NIGERIA: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NEW MINISTERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 11 ABUJA 002526 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA DOE FOR GEORGE PERSON DEPT PASS TO USTR - AGAMA DOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURESS AMD 3130/USFC/OIO/ANESA/DHARRIS USDA/FAS FOR SIMMONS AND MCKINNELL TREASURY FOR RHALL AND DPETERS USAID/AFR/WA FOR TWAY, USAID/AFR/SD FOR JHILL AND USAID/EGAT FOR MOTT E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2018 TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON ETRD EAGR EAID NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NEW MINISTERS REF: A. ABUJA 2495 ¶B. ABUJA 2466 ¶C. ABUJA 2517 Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Cheryl Fernandes for reasons 1.4. (b & d). ¶1. (C) Per reftel A, the following is comprehensive biographical information, with comment, on President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's new cabinet. The list is presented in alphabetical order by Ministry. ¶2. (C) Michael Kaase Aondoakaa -- Attorney General/Minister of Justice. Aondoakaa hails from Benue State and received both his B.A. and LL.B. from the University of Maiduguri in ¶1985. He passed the Bar in 1986 and served as a junior partner with J. Tine Tur and Co. Chambers, Gboko, in 1987. In 1989 he started his own firm, M. K. Aondoakaa and Co. He played a role in two landmark Supreme Court case which established the right to redress for abuse of human rights and that provocation need not be spontaneous. COMMENT: Aondoakaa is an intelligent, politically savvy lawyer who is reputed to have done some of Yar'Adua's dirty work, including attempts to disgrace Economic and Financial Crimes Commission former chairman Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. He is considered to be a thug heavily involved in illicit enrichment and cannot be trusted. Yar'Adua keeping him on belies his commitment to the rule of law. ¶3. (C) Dr. Sayyadi Abba Ruma -- Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources. Ruma is from Katsina State, and holds a B.A. in History from the University of Sokoto, an M.A. in International Affairs and Diplomacy from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU),and a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Abuja. From 1987-1991 he worked as Information and Public Relations Officer to the National Electoral Campaign in Katsina, and was appointed Special Advisor to the Governor of Katsina State in 1992. From 1994-1998 he served in the National Primary Education Commission, rising to the position of Assistant Director, and from 1999-2003 he served as Chairman of Rascom Network He then served as Secretary to the Katsina Government (2004-2006) and was appointed Minister of State for Education in 2006 until his most recent appointment. COMMENT: Ruma is part of the Katsina clique (President Yar'Adua's home state) and has the ear of President Yar'Adua. Ruma is reportedly also President Yar'Adua's cousin. We have been told that he served as the first kidney donor to Yar'Adua. ¶4. (C) Fidelia Akubata Njeze -- Minister of State for Agriculture and Water Resources. Njeze was Minister of State for Defense (and Acting Minister of Defense after Ahmed's appointment as Secretary to the Government of the Federal in September 2008). She was born June 8, 1964 in Enugu State and holds a B.S. in pharmacology from the University of Nigeria in Nsukka. She did her internship with Park Lane Specialist Hospital in Enugu in 1990 and National Service with the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Enugu from 1990 to ABUJA 00002526 002 OF 011 ¶1991. Between 1996 and 2004 she was the Managing Director of Gredel Pharmancy, Ltd. She was appointed a member of the Enugu State Health Services Management Board in 2004, where she remained until her appointment to Yar'Adua's cabinet in ¶2007. COMMENT: Njeze is known as being strident, and can be difficult. That said, she handled our military-to-military cooperation well, particularly on the DOD/HIV-AIDS program. ¶5. (C) Babatunde Omotoba -- Minister of Aviation. Omotoba is a professional investment banker with an M.B.A. from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a civil engineering degree from the University of Benin (Nigeria). He also worked for Smith Whiley Investments in Evanston, Illinois, and was a manager at Arthur Andersen (Nigeria). COMMENT: Reputed to be smart, experienced, and energetic, but inexperienced in government. ¶6. (C) Achike Udenwa -- Minister of Commerce and Industry. Udenwa was born in 1948 in Imo State and was Governor of Imo State from 1999-2007. He is a member of the PDP and is an Igbo Chief. COMMENT: Udenwa's popularity in Imo State suffered when his political maneuverings to influence the PDP primaries in preparation