0202 February 1998.pdf - Friends of Nigeria

Friends of Nigeria
Vol. 2, NO.2
Nigerian News On the Ground
by Catherine
Onyemelukwe
[Notes cribbed from the editor's 1997
annual holiday correspondence from an
old friend in Lagos.]
The OillFuel sector had one of the
rockiest years for some time, three major
fuel shortages each lasting several weeks
only highlighting the deficiencies in the
planning and control of the this keystone
of the economy.
Politics did not loom as large as one
would have expected, given that so much
hinges upon its success next year as to
where Nigeria goes internationally.
Local Council elections took place in
March, being postponed from the previous
December, and the rest of the program
appears to have slipped in detail
although October 1998, is still maintained
for the handover to an elected
civilian government. Most of this electing
seems to be taking place next year
(1998), including State Governors and
the President on the same day in August.
To defeat fraud, transparent ballot-boxes
are proposed for use. There is still some
question over whether the present Head
of State, General Abacha, will run as a
civilian presidential candidate or not.
Chief Abiola, presidential aspirant,
notched up 60 years of age and three
years in jail without trial. (This was
written before the coup attempt, but that
did not change the news.)
Law and order continued to be a problem
with a depressing continuation in the
series of bomb explosions - fortunately
with few fatalities and limited damage ­
generally blamed by the Government on
the pro-democracy activists. Although
suspects were arrested on charges of treason
and suchlike, matters got off to a
slow start when the suspects were hauled
before a magistrate's court which has no
jurisdiction to try cases of treason. Apart
from blame being apportioned between
Editor: Catherine Zastrow Onyemelukwe
the U.K., the U.S.A. and Spain (huh?)
over non-cooperation, not a great deal
seems to have been done regarding
bringing matters to any sort of conclusIOn.
There was a general problem in universities
of student cults, (including,
incredibly, one named Koo Klux Klan),
resulting in mayhem from time to time.
Another non-event seems to have been
the '419' fraud scandals, it was revealed
that despite 5 years of investigations of
thousands of complaints not a single conviction
has resulted. However police in
Plateau State proved they could hit the
nail squarely on the thumb by announcing
that all stray goats would be tried in
court.
There is still some
question over whether
the present
Head of State,
General Abacha,
will run as
a civilian presidential
candidate or not.
Much debate took place in the media
over the matter of AIDS, it now being
suggested that some 5 million Nigerians
suffer from this, brought very much to a
head by the death of Fela Anikulapo Kuti
from the disease in early August. His
family showed courage rare here or in
many other parts of the world by immediately
announcing the facts, and at the
same time it was revealed that all donated
equipment had broken down, there
were no reagents, next to no budgetary
allocation, no counseling and no detection
procedures. Death also took from us
Amos Tutuola, author of The Palm Wine
Drinkard.
February 1998
Iowa State Professor Mike
Warren dies in Nigeria
We regret to report that FoN member
Mike Warren died recently. Mike,
together with his wife Mary, authored
the lead article in the last issue of our
newsletter, "Students Research
Indigenous Knowledge."
Mike Warren was a Ghana RPCV
who subsequently spent a great deal of
time in Nigeria. His wife Mary is
Nigerian. Mike's research interests led
him to establish the Center for
Indigenous Knowledge for Agriculture
and Rural Development (CIKARD) at
Iowa State University. The article
reported on Mike's work in developing
this center and his work in Nigeria.
In spite of the troubling political and
economic situation in Nigeria these
days, Mike's enthusiasm for Nigeria
knew no bounds. The January 2, 1998
issue of the Des Moines Register included
a very brief article stating that Dennis
"Michael" Warren, anthropology professor
at Iowa State University had died
recently in Africa. The article indicated
that he had been in Nigeria, but that the
university knew neither the cause of
death, nor the exact date. We have since
learned that Mike Warren died of a heart
attack.
