Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Want definitions of corruption and irony?

One of the world's leading producers of petroleum is facing a fuel shortage.

Nigeria hit by severe fuel shortage amid payment row

A severe fuel crisis has hit Nigeria with long queues of angry motorists waiting for hours outside petrol stations in major cities to fill up.

Importers are accused of withholding petrol because of a payment dispute with the government, which they [the importers, I believe] deny…

Nigeria is Africa's main oil exporter but imports most of its petrol because it lacks the capacity to refine it.

Shuttered petrol (gas) station in Kano

The fuel is imported at a subsidised price under a scheme operated by the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Earlier this month, the government approved the payment of $2.1bn (£1.4bn) to the importers, or wholesale fuel sellers, to settle subsidy claims.

However, payment has been delayed because parliament has not yet approved it.

The BBC's Bashir Sa'ad Abdullahi in the capital, Abuja, says previous governments tended to pay the wholesale fuel sellers without parliamentary approval.

But it seems that President Buhari is trying to stick to the law…

The fuel subsidy scheme has become an enormous scam, our correspondent says.

The wholesalers often pretend to bring in a lot more oil than they do and pocket the money they get for the petrol that is not delivered, he says.

In May, the country was brought to a standstill when the importers went on strike following a row over payments with the outgoing government…

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The Comparative Government and Politics Review Checklist.

Two pages summarizing the course requirements to help you review and study for the final and for the big exam in May. It contains a description of comparative methods, a list of commonly used theories, a list of vital concepts, thumbnail descriptions of the AP6, and a description of the AP exam format. $2.00. Order HERE.

Just The Facts! 2nd edition is a concise guide to concepts, terminology, and examples that will appear on May's exam.

Just The Facts! is available. Order HERE.

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