Nigeria: Politicians to air frustrations over debt

Four senior Nigerian MPs and Senators are embarking on an international mini-tour in May, 2005 to urge western campaigners, politicians and officials to support debt cancellation for Nigeria. They will explain why rising frustration with the finance ministers of major creditor nations has led the National Assembly to call on President Obasanjo to halt debt repayments. The four representatives are Senator Udo Udoma – Chief Whip of the Senate; Senator Patrick Osakwe – Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Debt; the Hon. Farouk Lawan – chair of the House Committee on Finance; and the Hon. Sadiq Sanussi – chair of the House Committee on Aid, Loans and Debt Management.  They will be accompanied by Dr. Mansur Muhtar – Director General of Nigeria's Debt Management Office. The Senators and House Representatives will be visiting Washington, London, Berlin and Rome.  If you live in any of these cities and would like to attend their upcoming meetings, please write to [email protected] for details.