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3rd term will ruin Nigeria, New York Times warns Obasanjo

Posted by By Sun News Publishing on 2006/03/26 | Views: 584 |

3rd term will ruin Nigeria, New York Times warns Obasanjo


Tinkering with the constitution to get a third term in office is foolhardy, and may cause another civil war in Nigeria, the highly respected New York Times, stated in an editorial published on Sunday.

Tinkering with the constitution to get a third term in office is foolhardy, and may cause another civil war in Nigeria, the highly respected New York Times, stated in an editorial published on Sunday.

The hard-hitting editorial, titled ‘In Nigeria, Things Fall Apart,' was published as President Olusegun Obasanjo gets set to visit the United States later this week, with the newspaper asking President George Bush to tell his guest that 'changing his country's constitution so that he can remain in office is foolhardy."

The New York Times observes that Nigeria is deteriorating fast, saying Obasanjo is partly to blame for enflaming political tensions among the polarized ethnic groups, by trying to change the constitution to allow himself run for a third four-year term.

The newspaper says the last thing Africa needs is for its most populous country - Nigeria - to be pushed into a civil war, warning that an out-of-control Nigeria 'would undermine its already fragile neighbors."
Noting that Obasanjo has helped in the past to bring stability to a volatile region, the New York Times says two terms in power is enough, 'and it is incumbent on President Bush to tell Mr Obasanjo that changing his country's constitution so that he can remain in office is foolhardy. Another four years is not worth a Nigerian civil war."
Below is full text of the editorial:
In Nigeria, Things Fall Apart
When President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria visits Washington this week, he will probably be lauded for his crucial role as a regional African leader. During his seven years in power, Mr Obasanjo helped end Liberia's civil war by taking in the strongman Charles Taylor and refused to accept a coup in Togo. He was instrumental in making sure that the African Union did not destroy its international credibility by installing Sudan's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, as its head despite the continuing carnage in Darfur. President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, the continent's other big player, could learn a lot from Mr Obasanjo about how to use his country's economic and military strength to promote peace and stability around the region.

Unfortunately, while Mr Obasanjo deserves credit for good deeds outside of Nigeria, his own country is deteriorating fast and he is partly to blame. For one thing, by trying to change Nigeria's Constitution to allow himself to run for a third four-year term as president, Mr Obasanjo is further enflaming political tensions among Nigeria's polarized ethnic groups, particularly the Muslims in the North and Christians in the South.
Nigeria lost more than 100 people in tit-for tat sectarian rioting over Danish caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed. In the North, Muslims attacked and killed Christians. In the South, Christian mobs wielding machetes and knives set upon their Muslim neighbours in retaliation. And in the Niger River Delta, militants seeking more local control over oil money have attacked pipelines and even captured oil workers.

Fueling some of this is the perception, right or wrong, that Mr Obasanjo's much vaunted anti-corruption campaign concentrates only on critics of his government. Certainly, bad things continue to happen to foes of the Obasanjo government. Three months ago, the wife of a prominent northern politician was found stabbed to death in her home. Nothing was taken from the house, leading many to conclude that her killing was a warning to her husband, Abubakar Rimi, a crucial member of a coalition of powerful northerners opposed to any extension of Mr Obasanjo's rule. And last week, police arrested Mr Rimi and other opposition leaders for trying to hold a peaceful rally.

The last thing Africa needs is its most populous country - Nigeria has between 120 million and 150 million people - in a civil war. An out-of-control Nigeria would undermine its already fragile neighbors, like Liberia, Togo, Ivory Coast and the Congo.

In his two terms, Mr Obasanjo has helped bring stability to a volatile region. But two terms is enough, and it is incumbent on President Bush to tell Mr Obasanjo that changing his country's Constitution so that he can remain in office is foolhardy. Another four years is not worth a Nigerian civil war.

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