President Obasanjo Receives Sullivan Special Service Award

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday June 20, 2002 was presented with the Sullivan Special Service Award for his meritorious service to his native Nigeria and his world acclaimed contributions to global peace and development.

The honour was the major presentation at the high profile Third Biennial Leon H. Sullivan Summit Dinner held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C. It was attended by the President of the United States of America, Mr. George W. Bush and some distinguished members of his cabinet.

In his acceptance speech, President Obasanjo seized the opportunity to address issues pertaining to his government and his vision for a constructive economic cooperation between Africa and the developed world. He lamented the deplorable state of the infrastructures he inherited from the previous military administrations. He said his administration has steadfastly and diligently dedicated itself to the task of rebuilding Nigeria and pointed out that remarkable progress has been recorded in key areas of education, health, roads, food production, transportation, power and water supply and in telecommunications. He admitted that though much has been achieved, a lot more still needs to be done. In particular he stressed that his government is committed to ensuring that the return to democracy in Nigeria is permanently entrenched.

Speaking further, President Obasanjo observed that his government has continued to pursue measures that are geared towards revamping the economy but conceded that the economy still needs fixing and engineering. At the continental level, he said economic cooperation among African nations is a crucial step for accelerated development and that this has been formalized and concretised in the "New Partnership for African Development" (NEPAD) which demands from African governments, good governance and responsible economic management. He then called on friends of Nigeria and other African nations to lend their support to developing nations, including Nigeria. President Obasanjo maintained that countries of the Gulf of Guinea alone could supply the United States and the rest of the world with much of their oil and gas requirements. He urged the developed countries to embrace global peace and justice and forge an enhanced constructive economic and related forms of cooperation with African nations. According to him while Africa provides America with its energy needs, the United States can help it develop its infrastructures, obtain relief from crushing debt burdens and overcome poverty, ignorance and diseases like HIV/AIDS.

Earlier, President Obasanjo paid glowing tributes to the memory of Reverend Leon Howard Sullivan in whose honour the dinner was instituted. He referred to the late Reverend as a man of God, who in his lifetime made significant contributions towards the dismantling of the apartheid regime in South Africa and extolled the principles of courage, peace, justice and a faithful and determined spirit in the pursuit of set goals and objectives. He remarked that the life of Reverend Sullivan and the "Sullivan Principles" have been a useful guide in his own personal life and in the discharge of his state responsibilities.

The 6th Leon H. Sullivan Summit for Africans and African Americans will hold in Abuja, Nigeria in 2003. The last Summit which was held in Accra, Ghana in 1999, attracted over 5000 delegates and 2000 observers. 13 African Heads of State and several Chief Executives of public corporations also attended.

Bolaji Adebiyi
Nigeria Information Service Centre
June 26, 2002