Nigeria: the struggle continues

[stephen.mills@sfsierra.sierraclub.org]

   Forwarded from John Klotz...<jklotz@walrus.com>
  
  
  ______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________
  Subject: Nigeria: the struggle continues
  Author:  John Klotz <jklotz@walrus.com> at INTERNET
  Date:    9/26/97 1:51 PM
  
  
  BCC Mega list
   
  The following AP dispatch indicates that nothing has changed for the better 
  in Nigeria. I've added a few links to my Ken Saro-Wiwa page which currently 
  contains the lyrics to "Once a River." By the beginning of next week, I 
  hope to have the a an audio file of the song that can be previewed and 
  FTP'd. http://www.walrus.com/~jklotz/ken.htm
   
  ---------------
   
   
  Army Vows To Support Nigeria Leader
   
     LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Army leaders pledged Friday to support 
  Nigeria's military ruler if he decides to seek election next year 
  as a civilian. The move came a day after state security police 
  arrested more than 70 people gathering for a pro-democracy 
  conference.
   
      Those arrested Thursday at a hotel in the northern 
  city of Jos reportedly included university students and Tunji 
  Abayomi, one of Nigeria's most prominent rights activists.
   
      Human Rights Africa, the organizer of the conference, 
  lashed out at the arrests, saying they ``violated the fundamental 
  rights of citizens to freely associate and assemble as guaranteed 
  by the Nigerian constitution.''
   
      Hundreds of human rights activists have been arrested 
  during the military rule of Gen. Sani Abacha, who seized power in 
  a November 1993 coup. Abacha has promised to hold elections next 
  year and hand power to a civilian government on Oct. 1, 1998.
   
      Pro-democracy groups suspect Abacha will orchestrate 
  the election to ensure he remains in power. Friday's military 
  statement indicated the army would stand behind such a 
  decision.
   
      ``If he declares his intention to stand for the 
  presidency, the Nigerian army will support him absolutely,'' said 
  the statement, signed by army spokesman Lt. Col. Liman 
  Adulugba.
   
      The unusual military statement came after a Lagos 
  newspaper, The Tempo, suggested Thursday that some army officials 
  would oppose any move by Abacha to become a civilian 
  president.
   
      The statement denied such a division, saying ``there 
  are no factions in the Nigerian army.''
   
      Nigeria's government recently admitted that Abacha had 
  been ill, but said he had recovered. Numerous reports in recent 
  weeks have said Abacha was seriously ill, suffering from 
  cirrhosis of the liver.
   
      Meanwhile, the home of a top government official was 
  damaged Wednesday night in a powerful explosion. Alex Akinyele, 
  who heads a commission created by the Nigerian junta to try to 
  reconcile groups angered by the annulment of the 1993 elections, 
  was not home when the blast occurred.
   
      Nigeria has been shaken by a series of bombings in the 
  past year, many of which have targeted military officials.
   
  AP-NY-09-26-97 1612EDT
  Copyright 1997 Associated Press.  All rights reserved.  
   
          JOHN C. KLOTZ
  http://www.walrus.com/~jklotz/
      E-Mail: jklotz@ibm.net
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