NIGERIA: INFORMATION MINISTER ON PRESIDENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000227

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2019
TAGS: PGOV NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: INFORMATION MINISTER ON PRESIDENT
YAR'ADUA'S HEALTH, PRESS FREEDOM

REF: ABUJA 203 AND PREVIOUS

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


1. (C) Summary: Ambassador met February 3 with new
Information Minister Dr. Dora Akunyili to discuss a range of
issues from President Yar'Adua's health, to challenges to
press freedoms in Nigeria, to the arrest in Kano of famed
movie producer Iyantama over a partially-US funded DVD on
religious tolerance. Akunyili, a technocrat and trained
medical doctor, was originally disappointed when it was
announced in the November 2008 cabinet reshuffle that she
would not get the Health Ministry, but would serve as
Information Minister instead. Ambassador had several
discussions with her in the aftermath where she noted that
she would try to find a way to embrace the job, but would not
tolerate being used to spread falsehoods. In this latest
meeting, the Information Minister noted to the Ambassador
that she had decided to try to change things from within the
Villa by first encouraging Yar'Adua and First Lady Turai to
be less secretive about the President's health. She promised
that there would be no more "shutting down" of press outlets
that discuss or mentioned Yar'Adua's health, and that she
would "look into" the detention in Kano of Nigerian film
maker Iyantama. On Yar'Adua's health, she stressed that he
remained weak, but still mentally focused, and that he
continued to tell her he would never ask her to "lie" about
a GON issue as the official government spokesperson.
Akunyili also shared with the Ambassador that she had been
meeting with Yar'Adua in his residence as opposed to the
Villa, and that she had been told that foreign medical
doctors had been brought into the Villa to oversee the
President's health during his reported "vacation." The new
Information Minister is well known for being tough, honest,
and outspoken, winning her lots of friends (as well as
enemies) when she was head of the National Agency for Food
and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). She has worried
about her integrity being compromised in her new position,
and has vowed not to let that happen. She plans to roll out a
"branding campaign" for Nigeria the week of February 9 that
focuses on presenting Nigeria in a new light in the
international community. We see her as a credible
interlocutor on some of Yar'Adua health issues. Although she
may not have all the details, she can at least provide a
sense of his physical appearance and energy levels during her
encounters. End Summary.

Yar'Adua's Health Issues
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2. (C) In a February 3 meeting with GON Information and
Communications Minister Dr. Dora Akunyili, she briefed the
Ambassador in a private one-on-one meeting on her views on
President Yar'Adua's health. She noted that she last saw the
Nigerian President, along with his wife Turai, in late
January in his residence in Abuja, where she noted that he
was extremely physically weak, but competent mentally and
could carry on a normal conversation. Akunyili added that
most of her conversation with the President focused on
getting both he and his wife to go "public" with his travel
plans, particularly as Yar'Adua was pressing to leave Nigeria
for two weeks (reftel). The Information Minister added that
despite her efforts, what was decided was not what she
recommended. In the end, given the public worry on his health
and any travel outside of Nigeria for that purpose, Yar'Adua
and his inner circle decided instead to bring in specialists,
as opposed to the President traveling abroad. Ambassador
asked Akunyili if she knew what type of specialists had been
brought in and was she aware of the types of aliments
Yar'Adua may be suffering from, such as lung cancer. She
said she did not know what type, but thought they were
German, and as far as she knew, the only issue was his
serious kidney aliment. Akunyili promised to keep the
Ambassador informed, and also said she would continue her
efforts to get President Yar'Adua and his inner circle to be
more forthcoming and stop the shroud of secrecy over his
health.

2011 Presidential Election

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3. (C) The Ambassador turned the conversation to other
issues. She asked Akunyili, since she attends the weekly
cabinet meetings, how things seemed to be going from her
point of view in terms of the dynamics in the cabinet. The
Information Minister noted that there remained a lot of
organizational challenges as the new Ministers try to get
organized. She noted that after the last cabinet session
Agricultural Minister Ruma (a close confidant of Yar'Adua,
and rumored to be the President's former kidney donor) ask
her if she would become a member of the Yar'Adua re-election
committee for 2011. Akunyili said that she was shocked by
even the idea of Yar'Adua running again and expressed this to
Ruma. The Information Minister added that Ruma was not happy
and instructed Akunyili not to express these views to anyone
else in the government as they would be seen as disloyal.
Akunyili confided to the Ambassador that a Yar'Adua attempt
to run again would be an "embarrassment to the nation," and
that she did not want any part of it. (reftel)

Press Freedoms
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5. (C) Ambassador raised USG concerns over recent past GON
heavy-handed tactics with the press, noting that these were
worrying signs for press freedoms in Nigeria. Akunyili
acknowledged this and said she was working to stop these
types of actions and is trying to build better access and
relationships between the GON and the Nigerian independent
press. She asked if the USG could help with capacity
building workshops and seminars for the press as well as for
the Ministry of Information staff. The Ambassador said she
would look into such options as a public diplomacy specialist
under the USG speaker program, but added that budget issues
are at play and that she would have to wait until later in
the summer of 2009 to see what was possible to fund.

Comment
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6. (C) Akunyili is one of the few straight talkers in Nigeria
overall and particularly in this government. It will be
interesting to see how long she lasts as we feel that the
reason the GON Administration decided not to appoint this
qualified technocrat into the most logical ministry for her
skills -- the Health Ministry -- was to use the goodwill and
respect that Nigerians have for Akunyili to their advantage.
Akunyili was extremely disappointed with the information
portfolio and went to see the President on the issue after
her appoint. She told the Ambassador then that Yar'Adua
asked to "please do this for him." So she accepted. Akunyili
stated she believes Yar'Adua has a good heart, but is
surrounded by bad people. Akunyili holds fast to the view
that she will not allow herself to be used, and will easily
walk away if she feels this is happening. We would argue
that this is already starting to happen given Agricultural
Minister Ruma's request that she be on the Yar'Adua 2011
re-election committee. This was clearly an attempt to co-opt
her, as well as use Akunyili's positive image as an
endorsement of a 2011 Yar'Adua run. Akunyili turned down the
offer to be on the committee, but we will see how this plays
out for her in the short-term. She is adamant that she will
work hard to provide more transparency in the GON, and will
not lie about the President's health. Whether she will
always have access to key information on this and other
issues down the line will remain to be seen, particularly as
she is not a ruling party stalwart or Yar'Adua insider. END
COMMENT.
SANDERS