US embassy cable - 01ABUJA1431

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001431 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2006 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, PREL, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT BRIEFS AMBASSADOR 
 
Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter; reasons 1.5(b) and 
(d). 
 
 
1. (U)  Summary: Ambassador Jeter paid a courtesy call on 
Secretary to Government for the Federation (SGF) Ufot Ekaette 
 
SIPDIS 
on June 15.  Ekaette described the role of the SGF in 
civilian government as a cross between Chief of Staff and 
"super-Minister."  In a meeting that ranged widely over 
topics of current interest in bilateral relations, the SGF 
proved to have a firm command of the issues.  He offered his 
assistance to the Ambassador if ever USG officials 
encountered difficulty getting a directive from the President 
translated into action by the Ministries, a common problem. 
As proof of his willingness to help, Ekaette concluded the 
meeting by asking to be included in correspondence from the 
Embassy to the Ministries of Aviation and Internal Affairs 
regarding re-deploying INS officials to train airline 
employees and GON officers in identifying and interdicting 
fraudulent documents.  End Summary. 
 
 
2. (U)  SGF Ekaette described for the Ambassador the role of 
his office within Nigeria's new democratic dispensation. 
Under military rule, the SGF normally acted as Head of the 
civil service, but this function has been separated since the 
return of democracy.  Ekaette said that the SGF sits as 
Secretary on all Executive Councils: Council of State, 
 
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Federal Executive Council, and Security Council.  He said 
that all action items produced by Ministries are routed 
through his office, and if he disagrees with them on policy, 
budgetary or administrative grounds, they are sent back for 
reconsideration.  Ekaette added that the President, when 
dissatisfied with solutions proposed by the Council of State, 
will ask the SGF to chair a committee of Ministers to work on 
an alternative. 
 
 
3. (C)  The SGF has six Permanent Secretaries on his staff, 
and is in charge of a number of Ministers of State working 
directly in the President's office, including Political, 
Economic and Administrative Affairs.  (Comment: Protocol 
hierarchy is both very sensitive and unsettled within the 
GON: practically speaking, Ministers follow the Speaker of 
the House, after the Senate President and Vice President. 
The SGF appears to hold a practical rank equivalent to that 
of Minister, while appearing to be primus inter pares in 
terms of his influence and co-ordinating role between the 
Presidency and Ministries.  End Comment.)  Ekaette denied 
having a direct supervisory role over the Head of Service or 
Ministers, yet his influence is perhaps indicated by the fact 
that he announced the sacking of several ministers in a 
surprise move last week.  The SGF offered to assist if ever 
there appears to be a "logjam" in getting something 
accomplished through Ministerial channels.  "I break 
through," he said. 
 
 
4. (C)  The Ambassador asked Ekaette, an indigene of Akwa 
Ibom, his position on Niger Delta issues.  The SGF replied 
that there would likely be a political solution to the 
problem despite the current litigation in the Supreme Court. 
"The President's mandate is national--he must balance the 
demands of individual states with the demands of the whole." 
On the state of the Civil Service, Ekaette said he felt the 
GON had adequately dealt with the issue of ghost workers, 
although some may remain.  He estimated the total number of 
GON employees, including the military and police, to be 
247,000.  The SGF was equally conversant in other topics 
raised by the Ambassador, including the Anti-Corruption 
Commission, AGOA, and rule of law/sanctity of contract 
issues.  On the latter, the SGF said it was unfortunate to 
unilaterally nullify contracts, but he defended the practice 
when the contracts in question are "fictitious."  He said 
that the current Government inherited a large number of 
contracts which existed only to the extent that the 
"mobilization fee" (roughly 50 percent of the contract's 
value) was paid, but no work was ever done. 
 
 
5. (C)  Finally, the Ambassador raised the problems 
surrounding the use of fraudulent documentation by passengers 
on the South African Air/ Nigerian Airways flight from Lagos 
to New York.  Ambassador Jeter described his efforts with 
Kema Chikwe, Minister of Aviation, and Sunday Afolabi, 
Minister of Internal Affairs, to promptly reach agreement 
regarding the return of INS officials to Nigeria to assist in 
training Nigerian and South African airline employees and 
possibly GON officials in identifying fraudulent documents. 
Ekaette asked to be included in the communication regarding 
this issue, and promised to assist, if needed. 
 
 
6. (C)  Comment: Ekaette may prove to be a vital link that 
the Mission has lacked in persuading Ministries to translate 
verbal commitments into action.  Where an action requires 
more than the assent of one minister, such as the USD 3.5 
million dollar payment to MPRI, GON officials seem content to 
kick the ball but never reach the goal line.  As for the 
SGF's real influence, after walking us down to the car, 
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, and impressive Permanent Secretary who was 
recently at the Ministry of Commerce, shook his head and said 
that the SGF was being modest.  "He can make Ministers do 
things."  We will see.  End Comment. 
 
 
Jeter