Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Bridging cleavages in Nigeria

As a northerner, the president elect in Nigeria has to make overtures to the people in the south south (Niger delta) who have so long felt left out and betrayed by the rest of the nation. Whether his overtures will be more than symbolic remains to be seen, but This Day (Lagos) reported on what may be the first proposal.

How would your students evaluate this proposal now? What standards would they suggest for evaluating it a year from now?

Yar'Adua - Niger Delta to Get New Development Plan

"President-elect, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has intimated of his administration's plan to introduce a new development plan to solve the problems of underdevelopment facing the Niger Delta states in Nigeria.

"He also stated that henceforth the Niger Delta problem should be seen as a Nigerian problem.

"He... said his administration will introduce a new Marshall Plan of development that would tackle the underdevelopment problems of the Niger Delta within the first 100 days of his administration.

"Yar'Adua, who gave an insight of the new comprehensive Marshal Plan of Development on Niger Delta said 'what we intend to do in the Niger Delta in view of the new Marshall Plan shall be self- financing, sustaining and it shall be clear on the timing with the goal in focus.'...

"The president-elect further explained that within three months of his administration that he will empanel a stakeholder's meeting to dialogue and come out with a comprehensive solution to the problems of the region, stating that nothing is impossible, even as his administration would dialogue even with the leaders of the militants..."

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