Abuja — American Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, on Wednesday offered her country's assistance to Nigeria in the implementation of electoral reforms, but urged it to take a firmer stand against corruption.
"We strongly support and encourage the government of Nigeria's efforts to increase transparency, reduce corruption, provide support for democratic processes in preparation for the 2011 elections," she told a news conference in Abuja, at which Foreign Affairs Minister, Ojo Maduekwe, was also present.
"We talked specifically how the United States might be able to encourage the electoral reforms," she said, adding that the two countries plan a "binational commission" to tackle a range of issues from Niger Delta violence to electoral reforms.
Aso Rock must reconnect with the masses and hearken to demand for holistic electoral reform as spelt out in the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) report, Clinton said later at a Town Hall meeting, and called on President Umaru Yar'Adua to deliver on his electoral promises.
In a speech that lasted 15 minutes and punctuated by applause, she noted that Nigeria is bogged down by "failure of governance at all levels, mismanagement and corruption and concentration of wealth in few hands."
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The speech included calls on the government to reappraise its approach to governance, especially corruption, and provision of basic amenities for the people.
"We are very convinced of the need for strong electoral institutions to strengthen democracy and good governance.
"I'm aware of the report of a panel by the retired Justice which went round the world to seek advice on the way forward. We think this should be the step forward.
"The government should listen to the people (as contained in the report), and the citizens must be sure that government officials are pursuing public good. This is because foundation of democracy is trust."
Clinton stressed the need for Nigeria to build "strong institutions", and re-echoed President Barack Obama that Africans do not need strong men; it needs strong institutions which must include "independent judiciary, free press and vibrant civil society.
"The capacity for good governance exists in Africa and Nigeria should not just be a leader but a leader in the world. We have great confidence in what Nigeria is capable of doing but no progress can be attained without good governance."
"Issues of transparency, corruption reputation, and credible election is critical to good governance. The future of Africa is in Africans and the future of Nigeria is up to Nigerians. The immediate source of disconnect between Nigeria's wealth and its populace is the failure of governance both at the state and the federal level.
"Other cause of bad governance as we know it today is the high level of corruption, capacity mismanagement as the World Bank has concluded that Nigeria has lost well over three hundred billion dollars during the last three decades as a result of these problems.
"As a way of solving the numerous problems Nigeria is being confronted with, there is need to fix the nation's cruel electoral system, establishing a truly independent electoral council in order to create a peaceful, stable environment that creates the development among the people.
"Citizens need to have the confidence that their votes count. If the government cares about them, democracy can deliver basic services."
"Again, election is all about winning or losing, so opposition parties should endeavour to work hand in hand with (Yar'Adua) so that the nation can move forward. I contested keenly with (Obama) but lost. So as of today, I work under him as the U.S. Secretary of State due to the love I have for my country and President.
"Obama decided to bring me into his administration due to the love he has for the country. Without joint effort with the Nigerian President, no amount of effort would make the country achieve success."
Clinton also met with Yar'Adua at the Villa, where he assured of Nigeria's determination to continue the war against corruption and bad leadership.
Maduekwe said Yar'Adua's discussion with Clinton was very productive and went "the way you will expect it to be among friends - honest, candid, encouraging, mutually inspiring, mutually re-enforcing and ultimately strategic."
Besides, Clinton urged Nigeria to ease tensions that have led to sectarian violence and disrupted oil production in the Niger Delta.
And she warned that Nigeria could be a target for al-Qaeda, the Islamic terrorist group which attacked the U.S. in 2001
"Al-Qaeda has a presence in Northern Africa. There is no doubt in our mind that al-Qaeda and like organisations that are part of the syndicate of terror would seek a foothold anywhere they could find one, and whether that is the case here or whether this is a homegrown example of fundamentalist extremism - that's up to wwNigerians to determine."
Clinton, in Abuja on the fifth stop in a seven-nation tour of Africa, said action on electoral reforms and the easing of tension is needed to protect Nigeria's status as the continent's largest oil producer, and largest recipient of direct U.S. investment.
