Gambia-L: The posting below is from a source. It is Rep Ford's Organisation. Ebrima _____________________________________________________________________ >To: <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Action item on World Conference of Mayors in Nigeria (2) >Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2001 > >Action item on World Conference of Mayors in Nigeria >Dear Ebrima, >If the World Conference of Mayors can convene in Abuja under Abacha, going >to Yahya Jammeh's Banjul could be a walk in the park. Some of Rep. Johnny >Ford's colleagues such as the former Africa-American lady Senetor from >Illinois lost their seats because of their association with Abacha. Year >2001 is not 1997 but to these World Mayors, they may still think that >business is as usual. I hope not. > > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] >Action item on World Conference of Mayors in Nigeria > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > a.. To: [log in to unmask] > b.. Subject: Action item on World Conference of Mayors in Nigeria > c.. From: Kishi Animashaun <[log in to unmask]> > d.. Date: Wed, 01 Apr 1998 16:57:11 -0500 > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >A few months ago, Stephen Mills from Sierra Club posted material about the >US Representatives present at the World Conference of Mayors in Nigeria. I >thought it would be a good idea to re-send this article and provide a form >“letter to the Editor” that could be issued in cities where those >representatives hold offices. If you live in one of the voting districts, I >strongly encourage you to write to your local paper and push for the >publication of the letter to the Editor. It is just one more way to >highlight the abuses in Nigeria and reach others who do not know who Ken >Saro-Wiwa is and just what they support when they pay for Shell gasoline. >On February 12, 1998, Stephen Mills wrote: > > Do You Know Where Your Mayor Is? > Sierra Club Examines Nigerian Junket > > In mid-November of 1997 mayors from U.S. cities small and large quietly >set > off on an expense-paid trip to the African country of Nigeria. Their >host? > Why none other than the continent's most notorious human rights abuser >(and > executor of environmentalists) Gen. Sani Abacha. > > Traveling ostensibly to attend the annual meeting of the World Conference >of > Mayors (WCM), the most apparent product of the gathering was its implicit > endorsement of an illegal regime. Abacha gave the keynote address. > > Few elected officials bothered to inform their citizenry of their > destination. Indeed, even the list of attendees appears to have been a > closely guarded secret. Until now. > > The Sierra Club has obtained a copy of the conference agenda and a list >of > speakers which reveals for the first time the names of some of the > participating elected officials. When interviewed, WCM Founder Johnny >Ford > estimated the U.S. delegation number at nearly 100, but refused to >release a > complete list of U.S. attendees. > > Questions have been raised about this most recent gathering of the WCM >are > not so much because of the conference itself, an annual event to bolster > trade and tourism, but because of this year's principle funder and host. > Nigeria is run by one of the world's most brutal military dictatorships. > Nigerian General Sani Abacha's closets allies are Saddam Hussein and >Mu'ammar > Qadhafi. The U.S. Department of State in its Jan. 1998 Annual Country >Report > on Human Rights Practices called the military government's human rights > record "dismal". Abacha's government, the report said, "relied regularly >on > arbitrary detention and harassment to silence its most outspoken >critics." > Nigerian drug trafficking organizations, according to the State >Department, > are among the leading carriers of Asian heroin into the U.S. > > Nigeria is indeed a strange site for U.S. mayors to attend a meeting, > especially following the resolution passed by the U.S. Conference of >Mayors > only a few months prior which recognized Nigeria's "serious human rights > abuses" and supported U.S. economic sanctions against the African >country. > > So why then would U.S. mayors so eagerly volunteer to give cover to such >a > despicable regime? To build trade, tourism and technology transfer >perhaps, > but it was after all a free trip to Africa. The U.S. Conference of >Mayors in > its resolution said that it "welcomes the actions by U.S. cities in >support > of democracy in Nigeria." Will the mayors and city council >representatives > who went to Nigeria now be less likely to support such action in their >own > cities? Only time will tell. > > The Sierra Club is not a human rights organization, but it is concerned >for > the welfare of environmentalists abroad. The Club's Human Rights