Sorry for the rude title, but my people perish for lack of vision - quote from one holy book.Nigeria has come a long way but it seems nobody is recognizing this. some years ago, there was chaos every where, riots all over the country, fuel shortages and virtually all filling stations closed shops in the country. Strikes in schools. The government of the time was actually bullying everyone that wasn't toeing the line with allegations of coup and felony. Salaries were not payed. There was hardship everywhere I decided to paste some news articles of the time here -I truncated some of them The purpose of this post is not to make Nigerians dwell in their past but to make them look ahead into a future were they can hold their head up and say I'm Nigerian! - Don't you just love it when Americans say "I'm American!" in the face of danger if you love Nigeria or you are not so busy please read on. The Washington Post - Washington, D.C.
Author: James Rupert
Date: May 3, 1998
On April 25, Nigerians underscored the unpopularity of Gen. Sani Abacha, boycotting an election crafted to help him prolong his tenure. And this weekend, Nigerians largely ignored a call by pro-democracy groups to begin peaceful mass protests to force Abacha to surrender power.
Little peaceful protest was seen. Instead, riots erupted Friday in Ibadan, Nigeria's second-largest city, reportedly leaving seven dead. The broad failure of the protest call underscored the fact that, like Abacha, opposition leaders carry little real political authority among Nigerians.
Tensions rose significantly last month, when Abacha's aides engineered his nomination as the sole candidate for the presidency of a civilian government scheduled to take power from the military in October. By quashing NNigerianshopes for peaceful political competition, Abacha's camp raised the risk of violence, analysts said. . . Nigeria Frees 142 Prisoners
By James Rupert
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, May 8, 1998; Page A40
ABUJA, Nigeria, May 7—Nigeria, which has been roundly criticized on human rights issues, said this week that it has freed 142 prisoners on orders of the country's military ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha. Those freed include four journalists but few other political prisoners, Nigerian newspapers said.
Since shortly after Abacha seized control of sub-Saharan Africa's most populous nation in 1993, his government has been condemned by foreign governments, human rights groups and the U.N. Human Rights Commission for jailing politicians, journalists and democracy activists. Political tension has been heightened this year as a long-promised transition to civilian rule has produced Abacha as the only candidate for president.
In November, Abacha announced that his government would "grant amnesty to [those persons detained without trial] whose release would constitute no further impediment to the peace and security of our country." On Wednesday, Interior Minister Bashir Dalhatu named 142 prisoners who he said had been freed in fulfillment of Abacha's promise.
Dalhatu said they included people jailed without trial for longer than the sentences they would have served had they been tried and convicted. Others were prisoners over age 60 who were serving life terms. "It is the wish of the government that all those released will be reintegrated into the society and endeavor to make positive contributions to the . . . development of the country," Dalhatu told reporters.
The freed journalists are Muhammad Amadu and Soji Omotunde of the newspaper African Concord; Babafemi Ojudu of The News; and Onome Osifo-Whiskey of Tell magazine. They were arrested between July and November of last year after their publications printed articles critical of Abacha. Also freed was Ogaga Ifowodo of the Civil Liberties Organization, a Nigerian human rights group.
Human rights organizations in Nigeria and abroad welcomed the releases, particularly of prisoners who have never faced trial, but said the move does not substantially mitigate human rights abuse here. The London-based human rights group Amnesty International said that Nigerian officials continue to deny there are any political prisoners here and that "the release of uncharged detainees, while welcome, does not therefore suggest any change of policy with regard to human rights."
Indeed, as some prisoners have been freed in recent days, the government has been arresting political opponents in southwestern Nigeria, following anti-government riots last week in the city of Ibadan. Moreover, a secret military tribunal last week sentenced six army officers to die after they were convicted of plotting a coup against Abacha. Church leaders and traditional tribal rulers have begged Abacha to commute the sentences, and authorities say he will decide soon.
Abacha became a target of human rights criticism soon after seizing power, when he arrested businessman Moshood Abiola in 1994 on charges that he had claimed to be the legal ruler of Nigeria. Abiola had, by all evidence, won a presidential election in 1993 that was subsequently annulled by the military government of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Abacha's predecessor. Abiola remains jailed without trial.
