US embassy cable - 02LAGOS2044

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 002044 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2007 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KDEM, PINR, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: A TRIP TO IBADAN IN OYO STATE 
 
Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL ROBYN HINSON-JONES FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AN 
 
 
D (D). 
 
 
1. (C) Summary.  A trip to Ibadan in Oyo State shows 
residents of the southwest are already revving up for the 
elections in 2003. Dr. Omulolu Olunloyo, who was governor of 
Oyo State more than a decade ago, has decided to come out of 
semi-retirement to run again for that office "for the good of 
the nation."   Dr. Anthony Marinho, medical doctor and 
community activist, wants to run his successful citizenship 
program to prepare voters for the upcoming elections. End 
summary. 
 
 
Blast from the past - Olunloyo wants to be governor again 
 
 
2. (U) On a recent trip to Ibadan to make introductory calls 
on local politicians and NGOs, PolOffs met with Dr. (Chief) 
Omololu Olunloyo, former Governor of Oyo State (1983). 
Olunloyo was warm and welcoming, but said that he did not 
grant interviews or meetings these days to "just anybody." 
He said he wanted Nigeria's friends to remember that Nigeria 
is the most populous and important country in sub-Saharan 
Africa and that it has a history of credibility in the 
international community.  However, the country is at a 
crossroads in its journey towards democracy and a stable 
economy, so Olunloyo has decided to run for Governor because 
"things are at such a bad pass in Nigeria someone needs to 
step forward and show the people how things should be done." 
Although he heads a highly successful civil engineering firm, 
Olunloyo has sought or accepted positions in government at 
various times over the past thirty years.  His last foray 
into politics was in 1992 when he was proposed as a possible 
vice president for the Socialist Democratic Party 
presidential candidate, the late Major General Shehu 
Yar'adua.  (Comment. The elections in 1992 were nullified and 
the late military ruler, Sani Abacha, was installed as 
leader.  Yar'adua, was imprisoned in 1995 for pushing Abacha 
to step down and allow a return to civilian government by 
1996.  Yar'adua died in prison in 1997. End comment.) 
 
 
3. (U)  While strolling through his small English garden 
(geese on the lawn and yew hedges), Olunloyo expounded on the 
problems facing Nigeria and what he thought could be done to 
solve them.  "I should be able to retire now, pass the baton 
to someone else and watch the political race from the 
sidelines," he mused. However, Nigeria, despite billions in 
oil revenue and a return to a civilian government after 
sixteen years of military rule, "hadn't really gotten 
anywhere."  Olunloyo believes that to make progress Nigeria 
needs first, a majority of the people willing to sacrifice to 
improve and advance as a nation, and, second, a government 
that has the ability to meet the needs of the people.  He 
said that one of his goals, should he be elected, would be to 
work to get international assistance of every kind, "to make 
Nigeria a better place for all its citizens.  There is no 
need to waste time re-inventing the wheel."  Nigerians must 
learn from other modern nations, not just the U.S. and 
Britain.  He pointed to the nations of Asia and Europe that 
recovered from the devastation of World War II to become 
global competitors. 
 
 
4. (U) Back in his book-filled office, Olunloyo expressed his 
ideas on the political scene, saying that many in the current 
government, especially at the local and State level, were 
"risen from poverty and are the first in their families or 
groups to be successful."  He proposed that what Nigeria 
needs is to draw its leaders from the pool of highly 
educated, professional and experienced Nigerians both 
in-country and abroad. On the economy, Olunloyo agreed with 
most modern economists that Nigeria could not continue to 
rely on its one highly profitable but depletable 
resource--oil.  However, he found economic opportunity in 
areas rejected as too long-term to be helpful by several 
Nigerians we have talked to.  Olunloyo says Nigeria has a 
wealth of historical resources to depend on other than oil. 
He mentioned agriculture, food crop production, food 
processing, textiles, and herbal medicines.  He hinted that 
he had information that the Nigerian Institute for the Study 
of Herbal Medicines was close to an herbal treatment for 
HIV/AIDS.  He concluded, saying "I am optimistic that the 
remedy for Nigeria's problems is in our own hands, and with 
help from our friends in the international community, we will 
realize our greatness." 
 
 
Gynecologist with a broad view 
 
 
5. (U)  The trip across the city of Ibadan to meet with Dr. 
Anthony Marinho says much about the state of the 
infrastructure in southern Nigeria.  The road to Ibadan is 
the main road north from the port of Lagos and is a major 
trucking route.  For much of the distance between the two 
cities the road is well-maintained, and though traffic is 
heavy with trucks and private vehicles, it moves at highway 
speeds.  Entering the city, traffic on this route (which 
becomes the main street through the city) snarls and comes to 
a complete standstill due to the road's condition.  On the 
way to the meeting PolOffs were held for an hour while 
traffic eased around a large truck that had capsized 
navigating past an axle-deep pothole that stretched across 
the width of the road.  (Comment. The evening before on the 
way to dinner on the same road, driving was made even more 
challenging by the lack of working street lights anywhere in 
the city.  One is warned to take pothole-evasion action when 
the taillights of the vehicle in front disappear.  End 
comment.)  Nonetheless, we arrived for our meeting only a few 
minutes late. 
6. (U) Dr. Marinho is a Nigeria-trained and practicing 
obstetrician and gynecologist.  He is more well-known in the 
southwest, however, as a community activist and founder of 
Educare Trust.  Educare is an NGO started in 1994 stating its 
purposes were "to improve education at all levels for our 
girls and boys..., to promote civic education, democracy and 
good governance in the belief that these are fundamental to 
sustainable development..., and to emphasize the development 
of morals and avoidance of social vices such as smoking, AIDS 
and drugs."  The headquarters are located on one floor of a 
small, well-maintained office building, and are equipped with 
computers and other usual office machines.  Educare has 
developed literature, seminars and workshops that cover 
subjects from AIDS to voter registration.  At the 
headquarters, Educare offers young people basic computer 
training, career guidance, and special tutoring.  There is 
also a tiny library geared to the secondary school student. 
Of particular interest to PolOffs was the citizenship/voter 
education program that Educare had developed with USAID 
funding for the 1999 elections.  According to Marinho, this 
program was very successful at the time and a similar program 
was needed for the upcoming elections.  Marinho said that the 
most important element was to encourage all voters to 
register, especially those citizens who had either not 
registered in the last elections or those who had come of 
voting age since the 1999 elections. 
 
 
7. (C) Comment.  Olunloyo is a member of President Obasanjo's 
party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and served with 
Yar'adua in Obasanjo's first administration in 1989.  He told 
us he has set his sights on the "small job" of being governor 
of Oyo State, and he studiously avoided comment on Obasanjo's 
current administration or the impeachment attempt.  It is 
still early in the run-up to elections and Olunloyo's 
candidacy appears to be a cat's paw to tease the entrenched 
Alliance for Democracy (AD) party that currently controls the 
southwest by showing it that the PDP can field a credible 
candidate.  Whether Olunloyo will stay in the race appears 
doubtful.  Marinho is apolitical, but well-respected, 
well-known, and influential in the southwest.  Although he 
claims no party affiliation, he has shown that his 
organizations and associates are effective at encouraging 
youth to participate in good government. He continues to 
receive funding and donations from private industry here and 
from the international community and charitable foundations. 
He may be a significant factor in the upcoming elections in 
energizing the youth vote and in voter registration in Oyo 
State. 
HINSON-JONES