for the 2007 gubernatorial elections resulted in a schism in the state party and led to two separate primaries held in the period of four days. He has reportedly achieved positive results in Imo in the areas of transportation, electricity, and education. ¶7. (C) Bello Jibril Gada -- Minister of Culture and Tourism. Gada was tapped for the position while a serving PDP Senator from Sokoto State. He had previously served as Senator from Sokoto and Minority Whip from 1999 to 2003. He also served as Sokoto State Commissioner from 1992 to 1994 and State Secretary to the now-defunct United Nigerian Congress Party from 1997 to 1998. He is new to the Federal Government and we will need to get to know him. ¶8. (C) Dr. Shettima Mustapha ) Minister of Defense. Born November 26, 1939, in Borno State, Mustapha is an agricultural specialist who studied in Nigeria, England, and took a course at Purdue University. He was Nnamdi Azikiwe's vice-presidential running mate in the 1983 election and was jailed for two years following the December 1983 military coup. He then returned to teaching agronomy, and eventually was given an agricultural management position in the Federal Government in 1989. In 1990 he was appointed Minister of Agriculture and in 1992 took on consulting positions in various international organizations. He has served as the National Treasurer of the Peoples Democratic Party and worked recently with a USAID implementing partner on agriculture reform. COMMENT: Like his last three predecessors, he has no known military experience. Ambassador paid a courtesy call on him December 23, and initial impressions are that he will be less than dynamic in this slot. He will likely defer to Chief of Defense Staff Paul Dike on many matters. ABUJA 00002526 003 OF 011 ¶9. (C) Ademola Seriki ) Minister of State for Defense. From Lagos State, Seriki was appointed head of the Lagos Council on Sport, and previously served Yar'Adua as acting Minister of State for Agriculture and Water Resources. COMMENT: Seriki is said to be a political up-and-comer with strong support within the PDP. He has no previous experience in defense-related matters. ¶10. (C) Sam Egwu -- Minister of Education. Egwu was born June 20, 1954 in Ebonyi State. He holds a Ph.D. in Agronomy from Enugu State University of Science and Technology, and was head of the Department of Crop Science there. Egwu was a two-term Governor of Ebonyi State from 1999 to 2007. He was former President Obasanjo's candidate of choice for Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) Chair in 2007 but lost the position to current PDP chairman Chief Vincent Ogbulafor. He has published many papers and received many awards and traditional Nigerian titles. COMMENT: Egwu is regarded as a competent administrator. ¶11. (C) Aishatu Jibril Dukku -- Minister of State for Education. Dukku is from Gombe State, and received her B.A. in Education from Bayero University in Kano. She began her public service as a secondary school teacher in 1987, and between 1990-1999 was Vice Principal of Pilot Junior Secondary School in Gombe. She later served as Principal of Gandu Junior Secondary School and Principal of the Federal Government Girls, College, Gombe State. She was appointed Federal Inspector of Education for Gombe State in 2006, which she held until her appointment to this position in 2007. COMMENT: Dukku is viewed by many as politically connected but largely ineffective. Her nomination to this slot is just to reward her loyalty to the Party. ¶12. (C) John Odey -- Minister of Environment. Odey was Minister of Information and Communication from July 2007. He was born November 1, 1959 and holds a B.S. in Banking and Finance from the University of Calabar. He joined Tofamid Industries in Part Harcourt in 1986, where he worked as Group Operations Officer, Project Manager, Finance Syndication Manager and Technical Coordinator for International and National Investors. In 1999, he founded the South-South Express Newspaper. From 2003 to 2005, Odey served as Cross River State Commissioner for Agriculture. He was PDP National Publicity Secretary until his appointment as Information Minister in 2007. He has served as Chairman of the News Agency of Nigeria prior to that. COMMENT: Odey is a mainstream PDP player and described by some as a "conformist." His record of achievements in the Ministry of Information was poor. ¶13. (C) Muhammed Adamu Aliero -- Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Aliero is former Governor of Kebbi State from 1999-2007 and a member of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP). COMMENT: Aliero is viewed as a political hack who will not rock the boat. ABUJA 00002526 004 OF 011 ¶14. (C) Chuka Odom -- Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory. Odom was Minister of Environment and Housing from July 