Nigeria
* Re “Oil Firms Accused in Nigerian Abuses,” Feb. 24:
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has done well to call for a federal investigation of the role of American oil companies in Nigeria. It is time we Americans took a good look at our effect on that country and its struggle for democracy and human rights. American oil money has long supported the dictators there, a fact that the European media have been spotlighting for years.
I know the situation firsthand. My seven years of missionary service were cut short in 1996 when the Nigerian government denied my residency permit in order to punish the Catholic bishops for speaking out.
Thank you for bringing our attention to Nigeria with your reports on the national elections and the oil industry.
THE REV. JOHN M. RAAB, CMF
Los Angeles
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