Inside
Page
Letters to the Editor 2
World Wise Schools 3
Book Review 3
FON on the Web 3
"Lost" Volunteers 4
Board of Directors 4
Polio Eradication Project 4
New Members 5·6
Membership News 6
News Items from Nigeria 7

Letters to the Editor
Deja Vu All Over Again
To the Editor:
I wanted to share this experience with
you. On Monday I was walking down
Market Street in San Francisco and saw a
demonstration in front of the Shell
Building. It was a group (including many
Nigerians, particularly Ibos) who were
protesting the murders of the seven in
Nigeria. It was, I believe, the very same
place where thirty years ago a friend of
mine, Mimi Budd, staged a demonstration
against Nigeria because of Biafra.
Also one of the Nigerians gave a speech
that sounded exactly like the speech that
a Nigerian friend of mine, Pius Eze, gave
when we spoke together at the Eugene
Oregon Lions Club in the late 60's.
"Deja vu all over again."
Frank Ehrenfried
Nigeria XXI '66-67
Proud and Nostalgic
To the Editor:
I'm so glad you found me with the
newsletter. It was not only interesting
and very well done but it brought back a
flood of memories. It seems so long ago
and only yesterday at the same time.
Since we left Nigeria my wife and I
have only been able to return to West
Africa once. Christmas 1997 was spent
with our Peace Corps daughter and her
friends in Niger. It was wonderful being
in the environment of Africa and the
Peace Corps again. Listening to the sto-
Friends of Nigeria
Box 256
Orange City, IA 51041
Editor: Cathy Onyemelukwe
Publisher: Peter 1. Hansen
Layout: Katy Hansen
Board of Directors:
Cathy Onyeme1ukwe (President)
Peter J. Hansen (Vice President)
Robert D. Cohen
Vincent 1. Garofalo
Richard James
Carl Petersen
John L. Romano
Marge Snoeren
Nick Thiemann
ries, seeing the enthusiasm and effort,
watching the ease with which our kids
blended into a different world made me
both proud and nostalgic. It was also
amazing how paternalistic the Peace
Corps bureaucracy remains and the continuing
clash between independent and
self motivated young adults and 'those in
charge.' The more things change the
more they stay the same.
It was sad and frustrating to be almost
within hailing distance of my home in
Kano and not be able to go back for a
look. Nigeria is being eaten by itself, and
those in power have made it a forbidding
and forbidden place. Even the horror of
Biafra didn't create the xenophobia and
isolation that seems to exist now.
Peter Stolzman
Nigeria 66-68
Our "Italian" Cook
To the Editor:
I would be interested in reviewing
Katharyn W. Sa1tonstall's book. I was in
Ibadan with Nigeria VII (1963-65)-the
same years as the book. Her husband
had dinner at my house because the cook
that I shared with my two roommates
was known throughout Nigeria Peace
Corps. He had worked for Italians for
twelve years. So when Sa1tonstall came
to town, he had dinner with us. Afterwards,
I loaded him on the back of my
little Honda 50 and we motored back to
the resthouse where he was staying.
Eric Strauss
2534 Chilton Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
Nigeria VII '63-65
Reading Piece by Piece
To the Editor:
I taught Creative Writing and English
at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka
from 1965 until 1967 - leaving one
week before the War broke out and
Nsukka was the first town captured.
Unlike the Volunteers that were evacuated,
with a hundred pounds of currency
hidden in my sock, the Peace Corps
office had already asked me to leave and
make my own way to Lagos by way of
crossing the Niger at Onitsha. There, at
the last road or essentially 'river' block,
an English speaking-reading Ibo guard
2
asked me to read out loud a poem from
my first book, Piece by Piece, that was
published in Nsukka during the previous
year. Much to my relief, the guard
laughed and seemed to enjoy the poem
so much he skipped searching my bags
-or perusing my journals to see if I was
also a spy-and waved me on to the
ferry. Rarely has it ever since felt quite
so liberating to read my work aloud!
I've lived in San Francisco most of
the last 30 years(!) where I continue to
work variously as a teacher, publisher
and writer. Ironically I've recently been
teaching some creative writing at the
Youth Guidance Center where there are
no less than five Ibo guards with whom
I've become good friends.
