Monday, November 01, 1999

Nigeria's leader talks of road to democracy

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BY SARA J. BENNETT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        WILBERFORCE, Ohio — Led by new President Olusegun Obasanjo, potentially oil-rich Nigeria is striving for democracy after years of impoverishing military rule.

        Reverberations can be felt in Ohio.

        Mr. Obasanjo, a member of Wilberforce University's board of directors since 1992, visited the campus 15 miles east of Dayton Sunday to discuss plans for his west African country.

        He spoke of stamping out corruption, improving education, building better physical infrastructure, and promoting cooperation among citizens, government officials and oil companies in the southern Ni ger Delta.

        Globally, that's important because Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, a leader in west African peacekeeping efforts, and home to abundant natural resources.

        It's important to Wilberforce because the school — the nation's oldest private

        black liberal arts college — has built strong ties to Nigeria. About 10 percent of the school's instructors are Nigerian, as are about five of its 900 students. About 43 students from Greater Cincinnati attend the school.

        Also, it has sent graduates back to the former British colony.

        “There are many people holding places of authority in Nigeria who attended Wilberforce,” said Funso Oluyitan, a Nigerian communications professor at Wilberforce. “Certainly there is great hope” in Mr. Obasanjo.

        Since gaining independence in 1960, Nigeria has experienced coups and suffered under military governments.

        Mr. Obasanjo, a former army general, assumed control in 1975 during a coup, but stepped down in favor of an elected president in 1979.

        After more military regimes and an 11-month transition toward democracy, he was elected president in March of this year.

        Sunday, he spoke about his goals.

        Wearing turquoise robes and accompanied by a brightly-clad entourage, Mr. Obasanjo received an honorary doctorate of humane letters.

        He talked about meeting with President Clinton last week and about Mr. Clinton's call for international easing of Nigeria's debts.

        “I have no doubt in my mind that President Clinton is well-meaning,” he said. “We want as much aid as we can get from the U.S., the World Bank, and from any other friendly system that wants to help us, but we are the best help for ourselves.”

        Mr. Obasanjo spoke of several rebuilding initiatives, from introducing a bill requiring all children to receive at least nine years of schooling, to sending an anti-corruption bill to Nigeria's National Assembly.

        He said civil unrest in the oil-rich Niger River delta was an issue of “neglect.” He said he is submitting a bill to create an economic development commission and is encouraging federal and state governments to work with oil companies to build better infrastructure.

        Kehinde Ogunjobi, a 20-year-old Wilberforce sophomore from Nigeria, called Mr. Obasanjo's plans inspiring. “They're pretty lofty goals, and I hope they can be realized.”

        John L. Walker, president of Wilberforce's directors, invited Mr. Obasanjo to join Wilberforce's board in 1992 to bring international flavor to the school's leadership.

        Mr. Obasanjo's efforts will forge stronger bonds between Nigeria and Wilberforce, he said, and they also should strengthen Nigeria's position as a world leader.

        “There is so much potential in Nigeria, so I am just very optimistic,” Mr. Walker said. “(President Obasanjo) is a very humble man and a very honest man ... I just felt he was the one person who knew the problems and was serious about turning them around.”

       

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