ministers' home states appears to
have played a large role in many of them. In several cases,
we note disagreements between the Minister and the
"godfather" (the common term here for the head of one of the
patron-client networks which are at the heart of Nigerian
politics) who helped put him in office, or a falling out with
the serving state governor. In particular, the Ministers of
Commerce, Education, the Federal Capital Territory, and Mines
and Steel Development were enmeshed in battles with
personalities within their states. As well, Yar'Adua
targeted the Ministers of State for Energy charged with the
Power and Gas portfolios, likely in response to their
inability to address the ongoing power crisis in the nation.


4. (C) Comment Continued. We are pleased to note that ForMin
Maduekwe has been retained, as we have developed a good
working relationship with him. On the other hand, Justice
Minister and Attorney General Aondoakaa has also held onto
his job, so our difficulties with him on the corruption front
will continue. On the economic side, we will have to work

ABUJA 00002146 002 OF 003


hard to ensure continuity of bilateral initiatives we
established with those ministers who were let go yesterday.
Minister of Commerce and Industry Ugwuh had been involved in
consideration of a bilateral investment treaty (BIT) and USTR
had been looking to engage with Ugwuh to plan for a Trade and
Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council Meeting in
Washington shortly after the new year. Fortunately, Chief
Economic Advisor Yukubu, who is close to the President and
remains in place, is also engaged in consideration of a BIT
based on the U.S. Model Agreement. The USG Team has been
very active with recent promotions designed to support
additional non-oil exports under the African Growth and
Opportunity Act (AGOA),and we will need early engagement
with the new Commerce and Industry leadership to ensure the
GON is fully engaged to create new momentum for AGOA. We
have been increasingly involved with MOS for Power Ibrahim
and MOS for Gas Odisina to support policies that accelerate
public and private investment to meet the electric power
challenge, including for domestic supplies of natural gas.
We have been engaged on civil aviation as well, but MOS Hyatt
was not so personally involved in those efforts and we should
be able to continue working through senior Aviation Ministry
staff and the heads of the responsible subagencies. MOS for
Finance Babalola has been a close and useful contact and may
leave a temporary gap for our purposes if he is assigned
permanently to the FCT. Ambassador and USG Team Nigeria will
engage with new ministers as soon as possible after they are
named. End Comment.


5. (U) Ministers dismissed and those who will serve in an
acting capacity until new Ministers are named:

- Minister of Commerce Charles Ugwu (Imo State)
(Aliyu Idi Hong, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism,
appointed acting)

- Minister/Vice Chairman for National Planning Mohammed
Sanusi Daggash (Borno State)
(Elder Godsday Orubebe, Minister of Special Duties, appointed
acting)

- Minister of Mines and Steel Development Sarafa Tunji Isola
(Ogun State)
(Demola Seriki, Minister of State for Agriculture and Water
Resources, appointed acting)

- Minister of Air Transport Felix Hyat (Kaduna State)

- Minister of Education Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu (Ebonyi State)

- Minister of Environment Halima Tayo Alao (Kwara State)

- Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Aliyu Moddibo
(Gombe State)
(Remi Babalola, Minister of State for Finance, appointed
acting)

- Saudautu Usman Bungudu, Minister of Women's Affairs
(Zamfara State)
(Grace Ekpiwhre, Minister of Science and Technology,
appointed acting)

- Minister of Sports/National Sports Commission Abdurahman
Gimba (Niger State)
(Alhassan Bako Zaku, Minister of State for Science and
Technology, appointed acting)


6. (U) Ministers of State dismissed:
- Minister of State for Commerce Ahmed Garba Bichi (Kano
State)
- Minister of State for Energy (Power) Fatima Balaraba
Ibrahim (Kebbi State)
- Minister of State for Energy (Gas) Emmanuel Olatunde

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Odusina (Ekiti State)
- Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Tijani Yahaya Kaura
(Zamfara State)
- Minister of State for Transport John Okechukwu Emeka
(Anambra State)
- Minister of State for Agriculture and Water Resources Adamu
Maina Waziri (Yobe State)
- Minister of State for Education Jerry Agada (Benue State)
- Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development Ahmed
Mohammed Gusau (Sokoto State)
- Minister of State for the FCT John James Akpanudoedehe
(Akwa Ibom State)
- Minister of State for Information and Communication Ibrahim
Dasuki Nakande (Plateau State)
- Minister of State for Interior Haruna Hassan (Jigawa State)


7. (U) This cable coordinated with Consulate Lagos.
Sanders