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PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo's success in the quest for debt cancellation was at the weekend hinged by the United States (U.S.) on Nigeria's adherence to certain conditions.

The U.S. envoy to Nigeria, Mr. Howard Jeter, who disclosed the position of his country, noted that debt relief would not be automatic for Nigeria, in so far as the terms for such a gesture from the international creditors are met.

Jeter, who spoke at an interactive forum with media executives in Abuja, acknowledged that President Obasanjo had been working hard towards achieving revocation of the nation's debt.

But he stated: "The fact is, there are a lot of economic reforms that Nigeria has to carry out and your international partnership will have to be firm, particularly with the International Monetary Fund (IMF); before the Paris Club creditors could consider debt relief."

"Somehow you have to get this right," Jeter added.

He said he was sure that Obasanjo was now talking about meeting those conditions demanded by the creditor nations. Among those conditions, the ambassador said, the Obasanjo administration would need to do something about transparency, corruption and good governance.

Noting that 70 per cent of Nigerians were engaged in agriculture, Jeter urged the government to reduce poverty in the country by encouraging farming.

Jeter, who said that Nigerians did not deserve to be exposed to hunger, added: "You have got to make farming really attractive. And Nigeria has proven in the past that she could do it."

The ambassador added that if there was increased agricultural production, Nigerians would be able to sell their own crops, eat better and pay school fees.

"It is not easy. There are a lot of bottlenecks. There are a lot of policy changes to be made, but you have got to make a strong start in those areas," he said.

Jeter noted that Obasanjo had said from the on-set of his new administration that he was going to focus on those areas.

"You can do something about transparency in governance and I think, if you appeal for debt relief after that, the creditors would listen," he added.

Jeter said that his country was concerned that in spite of Nigeria's abundant human and material resources, it had not realised its potential.

"The thing that worries me most is that Nigeria has great potential but, year in year out, such potential has not been realised, he stated.

Jeter said the U.S. was worried about events in Nigeria because "if Nigeria fails, it will affect the rest of Africa."

He also expressed concern on the outbreak of communal conflicts in some parts of the country since the return of democracy in 1999, saying something should be done to nip such clashes in the bud.

The ambassador also assessed relations between his country and the largest recipient of U.S. aid in Africa.

"On the average, the aid programme to Nigeria is about $100 million a year," he said, adding that the programme was not easy to administer because of the need to ensure accountability.

Jeter described the improvement in human rights situation in Nigeria as a by-product of democracy.

"People are free to say what they want, the press is free to write what they want, people are free to form associations or political parties and to participate in civil societies," he said.

"It is not a perfect record because no country has got that. But there has been a palpable improvement."

Jeter, however, said that it was only in Benue State that "we had a special case."

He said the decision to suspend some aspects of U.S. security co-operation with Nigeria over the alleged killing of some civilians by military personnel was not to punish Nigeria for its stand on the war against Iraq.

"We think some human rights abuses were committed and we said we want to know what happened, who was behind it and what will be done to those who perpetrated the crime," Jeter said.

He stated that the U.S. reacted that way because "we are the largest partner to Nigeria in terms of security systems and the thinking, particularly in the Congress, was that the security assistance be stopped."

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By Samuel Oyadongha
Wednesday, August 06, 2003

YENAGOA—THE Federal Government is under pressure to deploy United States Marines to the troubled Niger Delta region to protect American oil companies' installations. Gov. Diepreye Alamieyesegha of Bayelsa State, who dropped the hint in Yenagoa at a meeting with stakeholders on sea piracy and oil pipeline vandalisation, said the Federal Government had lost patience with the spate of crises in the region and was getting frustrated with measures introduced to curtail the scourge.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/headline/f106082003.html

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ABUJA— SOUTH-South members of the House of Representatives say the use of Britain’s Scotland Yard detectives to resolve the spate of kidnappings in the Niger Delta was a diversion from the fundamental problems confronting the region. In separate interviews with Vanguard yesterday, members said the use of Scotland Yard detectives masked the fundamental issues of poverty and disillusion of youths of the region.

"It is a very worrying development that Police from another country would be brought to help us solve our problems. It is a sad commentary in our law enforcement ability." While agreeing that there was an existing law and order problem in the region, the legislator said that the fundamentals of the problems were not being addressed.

While denouncing all forms of violence in the region, the lawmaker said: "I condemn all acts of violence and piracy but at the same time, I do not find any justification for Scotland Yard storming Delta State. They cannot come directly to the state," he said.

Mr. Aziegbemi, however, said he could understand the motive behind the presence of the foreign security agents saying "They (Britain) are worried about their citizens. Every government should be worried about its citizens."

http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/niger_delta/nd413082003.html

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Without firing a shot, the marines are taking over Niger-Delta. Obasanjo has surrendered BiafraNigeria's sovereignty. Shame!

From the Yoruba Vanguard

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US Marines in Niger Delta to protect US investments only —Okumagba


By EGUONO ODJEGBA
Sunday, October 12, 2003


THE demand for the deployment of US Marine guards to patrol the coast of the Niger Delta has been described as a design to protect US investments in the area, contrary to the claim that it would boost local policing of the area by Nigerian security agents.

A senatorial aspirant in Ughelli/Udu District, Delta state in the last election, Mr. Lucky Okumagba, disclosed this, weekend, even as he described it an insult to the people of the Niger Delta and the generality of Nigerians.

A businessman, and former vice national president of PENGASSAN, Unipetrol branch, Okumagba faulted President Obasanjo administration’s handling of the restiveness of youths in the Niger Delta, which he attributed to the natural effects of economic activities of few individuals that government failed to deal with. Said he: If the US Marines or Coast Guards are here in Nigeria, and are patrolling the coast of the Niger Delta, do you blame them?

The problem in the region is simple. There are oil bunkerers operating there. To continue to do business, they throw money at the youths, arm them to cause problems. These individuals are known, they are not faceless, but they are well connected to the power that be who fail to pick them out and prosecute them.

"Remove the source of the problem and it will cease. But government lacks the political will to do this. You send soldiers there and now the US Marines. I can tell you plainly that the US marines will come here to protect US investments in the Niger Delta, that is going to be their primary role. They are not just coming here to train our local police or protect peoples lives and properties, the oil installations are their target."

Speaking further, the former senatorial aspirant said it will be unfair to heap the whole blame of the hostilities in Delta state on the youths.

He noted that it is only a natural consequence of a large population of youths who are surrounded by wealth and yet neglected.

He demanded an aggressive and massive employment creation for youths of the state as a pre-condition for getting them to back down from their ‘guerrilla’ stance, adding that the US and other Western interests in the state and elsewhere in the Niger Delta lack sincerity and commitment to finding lasting solution to the perennial problems of the area.

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Originally posted by Patrick:

He noted that it is only a natural consequence of a large population of youths who are surrounded by wealth and yet neglected.

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Originally posted by Dr. B:
For all I care, let the marines wipe out the entire "Niger Delta." The marines were brought in by the Yoruba "friends" of the "Niger-Delta."

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Originally posted by Dr. B:
It is well known that the US considers people from that region to be terrorists or disposed to terrorism.

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