People’s Forum Gets Going
By Toye Olori

NIGERIAN PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo opened the Commonwealth Peoples Forum Sunday. Cultural displays marked the colourful occasion.

Colin Ball, director of the Commonwealth Foundation that has organized the people’s forum called on participants to make best use of the opportunity.

“The week ahead is an opportunity for many things to happen, an opportunity that comes only once every two years,” he said. “We must use it to the full, and above all we must do so by giving voice to the people we all serve and reciprocally by hearing and learning from the voices of others across communities, across cultures, across genders, across generations across faiths and across nations.”

Ball thanked the Nigerian government for helping set up the magnificent facilities. “These facilities and the efforts that have brought them about were a real credit to this great country and its great people.”

Nkoyo Toyo, chairperson of the Committee on the Forum, called on Obasanjo to press leaders tat the Abuja summit to work for a progressive partnership between civil societies and governments.

“In furtherance of this aspirations, we are not in doubt that as you take over the leadership of the Commonwealth you will demonstrate and work to expand in many ways the context and scope of the partnership,” she said.

She said that the venue of the Commonwealth Peoples Market with its 81 shops set in typical Nigerian village hut style is symbolic. The venue is a message also to other peoples across the world who make their livelihood in villages and markets, she said.

Culture and tourism minister Frank Ogbuewu praised the organisers for providing the opportunity for the Commonwealth communities to meet and exchange views while the Commonwealth heads of government are in session.

Ogbuewu told the gathering: ”Here at the Commonwealth Market you will be exposed to the experiences and achievement on the dynamic network of people to provide the platform where the civil society and officials of the Commonwealth can interact and exchange views of common interest. It has been established to serve as a forum for cultural, entertainment and exhibitions of arts and craft.”

The minister spoke of Nigeria’s enormous tourism potential and urged visitors to the Abuja CHOGM to return to Nigeria for relaxation and to establish business ties. And, he added, marriages so that better international relationships can be established.

Bashir El-Rufai, minister of the federal capital territory Abuja said the forum is expected

to showcase the vast cultural and commercial potentials of the Commonwealth member states and their readiness for globalisation through the Commonwealth market. He urged all participants to avail themselves of the investment climate in Nigeria.

He praised the contributions of civil society organizations and other similar national and international organisations for their untiring efforts to support the commonwealth of nations. “The role of these organisations in strengthening our democracy and development and the awareness that they raise in their activities in various areas, from health to education, women’s rights and HIV/AIDS must be commended,” he said.

The village where the market has been set up makes a particularly picturesque site. The huts with their traditional thatched roofs seek to give the feel of the village, and men and women in traditional costumes complete the traditional touch. [end]