2007 and from Abia state. He is a lawyer by training and a close personal associate of former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu. He served as a campaign strategist for Kalu's 1999 gubernatorial campaign and was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff to the former governor, as well as Commissioner of the State. He is a representative of the Peoples' Progressive Alliance (PPA) in Yar'Adua's Government of National Unity (GNU). COMMENT: Odom was declared "wanted" by the EFCC, alongside former Governor Kalu's mother, for alleged fraud and money laundering. That an individual under investigation and "wanted" by the EFCC can retain a cabinet seat is symbolic of the GON's ineffectiveness at pushing against entrenched interests in the fight against corruption. ¶15. (C) Mansur Muhtar ) Minister of Finance. Muhtar, a graduate of Harvard University, was Director General in the Debt Relief Office under Obasanjo, where he managed Nigeria's debt portfolio and played a major role in the negotiations that led to Nigeria's exit from the Paris and London Clubs of creditors. He most recently has been a senior economist with the Africa Development Bank. COMMENT: A senior U.S. economist who worked closely with him at the Africa Development Bank described him as &by far the best Executive Director at the bank ... smart, articulate, and gets the big picture.8 He is reportedly close to former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. ¶16. (C) Aderemi Babalola -- Minister of State for Finance. He is from Oyo State and holds a B.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan and a Masters of Banking and Finance from the University of Lagos. He began his career with Price Waterhouse, Lagos, and from 1991-2001 worked for Zenith International Bank, rising to the position of General Manager of the Lagos Branch. From 2001-2005 he was Deputy General Manager of First Bank of Nigeria, and in September 2005 was appointed Executive Director, a position he held until his appointment to Minister of State in 2007. COMMENT: Babalola is extremely competent, knows his portfolio well, and had defacto led the Ministry under previous Finance Minister Usman. During the interim period of Yar'Adua's decision-making on the new ministerial slots, Babalola served as the supervising Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. ¶17. (C) Chief Ojo Uma Maduekwe -- Minister of Foreign Affairs. He is from Abia State and holds a law degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He has served in the House of Representatives in 1983 and the Constituent Assembly in 1988. From 1993-1995 he was advisor to the Minister or Foreign Affairs, was part of the National Constitutional Conference from 1994-1995, and was elected to the Senate in ¶1998. He curtailed his Senate tenure to become Minister of Culture and Tourism (1999-2000),Minister of Transport (2000-2003),and Legal Advisor to the President (2003-2005), and PDP National Secretary (2006-2007). Since 2007 he has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and is one of only two Ministers who have served in both Obasanjo's and Yar'Adua's ABUJA 00002526 005 OF 011 administrations. COMMENT: Maduekwe has been described by Nigerians as a member of "AGIP" (Any Government in Power). He has been successful in making the transition from Obasanjo's inner circle to Yar'Adua's. There are some rumors that he may be replaced in the near future, which would be a loss for the USG. Maduekwe has been helpful on issues for DRC, Mauritania, and Zimbabwe. ¶18. (C) Jibril Maigari -- Minister of State One, Foreign Affairs. Maigari is from Yobe State, where he held senior positions in the State Ministry of Agriculture. He holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration. COMMENT: Maigari is a relative unknown. ¶19. (C) Ambassador Bagudu Mutley Hirse -- Minister of State Two, Foreign Affairs. Hirse comes from Plateau State and holds a B.S. in Biology from ABU. He worked for Benue Plateau Television from 1974-1976 and in 1981 was appointed Commissioner of the Federal Civil Service Commission, where he served until 1991. From 1999-2003 he was Nigeria's Ambassador to Namibia, worked on Obasanjo's election campaign in 2003, and was appointed to the Board of Directors of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas in 2005, a position he held until his appointment to the MFA in 2007. COMMENT: Mission has had several opportunities to interact with Hirse as he has had to fill in for the Foreign Minister. That being said, he has been weak on follow-through with the Mission on the Framework for Partnership issues. In his meeting with a Codel in August 2007, he appeared thoroughly unbriefed on foreign affairs and chose instead to talk about development in the Nigerian power sector. ¶20. (C) Babatunde