NIGERIA: SOURCE COMMENTS ON PRESIDENT YAR'ADUA'S

S E C R E T ABUJA 002222 SIPDIS DOE FOR GEORGE PERSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: SOURCE COMMENTS ON PRESIDENT YAR'ADUA'S HEALTH REF: A. ABUJA 2147 ¶B. ABUJA 2123 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders for reasons 1.4. (b & d). ¶1. (S) DOD/HIV Officer reported that Lebanese businessman Ramzi Abu Hassan (strictly protect) met with Nigerian President Yar'Adua on November 7 for approximately 20 minutes. Hassan reported to DOD/HIV Officer that Yar'Adua seemed in reasonably good shape and appeared "with it" and "on top of things." DOD/HIV Officer will try to elicit more information from Hassan as appropriate. ¶2. (C) Hassan is a Lebanese businessman whose family has been working in Nigeria for some time. He told DOD/HIV Officer that his family has ties to the Yar'Adua family, through which he was able to obtain the meeting. Hassan reported the meeting was to discuss an ongoing business dispute with a local Nigerian company and its director. He was seeking (and reportedly obtained) Yar'Adua's assurances that he would not be harassed by the police over what Hassan maintains are false accusations made by the Nigerian company. Hassan's company works with USAID/PEPFAR partners in supplying medical equipment. Post has no reason to believe that he has political or other motivations for providing this information. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: It is surprising, and unusual, given what we understand of the restrictions the Yar'Adua administration has been placing on access to the President, that Hassan was able to get a twenty minute meeting for an issue of less than national importance. Hassan's access may be nothing more than another indication that, in the Nigerian POLITICAL arena, relationships set priorities rather than vice versa. END COMMENT. ¶4. (U) This cable coordinated with Consulate Lagos. Sanders