Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Friday, April 10, 2009

Nigerian accommodation

Kevin James at Albany High School pointed out the first article to me. We'll have to wait to see what the long term results are. Are the incentives to the cults enough to integrate them into the political and cultural systems? Will the economic and environmental benefits to the people living in the delta be enough to bring them into the mainstream?

The articles were in Vanguard (Lagos). (In Nigerian journalese, "FG" stands for federal government.)

FG offers militants amnesty

"PRESIDENT Umaru Yar’Adua said yesterday that arrangements have been concluded by the Federal Government to grant amnesty to all militants in the troubled Niger Delta region...

"According to him: 'Next week, the National Security Adviser will meet to finalise these new rules for engagement to grant amnesty to all those ready to lay down their arms and ammunition...

“'And this amnesty will include not only laying down their arms but reintegrating them and rehabilitating them into the Nigeria society,' he said..."


And from Vanguard the next day:

MEND Rejects Yar' Adua's Amnesty

"THE offer of amnesty for militants in the Niger Delta announced Thursday by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has continued to elicit reactions, with the mainstream militant group, Movement for Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND), yesterday describing the condition given by the Federal Government for its proposed amnesty as unrealistic...

"In an online statement by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, the group said, 'Such an offer by a government known for its insincerity must first be given to those who are being held captive by the Nigerian state for the rest of us to take seriously.'...

"According to the militant group, 'Ironically, it should be the people of the Niger Delta considering amnesty to the military and the past and present leadership of a corrupt Nigeria for the evil perpetrated in the region'...


What You Need to Know -- a study guide for AP Comparative Government and Politics

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