Word: nigeria
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...speech delivered on Oct. 30 at the Kennedy School of Government, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria described the path that led to his country's descent into an abyss of mass poverty and political tyranny that were nurtured by a sequence of treacherous military dictatorships. The democratically elected ex-military dictator also outlined his government's reform plans to rebuild the nation's international image by fighting corruption, mandating equal rights for all 70-plus ethnic groups, affirmative action programs for women and, perhaps, do a tiny bit for the environment in the troubled Niger Delta region...
...coups typically succeed such popular murmurs of dissatisfaction when true societal development does not keep up with political reform. Nigerian citizens cannot afford another military coup, but according to Obasanjo, the real issue is whether the world can afford to pay $30 billion to avoid another military coup in Nigeria. With ambiguities about the future of military institutions in countries such as Nigeria, it would appear that the situation could quickly develop into a blackmail of the global financial assistance system. This is why President Obasanjo's threat to the western world--that if the external debt is not forgiven...
...both economically and politically. The withdrawal of Nigerian troops from elaborate United Nations peace-keeping missions in Liberia, Sierra-Leone and other troubled regions would save a lot of money and show Nigerians and the world that Obasanjo is willing and able to trim the military down to size. Nigeria does not need a huge military and neither can the country afford one. Let the rich and stable countries supply the troops for UN missions, thank...
...only by reassessing the role of the Nigerian military that lasting political and economic progress can go hand-in-hand in Nigeria. Perhaps this is true for many other developing countries. President Obasanjo is in a unique position to embark on such a strategy. The idea of pulling Nigerian troops from international missions in order to save money towards the national debt is a brilliant first step that can be taken to disguise the critical issue of reducing the size and power of the military. The international community should support such a plan instead of or as a complement...
...student, the daughter of a member of Nigeria's failed military regime, said she was excited by the future prospects...