Thanks again for sending the newsletter.
Looking For...
To the Editor:
Stephen Vincent
Nigeria '65-67
I just recently moved to tr.

Peace Corps . Book Reyiew
World Wise Schools:
Be a Part of Peace Corps Day 1998
by Monica Fitzgerald
Outreach Coordinator
World Wise Schools
President
Clinton has declared education
the nation's top priority, and during
a recent speech he recognized World
Wise Schools as the Peace Corps' fastgrowing
global education program.
Peace Corps Day (formerly known as
World Wise Schools Day) is an annual
event in which Returned Peace Corps
Volunteers (RPCVs) go into schools
across the U.S. to share with students
their experiences of living in other cultures.
Last year, an estimated 4,000
RPCVs spoke with as many as 100,000
students nationwide, in all grades, during
this annual event which highlights the
global education work of the World Wise
Schools program. World Wise Schools is
a part of Peace Corps' Domestic
Programs which works in many ways to
support Peace Corps' Third goal,
"strengthening Americans' understanding
of the world and its peoples - to bring the
world back home."
Peace Corps Director Mark Gearan
recently announced that Peace Corps
Day '98 will be held on March 3, 1998,
in honor of the Peace Corps' 37th
anniversary. "Peace Corps volunteers
truly bring the world home," said Peace
Corps Director Mark Gearan. "I hope all
Returned Volunteers-no matter if they
served 30 years ago or have just
returned-will see Peace Corps Day '98
as a chance to teach a new generation
about the culture and people of their
country of service."
Celebrations
Cultures
Across
The theme of Peace Corps Day '98 is
"Celebrations Across Cultures." In addition
to the classroom visits by RPCVs,
the following will also take place on
March 3rd:
• Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs)
around the world will visit classrooms
in the villages where they live.
• PCVs with their overseas students and
U.S. students will communicate via
live video conferences
calls.
and telephone
• A World Wise Schools' Destination
video will be broadcast to millions of
students on Channel One's "The
Classroom Channel."
• Each RPCV group will plan local special
events and activities which will be
coordinated by the group's World Wise
Schools Liaison.
Update
Richard Riley has agreed to be the
Honorary Chairperson for Peace Corps
Day '98.
Check out for
more information about Peace Corps Day
'98. Requests for the Peace Corps Day
'98 brochure can now be sent to either of
two e-mail addresses:
or
or
by phone contact Monica Fitzgerald
at 1-800-424-8580 ext. 2283.
One suggestion is to ask your local
government or Board of Education to
proclaim March 3, 1998 "Peace Corps
Day" in your area. Ask your local press
to attend your Peace Corps Day '98
events. Send any press clippings to
Monica at WWS.
I am excited about the potential that
this one-day event has to raise awareness
among educators nationwide of the yearround
resource that local RPCV scan
provide. In closing, please contact me at
or at
800-424-8580 ext. 2283 if you need anything.
[Editor's Note: Friends of Nigeria
now has its own World Wise Schools
Liaison. Carl Petersen, 619-755-5764,
who joined the Friends of Nigeria Board
at the San Diego Conference in July, has
accepted this role. He may contact you
to take an active part on Peace Corps
Day '98. If he does so, say yes']
3
Small Bridges to One World, A Peace
Corps Perspective, Nigeria, 1963-1965
by Katharyn W. Saltonstall
Review
by Alice R. O'Grady
PC Nigeria staff '64-67
Small Bridges to One World, A
Peace Corps Perspective, Nigeria, 1963­
1965, by Katharyn W. Saltonstall, is a
very readable book about her experiences
in Nigeria as the wife of the country
Peace Corps Director, Bill Saltonstall,
who served from 1963 to 1965.
Having no young children to care for
at home, Kathy had the unusual opportunity
of traveling with her husband when
he visited many of the over 700 pevs in
virtually every corner of the country.
She recounts problems with vehicle
breakdowns on the roads, dissatisfied
headmasters, and difficulties of the volunteers
they visited. These difficulties
included loneliness, discouragement, and
poor health.