and the > Environment Campaign seeks to defend environmental defenders worldwide. >One > of the ways of doing that is to expose those countries which allow the > persecution of environmentalists. Like Nigeria. In 1995, Abacha's >military > tribunal executed noted writer and environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa for >what > Sierra Club believes was his vocal campaign against the pollution in his > community caused by Royal/Dutch Shell. In Nigeria, oil is 80 percent of > government revenues -- most of this produced by Shell. Saro-Wiwa's >campaign > threatened the country's very lifeblood. > > So here's the list of some of the U.S. participants. Let's hope they >value > human rights and environmental protection as much as collecting mileage >on > British Airways. > > Hon. Gary Loster (Conference Chairman), Saginaw, MI;Rep. Johnny Ford (WCM > Founder), Tuskegee, AL; Hon. William Jefferson (Member of U.S. Congress, > (D-02LA); Hon. Gordon Bush, East St. Louis, MO; Hon. Marion Barry, > Washington, DC; Hon. Elizabeth Butler, Lizman, AL; Hon. Don Juan >Williams, > Glenarden, MD; Hon. Omar Bradley, Compton, CA; Hon. Julius Patrick, >Boyce, > LA; Hon. Susan Farley Upton, Urbancrest, OH; Hon. Kennard Whitfield, > Rockhill, MO; Hon. Sondra Ursery, Vandalia, MI; Hon. Rosemary Gilliam, > Cassopolis, MI; Hon. Christopher Bazuaye, Birmingham, AL; Hon. Riley >Owens, > Centerville, IL; Hon. Clinton Johnson, City Council President, Mobile, >AL; > Hon. Fred Richardson, Councilman, Mobile, AL; Hon. Jim Montgomery, > Councilman, Anniston, AL. > > For more information, visit the Sierra Club website at > http://www.sierraclub.org/human-rights/nigeria.html, or e-mail > [log in to unmask] > > >________________________________________________________________ >Here’s a suggested format for the Letter to the Editor. Feel free to edit >as you choose. You may want highlight other misdeeds of the particular >official. >________________________________________________________________ > > >From November 16-20 1997, our representative XXXX XXXXX attended the World >Conference of Mayors Annual Conference. While the efforts of the WCM may be >well intentioned, the host country was Nigeria, home of the brutal >dictatorship of General Sani Abacha. XX’s presence lends creditability to >a notorious regime whose civil rights record the United States Department >of State calls, “abysmal.” > >Abacha seized power in 1993, annulling democratic elections held in June of >that year, and imprisoning the victor, Moshood Abiola. The State Department >Report on Nigeria outlined other violations of human rights including >arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killing, and violent military repression >of outspoken Nigerians: students, labor leaders, journalists and >pro-democracy activists. In fact, Amnesty International reports that over >7,000 person have been illegally detained. Pope John Paul called for the >release of several political prisoners during his visit to Nigeria in >March. US Conference of Mayors passed a resolution criticizing Nigeria’s >human rights abuses and supporting American economic sanctions against >Africa’s most populous country. > > >Nigeria received widespread condemnation from the international community >after the government sanctioned execution of environmental and writer Ken >Saro Wiwa and eight other members of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni >People (MOSOP) in 1995. MOSOP was successful in highlighting the >exploitation of their native land by Shell Oil. > >With this level of callousness and disregard for its citizens, it is >disturbing that Ms./Mr. XXXX would attend the Conference of Mayors in >Nigeria. The Abacha regime uses such events to bolster legitimacy, as it >tries to show it is not isolated on the world stage. Abacha himself was >the keynote speaker at the World Conference of Mayors gathering. > >The trip to Nigeria last November was not publicized by XX’s office, nor >the WCM. XX’s actions reflect a disregard for the general sentiment of >(state the district/city) citizens. The people of (state the >district/city) deserve accountability and the Abacha should get the cold >shoulder. Not the other way around. >________________________________________________________ > >That’s all for now. Keep the listserve informed of the developments. Good >Luck! > > >Kishi Animashaun >Project Coordinator >Boycott Shell/Free Nigeria Campaign >a project of Essential Action > > > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > a.. Prev by Date: Amb. Carrington's testmony > b.. Next by Date: Shell Oil Spill in Nigeria > c.. Prev by thread: Amb. Carrington's testmony > d.. Next by thread: Shell Oil Spill in Nigeria > e.. Index(es): > a.. Date > b.. 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