In 1995, Abacha allowed the execution of nine environmental and political activists, including writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, after they were convicted of murder by a military-led tribunal whose proceedings were widely criticized as unfair. In that year, too, a secret military court convicted prominent Abacha rivals of taking part in a coup attempt.
Last month, the U.N. Human Rights Commission condemned Nigeria as a result of a harsh report issued by U.N. special investigator Soli Jehangir Sorabjee, now attorney general of India. Sorabjee said that arbitrary arrests, mistreatment of prisoners, killings by police and corrupted courts combine to ensure that "the rule of law does not prevail in Nigeria."
Nigerian police have arrested several prominent political figures since Friday, when youths protesting government policies clashed with police in Ibadan and burned buildings owned by politicians who back Abacha. Those held include the regional leaders of two democracy groups, United Action for Democracy and the Campaign for Democracy. Thursday, July 2, 1998 Published at 13:17 GMT 14:17 UK
Nigeria: Country Profile
With an estimated 103m people Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation.
Four ethnic groups - the Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba and Ibos - make up 65% of the population.
English is the official language but the ethnic languages are also widely spoken.
The main religions are Islam and Christianity.
Oil and debt
Nigeria's economy is heavily dependent on oil, which provides the vast majority of the country's export earnings.
During the 1970s Nigeria experienced high levels of economic growth but its national debt also grew.
After repeatedly negotiating agreements with creditors Nigeria arranged a long-term structural programme with the International Monetary Fund in 1986.
Coups and politics
Nigeria gained independence from Britain on October 1, 1960. Since then its has had 27 years of military rule.
In 1964 the fledgling state's first elections were rife with malpractice and violence.
Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Aronsi, an Ibo from the Eastern Region, staged a successful coup in 1966 and formed a Supreme Military Council.
Just six months later he was killed and Lieutenant-Colonel Yakubu Gowon, from the Christian North, seized power.
In 1967 relations between the Eastern Region and the federal government deteriorated.
The military Governor of the Eastern Region, Lt-Col Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, announced their secession and proclaimed its independence as the Republic of Biafra.
Federal forces spent two years quelling the Biafra rebellion. Up to 1m people died mainly from starvation.
But Nigeria has also seen its influence grow with neighbouring countries, most recently in Sierra Leone, where Nigeria helped restore the democratically elected leader.
Since then a series of coups and countercoups have dominated the Nigerian political landscape. CLAMOR FOR PRIVATIZATION OF ELECTRICITY SUPPLY
Date: February 14, 1997 | Author: Toye Olori
LAGOS, Feb. 13 (IPS) -- Electricity cables supplying power from
the main overhead lines to homes littered the front of most houses
in the Ikeja suburb here yesterday afternoon.
The cables were yanked off the main overhead lines by the
National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) in its bid to collect the
huge amounts left unpaid by its consumers.
Debts owed NEPA nationwide by individuals, ministries and state
governments are estimated at nine billion naira (about $112
million). The Lagos area alone owes about 1.8 billion naira (about
$22.5 . . . OIL EXPORTS FINE, BUT LITTLE FUEL AT HOME
Date: February 13, 1997 | Author: Remi Oyo
LAGOS, Feb. 12 (IPS) -- Nigeria, one of the world's biggest oil
producers, sits on a mountain of crude oil. Yet perennial fuel
shortages continue to cripple this West African nation.
The quest for export earnings has led Africa's leading
petroleum-producer country to ship away most of its black gold.
"The painful aspect of all of these fuel problems is that we,
the ordinary people, do not understand why we have to go through
so much hassle to spend our money," says Andrew Olaore.
Olaore, who runs a commuter service to neighboring . . . FEW POLICY SHIFTS IN 1997 BUDGET
Date: January 21, 1997 | Author: Remi Oyo
LAGOS, Jan. 20 (IPS) -- Nigeria's military ruler, General Sani
Abacha, has proved local forecasters wrong: his 1997 budget,
presented over the weekend, contains none of the policy shifts they
had anticipated.
The budget, announced on Jan. 18, maintains the dual exchange
rate of the national currency, which some financial pundits had
expected to be scrapped. Nor did hopes for increases in workers's salaries or a reduction by government fiat of the two-digit inflation
materialize.
The budget is similar in many respects to last year's . . . |