However, the book is not a downer.
Saltonstall devotes much of the book to
describing certain volunteers and their
devotion to their projects. None was
large and impressive; each was small
and, well, impressive! The enthusiasm
of the volunteers, and their devotion of
so much of their time to helping improve
the lot of the Nigerians around them, is
described with little editorial comment
on the author's
part.
Though the travel segments are the
most memorable, she wasn't always
traveling. Her attempts to make her
home in Lagos a welcoming place for
volunteers seems to have succeeded
beyond her wildest dreams.
Saltonstall does very little delving
into the philosophy of what her husband
and the rest of us were doing. At one
point, however, she admits that our attitude
was unconsciously condescending,
implying that the American way is the
best way. A point worth discussing.
Find FON on the WWW
The Friends of Nigeria
the URL:
http://www.ultranet.coml-
web site has
gregj onz/fonl
Our thanks to Greg Jones and his
sons for producing and maintaining this
site.

Looking for "Lost" Nigeria Peace
Corps Volunteers - Part V
There are hundreds of Nigeria Peace
Corps Volunteers for whom Friends of
Nigeria has no current address. Peace
Corps Washington has current addresses
for many of these, but privacy laws prevent
them from sharing this information
with us.
If you have a current address and/or
information about name changes or
deaths for any of these Nigeria RPCVs,
please send this information to Peter
Hansen, Membership Chair, Friends of
Nigeria, Box 256, Orange City, IA
51041,712-737-2700,
pjhansen@nwciowa.edu.
Beth B Cameron, Thomas L Cameron,
Patricia R Campbell, Alan R Cardwell,
Sandra M Carlman, Terrance R Carlman,
Craig W Carlson, Ted H Carlson Jr,
Samuel W Carmalt, Linda S Carpenter,
Raymond P Carpenter, Earl S Carter,
June Catalano, Robert J Cerny, Dennis
Chamberlin, John W Chamberlin,
Franklin S Chance, Nancy R Chase,
George A Cherry Jr, Eddie L Chism,
Sandra Christensen, Donald G Churma,
Adolf A Cieczkiewicz, Mary M Clark,
Thomas H Clark, Willard J Clark.
Arnie S Clarke, George P Clarke,
John N Clemans Jr, Gail Thomas
Clermont, Enid R Cocl, William K
Collin, Deanna C Collingwood, John T
Collins, John D Collis, Thomas J Comer,
William M Compton, William A Conner,
Constance M Conrad, David C Conrad, J
Lyle Conrad MD, Susan C Conrad,
Thomas L Cook, Nancy E Cornish,
RPCVs Join the Worldwide Polio Eradication
by Catherine Zastrow Onyemelukwe
Peace Corps Volunteers played key
roles in the successful effort to eradicate
smallpox in the 1970s and now polio
eradication offers similar exciting opportunities
for RPCVs. The Atlanta Area
RPCV (AARPCV) group is working
with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDq to identify ways for
RPCVs to help meet the goals of eradicating
polio by the year 2000, focusing
on the African region.
Although the incidence of polio cases
reported worldwide fell to 6,179 in 1995,
a decline of 28% from 1994, the World
Health Organization (WHO) estimates
that more than 80,000 cases occurred in
1995. WHO also estimates that $120
million a year is needed for the next five
years to implement the polio eradication
strategy, but that eradication would mean
an annual global savings of $150 billion.
The AARPCV group, in collaboration
with the CDC, is contacting polio eradication
programs in African countries to
identify their needs and match them with
resources in the U.S. Items such as
office supplies, megaphones, computer
hardware and software are badly needed
and often cost only several hundred dollars.
These items are left out of the budgets
of many large organizations such as
UNICEF, WHO, and Rotary which are
funding polio eradication, and can make
a difference for a program. The Atlanta
group is interested in working with others
wishing to get involved.