Nigeria is the fifth country Clinton has visited so far on a seven-nation tour of Africa aimed at promoting development and good governance.
She will travel next to Liberia and Cape Verde.
By Paul Arhewe, Daniel Kanu, Francis Iwuchukwu (Lagos) Chesa Chesa, Rafiu Ajakaye and Kemi Yesufu (Abuja)
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US secretary of state, Hilary Clinton has spoken without fear or favour in Nigeria. On a very sincere note, she made a due idenfication and a thorough appraisal of Nigeria's problems. I am particularly happy that she was courageous enough to let us know that, should we become true to ourselves, that we are the strongest link in the chain of Africa. the money we lose to corruption, violence, administrative lacuna, etc, can comfortably manage some state in Africa. NIGERIA and NIGERIANS, wake up and help yourselves out of your undeserved, ugly conditions of existence. BUT i know that the era of corruption and tyranny is fast coming to a great halt because criminals will be left out in the global politics should they continue stealing from the masses. Nigeria has become an epitome of all that is bad on earth irrespective of our wealth of human and Natural resources! did you ever ask yourself why? even some illiterate members of the National assembly are quick and clever in learning how to rob the souls they represent than their english alphabet eg ABCD..., Does it ever make sense to any right thinking mind that the people we entrusted with powwer have relegated us to a state of excited confussion! if you are a leader with soul, change to better by fighting towards achieving common goal of the society in which you live.
Africa, what a fascinating locus on planet earth!
A calamity, political theater, dance hall for heads and tails of state, the world's potentially "richest," but actually poores corner, and worse, and getting worser.
Africa, which was crafted by international "experts" of thuggery and barbarism in Berlin is now sending its own to "learn" from the same experts, now generations removed from the original "experts," on the theories and practices of "good governance." This actually like inviting the fox to the hole in which the chickens are rocking in existential anxiety. Geezers!
Africa, where "small boys," are in charge of the commonweal; they are biologically "big men," but cognitively and emotionally "small boys."
Accordingly, contrary to Mrs. Clinton, reciting INVADERDOM talking points on Africa, Africa does need BIG MEN AND BIG WOMEN to stand up---toe to toe---to the various hegemons that I have conceptualized as INVADERDOM.
Mrs. Clinton's "big men" are my "small boys."
Corruption may be defined according to one's ideological inclination. But, under any and all definitions, the level of CORRUPTION THAT MATTERS is just about the same in Nigeria and in the United States of America. We are not talking of 419ers here. Bernie Madoff dwarfs all Nigerian or, for that matter African 419ers.
No: I am talking about electoral corruption, Executive, Congressional and Senate, Independent Agency, and, even Judicial corruption in the land of the "Free and Brave."
Glory then to the internet!
But, all of these gripes of juvenile reflection, initiated by Mrs. Clinton, are mindless, for a common malady does require a lecture, but a triage. They strategically hide the ball and the prize:
Securing the interest of Yankeedom in African minerals and "stragegic trade routes" (Somalia, for example) against the interests of Russians, Chinese, and other would be hegemons, including Small Britain.
Africa is the the hunting ground for loot. Five hundred years have changed nothing.
Incredible, indeed.
FIVE HUNDRED YEARS, and its getting worse.
Beyond incredible!
Once again an American official has reiterated what millions of Africans already know. Its always shameful when the problems of any African nation seem to resonate when a foreign leader mentions them. Yar'duah himself, weak as he has become, talked about some of these things in the beginning and promised solutions. The question then is: why is it so difficult to change anything in Nigeria? My hypothesis is that, the Nigerian people themselves are the problem (people surely includes ordinary people as well as politicians) Corruption is so rife from the poor market man/woman to even the poor begger, through the corrupt ministers and senetors all the way to the judges and the international 419 scumbags! If the problem is to be solved, it has to address all these people and more.