Osotimehin -- Minister of Health. Born February 6, 1949 in Ogun State, Osotimehin studied at the University of Ibadan, Cornell Medical School, and Harvard University. Osotimehin is former Director of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA),and has been a consultant for World Health Organization, UNICEF, and UNFPA. He successfully headed a $90.3 million World Bank HIV/AIDS project. COMMENT: Osotimehin gained respect during his tenure at NACA for his vigorous and inclusive leadership style. He is also reportedly detail-oriented and reads widely. This appears to be one of Yar'Adua's better appointments. ¶21. (C) Aliyu Idi Hong ) Minister of State for Health. Hong was Minister of State for Culture and Tourism from July 2007. He was also the supervising Minister for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry following Minister Ugwuh's removal. He was born December 31, 1967 in Adamawa State and holds a B.S. in Medicine and Surgery from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He worked as a medical officer in Giwa Specialist Hospital, Kaduna from 2001 to 2003, when he moved to a position as a part-time medical officer at the Federal University Technology Clinic in Yola. He also worked in private practice in Kaduna and as a Senior Legislative Aide to National Assembly member Jubril Aminu from 2003 to 2007. COMMENT: Hong was likely helped into this position by his godfather (in the traditional sense) and former Ambassador to ABUJA 00002526 006 OF 011 the U.S. Jibril Aminu. He is reportedly "level-headed" and we have heard from individuals at the Ministry of Culture that he came to the job eager to learn and willing to listen. His background is in medicine, so this is a better fit for him than Ministry of Culture, where he previously served. ¶22. (C) Dr. Dora Akunyili -- Minister of Information and Communications. From Anambra State, Akunyili was born July 14, 1954. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of London. Akunyili is former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC),where she instigated a crackdown on fake pharmaceuticals. She is a member of the PDP and served as Yar'Adua's campaign coordinator for the South East Zone. COMMENT: Akunyili, who is extremely respected for being honest, tough, and outspoken as head of NAFDAC, told the Ambassador December 22 she is very upset about not getting the Health portfolio and went to see Yar'Adua and First Lady Turai Yar'Adua on the issue. She said she told them that she was not the type of person to lie and or be manipulated, and that she had considered turning down the appointment based on her husband's advice. She confided to Ambassador she is worried that her reputation of being honest and no-nonsense would not do well in the Yar'Adua administration. Akunyili said Pres Yar'Adua told her never to lie and promised he would never ask her to lie for him (see reftel C for additional details). ¶23. (C) Ikra Aliyu Bilbis -- Minister of State for Information and Communication. Bilbis is from Zamfara State and a member of the ANPP. He previously served in the House of Representatives from 1992-1993, and served a five month stint as Minister of State for Environment, Housing, and Urban Development in 2007. COMMENT: Bilbis' nomination is believed to have been put forward by the ANPP party as part of the Government of National Unity, to which one faction of the ANPP belongs. ANPP chairman and former Presidential candidate General Muhammadu Buhari has disowned those ANPP members who joined the Yar'Adua government. ¶24. (C) Major General Godwin Osagie Abbe -- Minister of Interior. Abbe comes from Edo State and holds a postgraduate degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife. He also attended U.S. Army Infantry School in Ft. Benning, Georgia in 1973 and Command of Staff College in Ghana 1978-1979. He made Colonel in 1986 and between 1988-1991 served as military governor of Akwa Ibom State and later military governor of Rivers State 1992-1993. He was a member of the now-defunct Provisional Ruling Council from 1996-1999 which helped midwife the 1999 transition to democracy. He was appointed to this same position in 2007 in Yar'Adua's first Cabinet. COMMENT: We do not know Abbe well and will be working through INL and RSO offices to get to know him better. ¶25. (C) Adetokunbo Kayode -- Minister of Labor. Kayode was Minister of Culture and Tourism from July 2007. He was born ABUJA 00002526 007 OF 011 October 31, 1958 in Ondo State and holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Lagos. He joined the Bar in ¶1982. He also holds a diploma in International Commercial Arbitration from Oxford University. He began his career in 1983 as an Associate and later Junior Partner with Orifunmishe and Company. From 1990 to 2007 he was Managing Partner of Kayode and