At our San Diego meeting in July, the
Friends of Nigeria decided to commit
funds to an activity or project supporting
Nigerians. Three projects considered at
that meeting were The Worldwide Polio
Eradication, solar ovens, and Ashoka
International. At this time we have adequate
information only on the polio eradication
project.
Two other projects brought to my
attention while in Nigeria were The
Braille Book Production Centre and the
Child Life-Line Vocational Center, both
based in Lagos and both run by a group
with which I was closely affiliated for
many years, Nigerwives. Nigerwives is
an organization, the first aim of which is
to assist the integration of foreign wives
of Nigerians into Nigerian society.
Let us hear from you on your choice
of which project(s) to support. Our treasurer
reports that we can commit up to
$2000 at this time. There is also an
opening on our Board for a person who
will champion one of these projects, or
another project, for us; let us know if you
are that person.
4
David D Coughennower, Kenneth A
Cowles, Keith M Cox, Loren C Cox,
Thomas M Cracraft, Judith M Crampton,
lone W Crandall, William D Craven,
John E Crawford, Richard H Crawford,
James E Crawley, Regina T Crawley.
Nancy Crockett, James Cunliffe,
James G Cunningham, Donald L Currie,
Angela L Cutuly, Florence P Dacey, John
P Dacey, John C Daniels, Anthony J
Daponte, Adrienne M Dare, Allan C
Darrah, Larry A Dash, Bette Daudu,
Betty C Davis, Brian K Davis, Clyde E
Davis, David K Davis, James H Davis,
Janet P Davis, Louis L Davis, Margaret
R Debruhl, Susan P Dever, S Devita,
Monika B DeVries.
Board of Directors
Friends of Nigeria
Cathy Onyemelukwe, President &
Editor
1 Mansfield Place
Westport, CT 06880
H: 203-222-0630 W: 203-226-8981
ambermuse@aol.com
Peter J. Hansen, Vice President
Orange City, IA
H: 712-737-2700 W: 712-737-7018
pjhansen@nwciowa.edu
Robert D. Cohen
Bethlehem, PA
H: 610-867-5501 W: 610-867-1818
rdcollege@enter.net
Vincent J. Garofalo
Lowell, MI
H: 616-897-7847 W: 616-459-8281
Richard E. James
Toledo,OH
H: 419-531-9285 W: 419-321-7556
Carl F. Petersen
Del Mar, CA
H: 619-755-5764
John L. Romano
St. Paul, MN
H: 612-699-7587 W: 612-624-1099
romanOOI @maroon.tc.umn.edu
Marge (Shannon) Snoeren
Columbia, MD
H: 410-772-1185
snoeren@ix.netcom.com
Nick Thiemann
Westport, CT
H: 203-227-1975 W: 203-255-2888

•
Friends of Nigeria - Membership Directory Update
Listed below are 36 new members of Friends of Nigeria-members who have joined since the last newsletter was published in
September 1997. Please send corrections to Peter Hansen, PO Box 256, Orange City, IA 51041, pjhansen@nwciowa,edu. If your
entry is incomplete, please also send us the missing information.
