By Toye Olori
LAGOS, Mar 24 1998 (IPS)

Pope John Paul had something for just about everyone in the addresses he delivered while in Nigeria so much so the reactions to the Pontiff’s three-day visit were generally positive.

He preached peace, love, justice and reconciliation, and many of the roughly 119 million Nigerians have been left waiting to see if the administration of Gen. Sani Abacha will attend to some of the grievances brought into the open during the Pope’s visit, and hoping that it will.

For Abacha, whose relations with the international community are cold, the 78-year-old Pontiff’s visit was a public relations coup.

Everyone, including Abacha, had kind words for the Pope, perhaps because he exhibited an understanding of the complex nature of this West African nation ruled for more than 27 years by the military and dogged by economic, political and societal ills.

“Your warmth, friendship and deep love for the country which were manifestly evident during the visit would remain, therefore, in the memory of Nigerians,” Abacha said just before the Pope departed left Nigeria on Monday.

Abacha appeared to give undivided attention to the Pontiff. In fact, he was more visible these three days than for several months put together.

The Nigerian head of state linked the underdevelopment of much of the world, including his country, to the “long history of exploitation and oppression” in form of slavery suffered at the hands of nations that are now considered developed.

“Holy Father, your presence here at this time and the message you have brought have given us hope” he said, adding that “the papal love for the people would inspire Nigeria to greater heights and national reconciliation.”

Such reconciliation, members of the NGO community believe, should include the release of political detainees — Abacha had hinted that this was possible in a speech delivered on Nov. 17 last, the anniversary of the coup that brought him to power in 1993.

Sources at the Catholic Secretariat hinted that a list of some 60 detainees was presented to the Nigerian government through the Holy See during the visit, a gesture lauded by some NGOs.

Abraham Adesanya, chair of the main opposition group, the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) thanked the Pope for requesting the detainees’ liberation and for his “fortright” remarks on the situation in Nigeria.

“What the pope has done is exceedingly satisfactory to us,” Adesanya said here on Tuesday. “He has done exactly what is expected of man in his position.”

The Pope had assured an estimated one million people at a mass Monday in Kubwa, a satellite town of Abuja, that the Catholic Church was committed to the struggle for the integral development of Nigeria.

“Respect for every human person, for his dignity and rights must ever be the inspiration and guiding principle behind your efforts to increase democracy and strengthen the social fabric of your country,” he said.

According to the Pontiff, the building blocks of a new and better Nigeria must be the dignity of every human being, his/her inalienable fundamental rights, the inviolability of life, freedom and justice, the sense of solidarity as well as the rejection of discrimination.

He referred to the “great justice” which is meant to give life to the spirit of renewal … “to preach the good news to the poor to proclaim release to the captives, the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed”.

The Pope urged Nigerians to “make this spirit the very climate of your national life” and to “let the time of transition be a time of freedom, of forgiveness, of union and solidarity”.

For Africa, the Pontiff prayed for hope, peace, joy, harmony, love and unity. Nigeria, like all of Africa, he said, is searching for a way to meet the aspirations of its people to leave behind the effects of poverty, disputes, wars and despair and to make proper use of the continent’s immense resources and achieve political as well as social stability.

“As we approach the threshold of the third millennium, our oecumenical friendship and cooperation must ever become more intense, an attitude of trust and respect must distinguish all the followers of Christ as we travel along the path of ever greater understanding and mutual support”, the Pope said.

The Pope did not lose sight of the fact that he was visiting a multi-religious nation populated by Muslims, Christians and followers of traditional African religions.

“I pray that the commitment of Christians and Muslims to establish bonds of mutual knowledge and respect will increase and bear fruit, so that all who believe in the one God may work together for the good of society here in Nigeria and throughout the world,” he said.

Offered a special word of appreciation to the followers of African religions, he assured them that the Catholic church in its efforts aimed at inculcating the Gospel, seeks to highlight and build on the positive elements of Africa’s religious and cultural heritage.

Turning to the children, the Pope said: “The message I leave today is the same as I left them (in 1982). The children and young people of Africa must be protected from the terrible harships visited upon the thousands of innocent victims who are forced to become refugees, who are left hungry, or who are mercilessly abducted, abused, enslaved or killed.

“We must all work for a world in which no child will be deprived of peace and security, of a stable family life of the right to grow up without fear and anxiety.”

The Pope also renewed an appeal he has often made to the global community “not to ignore Africa’s needs, but to lend support to all efforts aimed at ensuring the continent’s peaceful development and growth.”

The visit was still the subject of many a radio and television review on Tuesday.

“I so much believe in a divine intervention which the Head of State has always wanted to see the transition through. God has given him that divine intervention on a platter of gold from the Pope,” one caller who identified himself as Anthony said. “He should release the detainees by the end of this week and if he refuses to do that, we should leave everything to God who can intervene in many ways.”

Another, Chief Biodun, said: “I believe the Head of State, who believes in God also, will not refrain from doing what the Pope wants. Though the visit is not political, one cannot sever political matters from the pastoral visit of the Pope because of our situation here.”

“The Pope did it in Cuba and Cuba heeded his advice and I believe the time is up for Gen. Abacha to do that very quickly. It is a divine intervention from God. He may not release the 60 detainees as called for, but if he is not going to release all of them, he must have genuine reason.

“I see the Head of State meeting 99.9 percent of what the Pope asked or even go beyond the number, so that the world will now look at him as a person who is really reconciling with the opposition.”

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