Company. He has served as a member of the Council of Legal Education, a member of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, and a member of the Presidential Committee on Democracy and Good Governance. He was part of Yar'Adua's legal team that recently successfully defended the 2007 Presidential Election case at the Supreme Court. COMMENT: Kayode originally wanted the Minister of Justice/Attorney General position and was said to be highly disappointed with his appointment to Ministry of Tourism. He had a running battle with the head of the Tourism Board and there is little to show for his time in this Ministry. He is likely to be happier with his appointment to Labor, but we don't see any reason to believe his record will be much better in this Ministry. He is said to have an explosive temper that marred his tenure at the Ministry of Tourism. ¶26. (C) Deziani Allison-Madueke -- Minister of Mines and Steel Development. Allison-Madueke is from Bayelsa State and was born December 6, 1960. She holds a B.Sc. in architecture from Howard University and an M.B.A. from Cambridge University. She is married to a Rear Admiral who was a former Chief of Naval Staff. She previously served as Minister of Transportation. She also was External Affairs director for Shell Petroleum Nigeria. COMMENT: She is viewed as ineffectual and did a poor job in her last Ministerial position as Transportation and Aviation Minister. She reportedly openly expressed disappointment with her new portfolio. She is also remembered for having wept in public at the state of disrepair of the Lagos-Ore Expressway while serving as Minister of Transportation. ¶27. (C) Shamsudeen Usman ) Deputy Chairman/Minister of the National Planning Commission. He was born September 18, 1949 in Kano and holds a B.S. in Economics from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, as well as an M.S. and Ph.D. in Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science at the University of London. From 1976 to 1985 he worked as a lecturer at ABU, Bayero University Kano, and University of Jos. Between 1992 and 1999 he held the positions of Executive Director of UBA Bank, Executive Director of Union Bank of Nigeria and Managing Director of NAL-Merchant Bank. He served as a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, and was appointed Minister of Finance in ¶2007. COMMENT: Usman's resume is among the more impressive in the GON. We note as well that we don't generally hear accusations of corruption made against him. Despite this, however, his handling of the stock market and the worsening of inflation have tainted his reputation. On a positive note, Usman has continued to publish government revenues in a move to promote transparency. The move to the National Planning Commission is a definite downgrade in his position and his influence. He was also seen as not being a team ABUJA 00002526 008 OF 011 player with the other members of the GON Finance Group. In particular he and Central Bank Governor Soludo never saw eye-to-eye and carried a personal (but quiet) feud which at times hurt the GON's macroeconomic policy, particularly in regard to naira redenomination. ¶28. (C) Chief Ufot Ekaette -- Minister for the Niger Delta. Ekaette was born April 17, 1939 in Akwa Ibom. Ekaette was President Obasanjo's Secretary to the Government of the Federation (a position roughly similar to White House Chief of Staff) from 1999-2007, and is known to still carry the confidence of the former President. He studied economics at various Nigerian universities, and served briefly as Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom state. His wife is a sitting Senator representing Akwa Ibom south. COMMENT: We understand that Niger Delta groups are less than enthusiastic about his appointment. ¶29. (C) Godsday Orubebe -- Minister of State for Niger Delta. Orubebe was Minister for Special Duties from November 2007 and hails from Delta State. He holds a degree in political science from the University of Lagos and served as an Adviser on Urban and Regional Planning to former Delta Governor James Ibori. He served as Local Government Chairman in Delta state from 1991 to 1993 and was considered an opposition figure until he joined the PDP in 2003. COMMENT: Orubebe has shown his allegiance in carrying out special projects for the Yar'Adua administration as Minister for Special Duties and his appointment as Minister of State for Niger Delta is a promotion in the sense that he now has a specific portfolio. We note, however, that his appointment might also be indicative of former Governor Ibori's continuing powerful influence. With Ibori having his former assistant Orubebe in the Niger Delta Ministry, and his former accountant David Edevbie in the Presidential Villa, and his first-cousin as Delta State Governor (Uduaghan),Ibori is more