Each listing (if complete)
includes three sections:
• name, maiden/other-name, years-of-service, PC-town, PC-assignment
• address, city, state, zipcode, home-phone,
• current-occupation,
e-mail addrcss
Budd, Amelia I (Mimi), 65-67, Uromi
(Midwest Reg) & Kaduna, tchr * 2417
Curtis Way, Sacramento, CA, 95818,
916-457-5843,916-657-4037 *
atty/municipal finance/state treasurer
Cassidy, Thomas P, 66-67, sci tchr *
7618 Dorcas St, Philadelphia, PA
19111-3324,215-742-2786
Coombs, Susan H, Harrison. 65-67,
Keffi, tchr * 1523 Ashcroft Way,
Sunnyvale, CA 94087-3917,408-736­
8124 * teaching supervisor, Stanford
U, susncoombs@ao1.com
Craycroft, Robert C, 66-67, Uzairue
(near Auehi) & Enugu * 1211 Hillcrest
Cir, Starkville, MS 39759-9307,601­
324-2480,601-325-0567 * architect
prof Mississippi St U,
craybob@sarc.msstate.edu
Dane, Francis S (Frank), 65-67, Auchi
(Midwest Reg), see schl tchr * PO Box
1003, Forestville, CA 95436, 707-953­
9304, 707-824-6484 * tchr/author,
POUVANT@ao1.com
De Simone, Ann M, 63-65, Ado-Ekiti,
tchr * 1305 N Highland Ave (rear),
Pittsburgh, PA 15206-1645, 412-661­
1517
Demerly- Witten brink, Sandra,
Demerly, 66-67, Ibusa & Asaba, tchr
St Thomas TIC & Asaba Girls GS *
1618 Orrington Suite 302, Evanston,
IL 60201,847-424-8218,847-424­
8218 * atty/writer
DuPuy, Valerie W, Wilson, 65-67, Kano,
tchr * 404 Ballston Rd Front, Scotia,
NY, 12302-3202,518-382-7743 * BFA
student
Flood, Jr, Kenneth E, 64-66, Asaba,
Comm Dev * 802 W Prospect Ave,
Appleton, WI 54914-5415, 920-733­
1080, 920-832-6200 * sec schl tchr,
KEFlood@aol.com
Gates, MD, Dennis J, 66-68, Enugu,
physician * 6858 W Archer Ave,
Chicago. IL 60638-2328, 312-938-
work-phone
Gidley, Nancy, Gordon, 64-65,
Arochuku, tehr TIC * 24 Thornfield
Road, Leeds, ENGLAND, LSI65AR,
392-50240? * adult educ development
worker
4414, 773-586-5950 * orthopedic surgeon,Orthogates@ao1.com
Graham, Robert H, 63-65, Oyo, tchr *
Il27 Royal Palm Dr, Naples, FL
34103-4849,941-261-0505,941-261­
2244 * realtor, nfn06163@naples.net
Grant, Melanie, 63-65, Uyo, tehr * 394
Emerson St, Denver, CO 80218-3765,
303-778-6250 * property manager
Hartford, Owen C, 66-69, Ohafia, tchr *
45 West Side Rd, Milton, MA 02186­
3018,617-696-3528,617-946-0700 *
desktop publishing, ohartford@earth­
Iink.net
Haslam, Robert E, 66-69, Kaduna, tchr *
200 B Cazneau Ave, Sausalito, CA
94965,415-332-7920,415-554-9873 *
senior real property officer
Haworth, Dennis M, 67-69, Minna, tchr
* 903 Chaparral Dr, El Centro, CA
92243-2820, 760-353-1985 * tchr,
dmhaworth@ao1.com
Hiatt, Gracia E, Hobson, 66-68, Lagos,
Yaba Clinic for Emotionally Disturbed
Children * 1814 Kelly Ave, Upland,
CA 91784-1554, 909-946-8211, 909­
782-6666 * rehab administrator
Johnson, Nancy Stauffer, 66-67, Ubiaja
(Midwest), tchr Sacred Heart TIC *
PO Box 49, Hawaii Volcano Nat'l
Park, HI 96718,808-967-7746,808­
928-2015 * schllibrarian,
nancyj@aloha.net
Johnson, Roy A, 64-65, Lagos, tchr U of
Lagos * SE 732 Ridgeview, Pullman,
WA 99163,509-334-3322,509-335­
8518 * math prof Wash State U
Keatts, William H, 64-66, Maidugari &
Bornu Prov, cattle forage conserv &
supp feed prog * 711 S Harrison,
Kennewick, WA 99336, 509-783-3658,
5
509-783-2131 * veterinarian,
K9CATDR@ao1.com
Kleiss, Lee Maria, 54-56, I1aro, tehr
Egbado Coil * 1416 Briarcliff Dr #2,
Fayetteville, NC 28305-4518, 910­
485-3981,910-486-1303 * chern prof
Fayetteville St Univ,
LKleiss@chi l.uncfsu.edu
Knilans, Hubert C, 63-65, Kano, tchr *
207 McDowell St Apt 105, Delavan,
WI 53115-1141, 414-728-3825 *
retired tehr
Koch, Rose, Franke, 66-67 * 104 Pollard
Rd, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046, 201­
334-8262 * history tchr Morristown
Beard Schl
Lyman, Helen T, 68-70, Katsina, tchr
gov see schl * 7425 SE 20th Ave,
Portland, OR 97202, 503-235-4056,
503-778-2220 * legal secretary,
lymanh@lanepowel1.com
McLane, Richard (Mick), 65-67, Lagos
& Sokoto, tchr * 7503 S Lakeridge Dr.
