wfn.org | Nigeria's recovery from military rule slow, church leader says

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Aug. 7, 2001 News media contact: Linda Bloom7(212) 870-38037New York
10-31-71B{341}

NEW YORK (UMNS) - After years of successive military regimes that destroyed
Nigeria's infrastructure and economy, recovery as a fledgling democracy has
been slow, according to a Methodist leader there.

But the Rev. M. Kehinde Stephen believes the new civilian government,
elected in 1999, "has tried very hard to redistribute resources" and pull
Nigeria back together, despite the "horrendous problems" it faces.

Stephen spoke about the situation during an Aug. 6 visit to the United
Methodist Board of Global Ministries' headquarters. He had attended the July
26-31 World Methodist Conference in Brighton, England, where the head of the
Methodist Church in Nigeria, His Eminence Sunday Mbang, was elected to a
five-year term as chairperson of the World Methodist Council.

Stephen himself is one of 39 bishops - similar to a district superintendent
in the United Methodist Church - in the 1.5-million member autonomous
Methodist Church in Nigeria, based in Lagos. A separate United Methodist
Church also exists in Nigeria.

The country's 120 million people live in 36 states within 360,000 square
miles. Although Nigeria gained its independence from Great Britain in 1960,
military leaders took control of the civilian government on Jan. 15, 1966.
"Ever since then, we've been stuck with the military," Stephen said.

Although there was a brief civilian administration in the 1970s, in total
only about 10 of Nigeria's more than 40 years of independence have been
under civilian rule. "So there has not been much time for the growth of
political culture in Nigeria," he explained.

The first military dictators did foster some development and up until 1976
or so, "we had a very vibrant middle class," Stephen said. But later
military governments, concerned only with lining their own pockets,
effectively wiped out the economy that sustained that middle class, leaving
only the rich military class and a poor civilian population.

A lack of accountability and rampant corruption among government officials
pushed Nigeria's entire economic and social structure into deep decay. "Less
and less of the resources of the country went to take care of the needs of
the people," he declared.

"The church has survived just by the grace of God," Stephen said, adding
that massive unemployment has meant less income for the church to do its
work. "We have put most of our resources into caring for people we cannot
turn away."

Despite the brutality of the military governments toward opponents, the
churches and others worked hard to promote the rights of Nigeria's people.
He especially credited the efforts of journalists. "The Nigerian press,
throughout the time, fought vigorous campaigns against the various military
regimes," he said.

Under President Olusegun Obasanjo, a sense of openness has occurred in
Nigerian society, according to Stephen. Examples include freedom of the
press, an end to holding political detainees and hearings on human rights
violations by the military, similar to hearings held by the South Africa
Truth Commission.

But ethnic and religions tensions - including clashes between Christians and
Muslims - remain. Stephen doesn't see improvement until health, education
and other community systems are improved and the issue of economic injustice
is addressed.

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United Methodist News Service
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