entrenched than ever in the Yar'Adua administration, without having an actual job title. ¶30. (C) Rilwanu Lukman -- Minister of Petroleum. Born on August 28, 1936 in Kaduna, Lukman is former Advisor to Yar'Adua on Energy and former President (1985-1989) and Secretary General (1995-2000) of OPEC. Lukman headed the Power Sector Reform Committee which submitted its report to Yar'Adua in June 2008. He served as Special Advisor on Petroleum and Energy Matters and Chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation under Obasanjo from 1999 to ¶2003. He has served previously as Minister of Mines, Power and Steel (1984-85); Minister of Petroleum Resources (1986-1989); Minister of Foreign Affairs (1989-1990); and Chairman of the Board of the National Electric Power Authority (1993-1994). COMMENT: While Lukman actually has one the better resumes in Yar'Adua's new cabinet, he is viewed by some as being past his prime. We understand that he did not want the portfolio and had to be talked into taking it (part of the reason the ministerial slate took so long to forward to the Senate.) In addition, international oil companies have substantial concerns about Lukman's energy policies especially his push ABUJA 00002526 009 OF 011 for local content. ¶31. (C) Odein Henry Ajumogobia -- Minister of State for Petroleum. Ajumgobia was born in Lagos but grew up in Rivers State. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Law from the University of Lagos and a Masters in Law from Harvard University. He started his own firm, Ajumogobia and Okeke Chambers, in 1984, and served as Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice 2003-2007. He also served at the International Court of Justice at The Hague and as Nigeria's Ambassador to the United Kingdom. COMMENT: Ajumogobia retains his previous portfolio and was one of the few Ministerial holdovers from Yar'Adua's previous Cabinet. ¶32. (C) Ibrahim Lame -- Minister of Police Affairs. Lame was born on February 10, 1953 in Bauchi State, and he holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Ohio University. Lame spent many years in various education-related endeavors until elected to the Senate in ¶1992. He is former Special Advisor to Obasanjo and a founding member of the PDP. He is currently Secretary General of the Northern Union (a group that lobbies on behalf of northern interests),which is headed by Olusola Saraki, father of Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki. He was an aide to Obasanjo from 1999 to 2003 handling the counter-narcotics portfolio. This is a resurrection of the Police Affairs portfolio at the Ministerial level: Obasanjo folded this Ministry into Interior when he restructured his administration near the end of his second term. COMMENT: No previous experience in security, but is well respected in his field of expertise, education. ¶33. (C) Nuhu Somo Way -- Minister of State for Power. Way was born July 15, 1952 in Kaduna State, and is an architect by training. Just prior to his appointment he was CEO of Cibi Nigeria Limited, a granite quarrying company. COMMENT: Way is reported to be close to Kaduna Governor Namadi Sambo. Meticulous and detail-oriented, he has no previous experience in the power sector and little in the public sphere overall. He is so unknown to the press that for weeks after his nomination, his name was misspelled as &Wya.8 ¶34. (C) Alhassan Bako Zaku -- Minister of Science and Technology. Zaku was Minister of State for Science and Technology from July 2007. He is from Taraba State and holds a doctorate in Science and Technology Education from the University of Hull, England. He taught at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Adamawa State Polytechnic and was Center Manager for the National Open University of Nigeria in Yola. He was appointed Secretary to the Taraba State Government in May 2007, just before his appointment as Minister of State. COMMENT: Zaku is a close associate of Taraba Governor Suntai. He is an academic and made no real noteworthy contributions in his previous position as Minister of State for Science and Technology. ABUJA 00002526 010 OF 011 ¶35. (C) Sani Ndanusa -- Minister of Sports. Ndanusa was born May 5, 1957, in Niger State and just prior to his inclusion in the Cabinet was Niger State Commissioner of Transport and Infrastructure. He holds degrees in waste management from Louhborough University in the United Kingdom. COMMENT: A tennis player, Ndanusa is reputed to be the first Sports Minister who is actually an athlete. ¶36. (C) Ibrahim Isa Bio -- Minister of Transport. Bio was born in Kwara State April 24, 1957, and just prior to his appointment to the Cabinet was Speaker for the Kwara State House of Assembly. He was Kwara State Commissioner for Health from 1990-1992, and member of the House of Representatives from 1999-2003. He is a pharmacist by education. COMMENT: The only contact Mission has had with Bio was during Ambassador's October visit to Kwara State during Ramadan. Bio is known for having done a good job at the State Assembly, but he is also fully under the control of Kwara Governor and power broker Bukola Saraki. ¶37. (C) Salamatu H. Suleiman ) Minister of Women's Affairs and Social Development. Suleiman is from Kebbi State and was a former gubernatorial candidate for the ANPP. COMMENT: She is unknown to the Mission. ¶38. (C) Hassan Mohammed Lawal -- Minister of Works and Housing. Lawal was Minister of Labor from 2004. He was born October 12, 1954 in Nasarawa State and holds a Law degree from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and a Master of Law and Ph.D. from University of Warwick, England. He served as Magistrate, Plateau State Judiciary from 1980 to 1981 and Chairman, Board of Directors of the Plateau State General Supplies and Distribution Agency from 1986 to 1988. He joined the University of Jos as Sub-Dean, Head of Department, and was a member of the Senate before joining the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in 1990 as Legal Advisor. He was later appointed Special Assistant to the Minister of Petroleum Resources. He served as General Manager of NNPC and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Shippers Council. COMMENT: Lawal joins Foreign Minister Maduekwe as the only ministers remaining from Obasanjo's administration, likely due to his closeness to Yar'Adua (they went to the same secondary school). Lawal took over management of the Ministry of Health in April 2008 (in addition to the Labor Ministry) when the former Minister was removed on charges of corruption. Press described him as a "man of action." He was viewed somewhat less favorably by the Nigerian labor movement following a personal squabble with the highly effective Labor Permanent Secretary that resulted in her removal. U.S. agencies found him ineffective as the supervising Minister of Health from April to December 12, ¶2008. ¶39. (C) Grace Ekpiwhre ) Minister of State for Works and Housing. Ekpiwhre was Minister of Science and Technology from July 2007. She was born January 4, 1949 in Delta State and holds a B.S. in zoology from the University of Lagos. ABUJA 00002526 011 OF 011 She worked as a Fisheries General Officer in the then-Bendel State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 1972 and later rose to Deputy Director of Fisheries in 1989. From 1989 to 1999 she served as Director of Womens Affairs and Executive Secretary at the Delta State Commission for Womens Affairs and Director General of the Directorate of Government Parastatals. She was appointed Permanent Secretary in the Delta State Civil Service in 1997 and served in the Directorate of Establishment and Pension, State Ministry of Agriculture. She later served in the State Ministry of Housing before her appointment as the first female Head of Service for Delta State in 2002. She became Chairman of the Delta State Civil Service Commission in March 2007, where she remained until her appointment into Yar'Adua's cabinet in July 2007. COMMENT: In her previous position as Minister of Science and Technology, Ekpiwhre will be remembered for her poor handling of the lost 12 billion Naira satellite and the lack of information provided to the public. She has been demoted in this new job from Minister to Minister of State, on top of the switch in portfolios. ¶40. (C) Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi -- Minister of Youth Development (from July 2007). Olasunkanmi was born March 8, 1956 in Osun State. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance) degree from Howard University in Washington, DC and an MBA (Finance) from University of the District of Columbia. From 1990 to 1994 he worked as Assistant Manager for Corporate Banking in Capital Merchant Bank and Head of Credit/Mortgages at Union Trust Building Society. He established his own business, UTB Properties, in 1994 and was elected Senator in 2003, where he served as Vice Chairman of the Committee on Education and a member of the Committees on INEC, Public Accounts, and Defense. COMMENT: He is unknown to the Mission. ¶41. (C) Ibrahim Kazaure -- Minister of Special Duties. Born on November 12, 1954, Kazaure is from Jigawa State. Kazaure is a former Senator and Majority Whip. He earlier served as Commissioner of Education for Kano State, and served as Jigawa State Presidential Campaign Coordinator for Obasanjo in 1999. He was also Nigeria's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2003-2007, and concurrently served as Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Jeddah. COMMENT: He is relatively unknown to the Mission. ¶42. (U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos. Sanders