Seattle, WA 98178, 206-772-7392,
253-395-6655 * manager aerospace
corp, mickmcl@gte.net
Mohan, Reba, Harris, 66-68 * 807
Foulkeways, Gwynedd, PA 19436­
1026,215-283-7272
Myott, Larry, 64-66, Orlu & Nsukka.
agrie & U of Nigeria * RR 1 Box
1660, Ferrisburgh, VT 05456-9708,
802-877-2250, 802-656-5433 * prof of
extension U Vermont - Maple,
LMyott@zoo.uvm.edu
Oakland, John A, 63-65, Fiditi, sci &
math tchr Boys Gram Schl * 136
Winged Elm Cir, Aiken, SC 29803­
2731, 803-648-8659, 803-952-7229 *
employee Bechtel,
JAOaklan @seescape.com
Piazza, Richard E, 61-63, Awo
Omamma (East Reg), physics lchr *
220 - 171st Place NE. Bellevue, WA
98008,425-641-3327,425-641-3327 *
retired, RichPiazza@ao1.com

,
Powell. Joyce B, 63-63, Warri * 767
Buena Vista Ave Apt 204, San
Francisco, CA 94117,415-626-9372 *
writer/producer
Ralston, Spencer D, 65-67, tcm * 2
Calle Del Norte, Placitas, NM 87043­
9208, 505-867-6321 *
sralston@rt66.com
Reaves, Raymond L, 62-64, tcm, Katsina
Ala * 1243 Denniston St, Pittsburgh,
PA 15217,412-422-7877,412-422­
7877 * planning consultant,
102165.3272@compuserve.com
Rosen, David J, 66-68, Azia near Ihiala
(East Reg), tcm * 7 Newsome Park,
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-4024,617­
522-7020, 617-782-8956 * dir Adult
Literacy Resource Inst,
DJRosen@world.std.com
Shafer, Lawrence H, 65-67 * 21 Davelin
Rd, Wayland, MA 01778-3137, 508­
358-4857,617-271-8207 * computer
analyst Mitre Corp
Sugarman, David A, 64-66,
Sabongidda-Ora (Midwest Reg), tchr
Holy Trinity Gram Sch1 * 2005 Mark
St NE, Olympia, WA 98516,360-438­
6360 * info res manager State of WA,
sugarda@scn.org
Zurlo, John A (Tony), 64-66, Zaria &
Yola, tcm, gov sec schl * 100
Cimarron Ln, Arlington, TX 76014,
817-472-8372,817-515-3700 *
English prof & writer,
LiBai@tcjc.cc.tx.usa
Membership News
Membership Hits 335
In late January our Membership Chair
entered the 335th FoN member into our
database. The database currently lists
1128 Nigeria RPCV s and staff.
Larry Bell & Carol
Chamberlain
We were informed that Nigeria X
RPCVs Larry K. (Tony) Bell and Carol
A. Chamberlain have passed away.
Recently Found Nigeria
RPCVs
To the Membership Chair:
It was strange but wonderful to get a
note from you asking if I am the Eric
Gedney (PCV, Maiduguri, Bornu
Province) who took a wild and woolly
trip across West Africa into Morocco
with Pat Francin and Ken Kueppen during
the summer break of 1964. Yes, I am
the same Eric. But I haven't heard those
names for 30 years.
