Word: coupes
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Thus the Dec. 31 coup that toppled Shagari dealt a blow to the hopes of a black Africa that had looked to Nigeria as a trail blazer for democratization. The fact that Shagari could not retain power, even though he was overwhehningly re-elected last August, highlighted the pattern of failure that has plagued black Africa in the quarter-century since most of its nations became independent. The problems of Nigeria are, by and large, those that afflict the entire continent: abject poverty, rampant corruption, gross mismanagement, tribal enmity, uncontrolled population growth. If, in spite of its assets, Nigeria cannot...
...year, while its foreign debt rose to an estimated $15 billion. After his reelection, Shagari seemed determined to deal more forcefully with corruption and the growing economic problems than he had before. He created a new ministry charged with rooting out corrupt officials. Just two days before the coup, he delivered an austerity budget aimed at reducing the government's capital spending by 30% and imports by 40%. The belt-tightening was greeted with grumbling by Nigerians, already beset by high food prices and 50% inflation and angry over the ostentatious luxury enjoyed by many of the country's leaders...
...army moved on the last day of 1983, pulling off a well-planned and almost bloodless coup with efficiency. At 2:30 a.m., troops in widely scattered parts of the country moved out of their barracks and set up roadblocks at strategic points. By 3 a.m. they had secured the radio and television stations in Lagos and had begun to take prominent politicians into custody. They temporarily cut international telephone and telex lines and closed down airports, border posts and the port of Lagos. At 7:30, a member of the new junta, Brigadier Sana Abacha, announced over Nigerian radio...
...Nigeria would remain in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, and that it would not cut its oil prices sharply in an effort to find a short-term solution to its pressing economic problems. This was good news to other members of OPEC, who had feared that the coup in Nigeria might lead to a new round of price cutting in the world oil market...
Whatever the arguments to the contrary, General Buhari's coup was a setback for democracy throughout Africa...