NIGERIA: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES EFCC, RIBADU, BIT &

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002347

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2018
TAGS: ECON ETRD EINV ENRG PGOV NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES EFCC, RIBADU, BIT &
AMISOM WITH PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR YAKUBU

REF: A. ABUJA 2325

B. STATE 125135

Classified By: Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders for Reasons 1.4 (b & d).


1. (C) Summary: On November 26, 2008 the Ambassador met with
Tanimu Yakubu, the Chief Economic Advisor and close personal
confidant to President Yar'Adua, to discuss the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and former EFCC Chair
Ribadu. She also covered the lack of progress and roadblocks
to increasing U.S./Nigeria trade and investment and other
issues (reftel A). Yakubu agreed to restart the Framework
for Partnership working groups, plus bilateral investment
treaty (BIT) and Trade and Investment Framework Agreement
(TIFA) Council meetings in late January 2009, including
sending a team to Washington. Yakubu contended the USG's
focus on Ribadu and the EFCC had given him the impression
that the USG was downgrading Nigeria and that our bilateral
relationship was focused only on these issues. The
Ambassador pushed back hard, outlining all the programs,
assistance, etc., that we are doing with Nigeria,
underscoring the importance of beginning in earnest the
Framework discussions. She emphasized, however, that the GON
was making huge public relations and political mistakes as
regards Ribadu. Yakubu noted Yar'Adua was embarrassed by how
the security forces were treating the former EFCC Chair, has
asked for the treatment to stop, and personally intervened to
have Ribadu's Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic
Studies (NIPSS) diploma issued. Ambassador's meeting with
the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs on November 30 on
the same issue will be reported septel. End Summary.


2. (C) During the November 26 meeting, the Ambassador
provided Presidential Special Advisor Yakubu with a non-paper
that outlined major issues preventing increased U.S.
investment and trade with Nigeria. The non-paper noted plans
for BIT discussion, and our challenges with the remaining
import bans, sanctity of contracts issues, problems with
buying and titling property, and intellectual property rights
violations. Yakubu agreed to respond to the USG issues
within the Framework for Partnership working groups with
plans to meet in late January 2009.


3. (C) Yakubu said his impression is that the U.S. is
narrowing its focus with Nigeria to side issues, such as
Ribadu and the EFCC. He questioned whether the U.S. still
considered Nigeria a strategic partner. Yakubu compared the
amount of USG assistance to Iraq and Afghanistan with what
Nigeria received as a signal of the USG's lost interest in
Nigeria. Yakubu complained that the USG was backing away
from previous promises to provide technical assistance and
capacity building, particularly on mortgage issues, health,
education and on bringing the Peace Corps back.


4. (C) The Ambassador responded with a hard line back saying
that if the Special Advisor has this impression he was
mistaken. First, she said the front lines of the War on
Terrorism must be the USG's main priority and we count on
partners like Nigeria to be with us in this fight. Secondly,
clearly we believe that the EFCC, Ribadu and the
anti-corruption efforts are front burner issues for the USG
here because we want Nigeria's democracy to evolve, which it
cannot do if these issues do not improve or are not handled
better. The Ambassador accepted Yakubu's explanation that
the Villa had no policy or intention to harm the former EFCC
Chairman, but that he had to be aware, as she was, that there
are others in the GON who have other views. The Ambassador
underscored that the USG, and the international community
writ large, would certainly be very disappointed if anything
were to happen to the former EFCC Chairman, even if was not
President Yar'Adua's policy to do so.


5. (C) On USG program issues, the Ambassador said the U.S.
still views Nigeria as a strategic partner and she reviewed
the large number of programs/projects the USG is engaged in
Nigeria with PEPFAR being the largest. She noted that
Nigeria was the largest sub-Saharan recipient of USG
assistance and that the U.S. has not wavered from its
commitment to working with Nigeria. In fact, she related
that the USG would like to see Nigeria do more on the
continent as a regional leader in addition to deepening
economic relations with us by agreeing to a BIT. (Note:
Ambassador also gave and went over AMISOM demarche points,

ABUJA 00002347 002 OF 002


reftel B, with Yakubu. End Note)


6. (C) Comment: It is worrisome that someone as close to
Yar'Adua as Yakubu is, and who is also U.S. educated, sees
the bilateral relationship this way. Yakubu has a lot of
influence on President Yar'Adua and could be espousing these
views to him. The USG has a broad array of programs and
projects with Nigeria, yet accomplishments and cooperation in
those areas are being overshadowed in the GON's mind by the
EFCC and Ribadu issues. We need to continue our vigilence on
the EFCC and corruption issues, but also need to ensure that
our policies and progress do not get sidelined by GON policy
makers with similar views to Yakubu's. End Comment.
Sanders