Many would predict the visit of an African politician to be an
affair rooted in optimism, where the leader discusses the progress
that lies ahead and the better tomorrow he or she will help forge
on the long distraught continent.
But when Nigerian Vice President Alhaji Abubakar visits UCLA
today, any words he offers on emerging democracy or a bright future
will be met by some with a more pessimistic response.
“With the current leadership … the country is headed
toward hell,” said Dshaikh Izuchukwu, a businessman living in
Brentwood.
Izuchukwu is a member of the Anambra Association U.S.A., a
national organization of Nigerians who oppose the current
leadership in the West African nation.
He said A.A.U.S.A planned to protest Abubakar’s appearance
to bring attention to the current plight of the Nigerian
people.
“There is so much corruption,” Izuchukwu lamented.
“It is not a democracy ““ it is just a sham.”
The Nigerian government criticized by Izuchukwu is led by
President Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo came to power in 1999, the
first popularly elected leader after 16 years of military rule.
Though Obasanjo’s election was celebrated as an important
step toward the creation of a modern, democratic state, the ethics
of the Obasanjo/Abubakar Administration have been repeatedly
challenged in their five years in office.
Re-elected in a 2003 vote of questionable legitimacy, Obasanjo
and Abubakar have presided over a country described by Izuchukwu as
perpetually stagnant and lacking the infrastructure to grow and
prosper.
“There is no backbone,” he said. “There are
not basic things like electricity and good roads. What good is a
government if it cannot provide those sort of things?”
Jimmy Asiegbu, president of A.A.U.S.A., stressed that the
group’s criticisms are not aimed directly at Abubakar. But he
said the vice president’s close relationship with Obasanjo,
and the stagnation that has occurred in Nigeria during their
administration, make him a figure deserving protest.
“I have nothing against the vice president. The man that
is messing everything up is the president, but (Abubakar) is part
of the administration,” Asiegbu said.
Professor Allen Roberts, director of the African Studies Center,
said these criticisms of Nigerian government did not affect
UCLA’s decision to invite Abubakar.
“Whether someone feels Nigeria is in their liking is up to
them,” he said. “We want to hear from as many
perspectives as we can.”
Allen also emphasized the importance of critically evaluating
the protesters’ motives.
“This is factional politics,” he said. “You
have to put into perspective who the protesters are. There are
different interests in Nigeria.”
Allen said several parties and ethnic groups contend for power
in Nigerian politics, and the desire to promote their own interests
put many Nigerians in opposition to the authorities in power.
Allen added that many of the criticisms being levied against the
Nigerian leadership could be made against almost any government,
including that of the United States.
“Some of the things people criticize Nigeria for could
also be used to criticize the United States,” he said.
“We have problems in our own government, such as
Halliburton.”
Halliburton is a U.S. corporation given valuable contracts by
the Bush administration following the war in Iraq. Many believe
there was a conflict of interest in the government, as Vice
President Dick Cheney had previously served as CEO there.
One of the central goals of the protest is to highlight an
ongoing controversy in the Nigerian state of Anambra.
The Anambran governor, Dr. Chris Ngige, has seen his hold on
office grow precarious since being elected in April 2003. There
have been numerous coup attempts, but these failed power grabs
““ a fairly standard feature of the politics of post-colonial
Africa ““ are not the primary concern of Asiegbu and the
A.A.U.S.A.
What is more significant is the man who allegedly organized the
coups: Chris Uba, who is rumored to have close ties to
Obasanjo.
The governor’s position has remained fragile following the
defeated coups. Under questionable circumstances, the state Chief
of Police ordered the governor’s security personnel removed
in January, but an appeals intervened and restored his
security.
These events have left Nigerians living in the United States
concerned about the state of justice in their home government.
Beyond criticism of the government, Izuchukwu said he hopes the
group’s protest will raise awareness of Nigeria’s
importance in the global sphere.
Nigeria is the most populous African nation, with over 120
million inhabitants. It also has one of the world’s largest
oil supplies.
Izuchukwu also identified some of the dangerous contributions
Nigeria could make to the world.
“It is a potential hotbed for terrorists,” he said.
“There is a strong relationship between bad leadership and
global instability … Nigeria is a ticking time bomb.”
For these reasons, Izuchukwu said increased U.S. involvement in
Nigeria is necessary, explaining that he feels United States is the
only nation able to enact significant progress in the struggling
country.
But Asiegbu’s concerns are much deeper than terrorist
cells, oil supplies or corrupt politicians. Many of his close
relatives remain in Nigeria, living in third-world conditions.
So as A.A.U.S.A. fights for improved conditions in Nigeria and
decries the limited political voice of the people, Asiegbu laments
the rarely heard voices of his relatives due to the substandard
facilities in his homeland.
“I cannot call them,” he said. “No
phones.”
Nigerian Vice President Alhaji Abubakar will be speaking at
Covel Commons Salon A today at 4 p.m. It is free and open to the
public.