I am currently married to a wonderful
woman - Susan Gedney - my bride of 27
years, and we have three children Joshua
(25 - an architect and graduate of Notre
Dame), Peter (22, recent graduate of ND
in Music and English) and Nellie (19,
soph. at Boston College). I am also a
high school math teacher in South
Oldham High School, Crestwood,
Kentucky where I also work with the
Academic Team.
My wife and I and our children are
very involved in our church. I would be
delighted to hear any news from returning
PCV's. Thank you for taking the
time to track me down.
Eric Gedney
Nigeria '63-66
To the Membership Chair:
I am still here in Uganda after eleven
years and still training development
workers (change agents). At present I
am working as the Senior Advisor to the
Uganda Change Agent Association
which is a voluntary membership-based
association of men and women who have
taken the eight-week residential Change
Agent Training. Currently, they have
about 1000 members in 68 branches in
31 of Uganda's 45 districts. I expect to
continue assisting them until the end of
1999. After that I don't know, but I
would like to work with community conservation
programs using the same model
of self-reliant participatory development
as described in my book, People First,
ZED Books, 1993.
All together I've spent about two
years in the States since I left for Lagos
in January 1963!
Stan Burkey
Quaker Service Norway
P.O. Box 2922
Kampala, Uganda
Nigeria III '62-63
To the Membership Chair:
I did indeed serve two years in
Nigeria during the Biafran Conflict. I
was stationed at Queen Elizabeth School
in Ilorin, Nigeria. It was one of the most
interesting and stimulating events in my
life. I am saddened that Nigeria has had
so much bad press in the last few years.
The people I taught and worked with
were some of the most interesting I have
ever met. I wish Nigeria could become
more stable in a political sense.
Kenneth Koosmann
24537 129th Place SE
Kent, WA 98031
Nigeria '67-69
Support Friends of Nigeria
Please Join or Renew Today!
The Friends of Nigeria newsletter is sent to all Nigeria
RPCV s for whom we have valid addresses. H you have
not already joined Friends of Nigeria, please join.
Complete the membership form on the last page and
together with a check mail it to the Membership Chair.
H you are already a member of Friends of Nigeria,
check the renewal date on this issue's mailing label
(YYYYMMDD) and if your membership has expired
please renew your membership.
Thank you.
6

News Items from Nigeria
,
Obasanjo Hospitalized
Imprisoned Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo
was rushed to Yola Hospital (in the
northern city of Yola) after he reportedly
suffered cardiac arrest. Obasanjo was
among more than 40 people arrested in
March 1995 for alleged complicity in a
coup plot against the current military. .
government and is serving a 15-year JaIl
term. Obasanjo ruled Nigeria from
1976-79 and was the first Nigerian military
ruler to hand over power to a civilian
government. (Associated Press, 21­
Dec-97; Phone News International, 22­
Dec-97)
Abacha Brand TV Sets
A controversy has erupted over the
federal government's decision to import
over 500,000 television sets with an
"Abacha" brand name. Speculation suggests
that the TV sets are to be distributed
to Nigerians before the government's
announcement of General Sani
Abacha's candidacy for next year's presidential
election. Abacha has not yet said
whether he will stand for election under
his own much-criticized
democracy.
plan to restore
DC Mayor Defends Trip
Mayor Marion Barry of Washington,
DC defended his five-day trip to Nigeria,
subsidized by Nigeria's military government,
where he attended the World
Conference of Mayors in Abuja. One
group, the Free Nigeria Movement,
demanded that Barry return the "blood
money" he received from the regime of
Gen. Sani Abacha. Barry denied that he
had made statements at the conference
supporting the Abacha regime, as the
Free Nigeria Movement has alleged.
Twaddell Named
Ambassador
to Nigeria
William H. Twaddell, a career member
of the Foreign Service, has been chosen
as the new U.S. Ambassador to
Nigeria. Twaddell joined the Foreign
Service in 1969 and has previously held
diplomatic posts in Saudi Arabia,
Venezuela, Mozambique, Namibia,
Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, and
mosl recently in Liberia. Ambassador
Twaddell w

,
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8