ONLY a few days after three former United States (U.S.) Ambassadors to Nigeria expressed the view that Nigeria's global significance is declining, the American Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, has listed the Federal Government of Nigeria among governments that are "able but unwilling to make the changes their citizens deserve," and such governments, she promised, will come under vigorous U.S. pressure.

Mrs. Clinton spoke at the Georgetown University in Washington DC where she presented an overview of the Obama Administration's agenda on human rights and democracy around the world. The U.S. government regularly focuses on human rights, good governance and democracy issues, including yearly human rights reports as mandated by the U.S. Congress, but the Secretary of State spoke in commemoration of this week's observance as Human Rights Week.

A U.S. government bulletin containing Clinton's speech delivered on Monday was later made available electronically on Tuesday by the State Department to The Guardian in the U.S.

According to Clinton, human development must also be part of our human rights agenda.

"Because basic levels of well-being - food, shelter, health, and education - and of public common goods like environmental sustainability, protection against pandemic diseases, provisions for refugees - are necessary for people to exercise their rights, and because human development and democracy are mutually reinforcing. Democratic governments are not likely to survive long if their citizens do not have the basic necessities of life."

But she observed that "in some cases, governments are willing but unable without support to establish strong institutions and protections for citizens - for example, the nascent democracies in Africa. And we can extend our hand as a partner to help them try to achieve authority and build the progress they desire."

However, in other cases, she continued; "like Cuba or Nigeria governments are able but unwilling to make the changes their citizens deserve. There, we must vigorously press leaders to end repression, while supporting those within societies who are working for change."

Categorising Nigeria among nations unwilling to make changes to benefit its citizens is believed to be another signal from the U.S. government of its discontent with the current direction of the Nigerian Federal Government and expresses America's perception of the country's current state of affairs.

Observers also say it is a pointer to the direction of future US-Nigeria relations based on the Secretary of State's declaration that the Barack Obama administration will press leaders of such countries like Nigeria to end repression and focusing more on providing strategic support for civil society groups in Nigeria.

A third category she highlighted are "cases where governments are both unwilling and unable - places like the eastern Congo - we have to support those courageous individuals and organisations who try to protect people and who battle against the odds to plant seeds for a more hopeful future."

Referring to President Obama's acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize last week, Clinton restated that "while war is never welcome or good, it will sometimes be right and necessary, because, in his words, 'only a just peace based upon the inherent rights and dignity of every individual can be truly lasting.'

She said President Obama's speech also reminded the world of the basic American values, as enshrined "in our Declaration of Independence," adding that these include "the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - are not only the source of our strength and endurance; they are the birthright of every woman, man, and child on earth."

The U.S. Secretary of State added that the same set of values are also "the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the prerequisite for building a world in which every person has the opportunity to live up to his or her God-given potential, and the power behind every movement for freedom, every campaign for democracy, every effort to foster development, and every struggle against oppression."

She declared that American government's human rights agenda for the 21st century is "to make human rights a human reality, and the first step is to see human rights in a broad context. Of course, people must be free from the oppression of tyranny, from torture, from discrimination, from the fear of leaders who will imprison or 'disappear' them. But they also must be free from the oppression of want - want of food, want of health, want of education, and want of equality in law and in fact."

According to Clinton: "I don't need to tell you that the challenges we face are diverse and complicated. And there is not one approach or formula, doctrine or theory that can be easily applied to every situation."

She said sometimes, the U.S. government "will have the most impact by publicly denouncing a government action, like the coup in Honduras or violence in Guinea. Other times, we will be more likely to help the oppressed by engaging in tough negotiations behind closed-doors, like pressing China and Russia as part of our broader agenda. In every instance, our aim will be to make a difference, not to prove a point."

The U.S. government, she added, "will hold governments accountable for their actions, as we have just recently (done) by terminating Millennium Challenge Corporation grants this year for Madagascar and Niger in the wake of government behaviour."

The U.S. is ready, she stressed, "both in our bilateral relationships and through international institutions - to help governments that have committed to improving themselves by assisting them in fighting corruption and helping train Police forces and public servants."

Specifically mentioning regional groups like the African Union, Clinton declared: "We will support regional organisations and institutions like the Organisation of American States, the African Union, and the Association of South-East Asian Nations, where they take their own steps to defend democratic principles and institutions."

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Clinton was absolutely right. The Nigerian Govt. can fix all problems we are facing rite now, cos we have the resources.

Well said.

@ mrperfect,

Tanks for your acknowledgment!