A new foundation, named after former Nigerian
Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has been established in Chicago
to provide support for democracy in Africa and scholarships for African
youths to study the sciences and technology.
"The foundation is named after General
Abubakar, in recognition of his contributions for the establishment of
democracy in Africa," a foundation spokesperson said. "General Abubakar
is to be credited for his courage and the graceful handover of power to
the present government of Nigeria within a one-year time schedule."
She pointed out that the General did not
usurp power through a coup d etat, but was appointed as Nigerias leader
following the death of General Sanni Abacha. During his brief tenure, Abubakar
released hundreds of political prisoners and embarked on a number of reforms,
enabling the country to return to civilian rule.
The spokesperson stated that the "Generals
contributions to democracy in Nigeria and other parts of Africa have been
remarkably noted by observers of Africas post-independence politics who
have accorded him his rightful place in history as one of the foremost
African statesmen."
Since leaving office, Abubakar has led
the Commonwealth team that monitored the recent elections in Zimbabwe.
Currently, he serves as the United Nations Envoy charged with bringing
an end to hostilities and achieving lasting peace in the Democratic Republic
of Congo.
The spokesperson added that the foundations
focus on awarding scholarships for studies in science and technology stems
from the Generals belief that the African continent can only be developed
if its youths are schooled in those two fields.
Ghanas outgoing President Jerry Rawlings
recently hailed Abubakar for his remarkable contributions to Africa. "General
Abubakar is a living testimony of what progressive Africa believes in.
He is a man of exceptional character, a man of nobility and integrity who
never loses touch with reality and the people," said the Ghanaian leader.
Abubakar is a recipient of several awards
including Ghanas highest award, The Star Award, International Gold Medal
Award from the Economic Community of West African States, Rainbow/PUSH
Coalition Peace Prize and the Internationalist Globalist Award for 1999.
The Abubakar Foundations first major activity
will be held in February when it joins Chicago State University in hosting
a Distinguished Lecture Series on Pan Africanism and Democracy in honor
of the former Nigerian leader on the university campus.