Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Monday, March 17, 2008

Situation normal...

My Dad brought an acronym back with him from his service in the U.S. Navy: SNAFU. He taught me the polite meaning when I was young: Situation Normal, All Fouled Up. The "word" was used as a noun.

This report from the BBC describes what sounds like a Nigerian SNAFU. And the former president and former leader of Transparency International, Obasanjo, is being implicated.

Is this normal in Nigeria? What are the implications for Nigerian politics? What are the implications for government legitimacy? What are the implications for the legitimacy of the regime?

Nigerian deals 'wasted billions'


"Some $2.2bn-worth of Nigerian energy contracts were awarded without a bidding process by the former president and his energy minister, officials say...

"The BBC's Ahmed Idris in the capital, Abuja, says this week's parliamentary hearings, which are being aired on television, are causing a stir with their revelations.

"He says many parts of the country go for days without electricity and businesses and many homes rely on their generators.

"When President Umaru Yar'Adua came to power last year he announced he would declare a "state of emergency" on the country's energy crisis...

"The House of Representatives committee is investigating why six power stations - already paid for by the government - are yet to be completed years after they were begun..."


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1 Comments:

At 9:15 AM, Blogger Ken Wedding said...

One thing to remember about these power projects in Nigeria is that most of the corporations involved are parastatals.

This report comes from This Day in Lagos.

Power Projects Didn't Pass Due Process

"More startling revelations were made yesterday at the ongoing public hearing on the expenditure on the power sector between 2000 and 2007 with the Director-General of the Due Process Office, Mr. Emeka Eze, disclosing that the Due Process Office did not certify any project under the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP).

"Also yesterday, the Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, revealed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had not remitted its counterpart funding of $577 million for the Afam VI CCGT 642 megawatts Integrated Gas to Power Project expected to contribute 20 per cent to the national grid..."

 

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