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By Muyiwa Sobo, Esq.
Senator Richard Durbin
Senator Peter Fitzgerald
Honorable John Ashcroft I am attaching a sample copy of my letter. Anyone may copy and sign the letter, and forward it to the officials. The letter reads as follows: February 19, 2001
The Honorable Senator Richard Durbin
The Honorable Senator Peter G. Fitzgerald
The Honorable John Ashcroft Re: Abdulsalam A. Abubakar Distinguished Lecture Series Chicago State University Dear Gentlemen: As a Nigerian-American, I find it very disturbing, indeed annoying, to learn of the above referenced lecture series at the Chicago State University. The message propounded by this ill-thought lecture series contravenes the United States standards of ethics, justice, civility and democracy. General Abdulsalam A. Abubakar (rtd.), whose “largesse” as boasted by Dr. Elnora Daniel, president of the university, would fund the annual lecture series, is a former dictator; his complicity in the killing and stealing that occurred in Nigeria between 1993 and 1998 is well documented. In 1993, the famed Nigerian dictator, General Sani Abacha engineered a coup that terminated an interim government that was forced on Nigeria by another dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.), after he annulled a legitimate democratic election. General Abubakar became General Abacha’s chief of staff, in Nigeria term, the vice-president, soon after that coup. He became the president after the most fortunate death of General Abacha in 1998. Now credited for the democratic transition that occurred in 1999, General Abubakar nonetheless cannot be absolved of his active participation in the carnage that was unleashed on the good people of Nigeria during the time he was the second-in-command to General Abacha. In brief, the Abacha regime was responsible for the death by hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Ogoni civil rights activist; the imprisonment and the ultimate death of Moshood Abiola, the declared winner of the annulled election; the imprisonment of General Olusegun Obasanjo, the current Nigerian president; the killing of Kudirat Abiola, wife of Moshood Abiola and a civil rights activist; the imprisonment and killing of many journalists, lawyers, civil rights activists and others who dared challenge the illegitimate Abacha’s government between 1993 and 1998. That period has been called the most brutal of any in the history of Nigeria. General Abubakar was there, in step and in support of General Abacha. Because of General Abacha, with General Abubakar’s support, millions of Nigerian professionals had to seek refuge in the United States and other countries; millions more now live in abject poverty in Nigeria. Further, during the Abacha’s regime, billions of dollars of Nigeria’s money were siphoned off to overseas banks controlled by General Abacha, his family, and his cronies. General Abubakar among General Abacha’s cronies was a relatively unknown military careerist up to the point of his appointment. Now, is it fair to ask for the source of the “largesse” he is now spreading to Chicago State University under the guise of the sponsorship of a lecture series ironically on democracy in Africa? Could a university in the United States rightly accept such ”largesse” from a Noriaga, a Pinochet, or the butcher of Kosovo? Should a university funded by the taxpayers’ money in the United States benefit from the ill-gotten wealth acquired at the expense of the lives of innocent Nigerians? Should a dictator be able to launder stolen money by setting up phony foundations in the United States and sponsoring programs in its universities? Are there no ethical or legal limitations to the desperation to raise money by some institutions of higher learning? Shouldn’t you gentlemen be concerned that the “largesse” touted by the president of the Chicago State University may be money that belongs to the people of Nigeria? Otherwise, how did this general, a pauper before his ascendancy to power, acquire his wealth? And at whose expense was the wealth acquired? These are part of the questions that must be answered. It was reported that General Abubakar would be accompanied to the United States by General Babangida and General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.); all of them former dictators, to attend the first of the lecture series on February 24, 2001. Some have rightly called the assembly a “Jamboree of Dictators.” As a Nigerian-American and a taxpayer, who believe in the sanctity of the law, and the responsibility of the United States to encourage democracy in Africa, I respectfully request an investigation of the Chicago State University as it concerns the establishment of the Abdulsalam A. Abubakar Lecture Series and the Abdulsalam Abubakar Foundation in the United States. Please, remember that your failure to look into this matter means to me, acquiesce of the United States to the pillaging of a nation and the encouragement of despotism. Sincerely, /s/ (Your name here)
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n reaction to the upcoming Abdulsalam A. Abubakar Distingushed Lecture Series at the Chicago State University, I have written a letter to the two senators from Illinios and the Attorney General of the United States, John Ashcroft, requesting an investigation of the university and its connections to the Abubakar Foundation. As many of us may not be chanced to participate in the protest in Chicago, we may conveniently express our opinons to these officials and call for an inquiry to the issue. They may be contacted as follows: