Yoruba Betrays African Leader: US puts a bounty on Charles Taylor’s head
By WSWS | Published 13 November 2003
Taylor was escorted to Nigeria last August in a special plane by no less than four African presidents—Presidents Obasanjo of Nigeria, Kufuor of Ghana, Mbeki of South Africa and Chissano of Mozambique. His retirement into exile followed months of negotiations by the African leaders, who were intent on carrying out the wishes of the US administration to move Taylor out of Liberia as the precondition for a peace initiative in the 14-year-long civil war that has ravaged the country. At that time the Bush administration diplomatically avoided making the demand for Taylor to be seized to appear before the war crimes tribunal. And Taylor only left because he was promised protection in Nigeria by the African leaders.
British hypocrisy at Commonwealth conference in Nigeria
By WSWS | Published 8 December 2003
The very building that Howard stood in was evidence of the lack of democracy in Nigeria. It cost an estimated N5 billion. A total of N21 billion ($150 million) was spent on the entire conference. The bill included renovating the International Conference Centre in Abuja, and the guesthouse where Queen Elizabeth stayed, as well as buying 400 bulletproof cars. This obscene expenditure took place in country where many citizens earn less than a dollar a day. To speak of democracy when there is such a vast disparity of wealth exists is grotesque.
Violence increases as Nigerian elections approach
By WSWS | Published 20 March 2003
With elections due to take place on April 19, the bloody feuding between rival factions of Nigeria’s elite is escalating out of control. The four leading candidates in the election are all generals, whose differences centre on which section of the Nigerian establishment they favour. The harsh social problems in Nigeria are not being discussed since none of the candidates have any solutions. At a recent debate amongst the 19 candidates for the presidency, the speakers largely agreed that the way to deal with the increasing violence was to strengthen the police and other agencies of the state. There were only a few token phrases on the need to “eradicate poverty”, and no specific policies on this were put forward.
Nigerian president sends troops to restart flow of oil
By WSWS | Published 3 April 2003
The major oil companies Shell, ChevronTexaco and TotalFinaElf have all closed facilities and evacuated staff from the Niger Delta in the last few weeks. As a result Nigeria’s usual oil output of 2 million barrels a day is down by 40 percent. This cut in production has had a significant effect on the price of oil because Nigeria is the world’s sixth biggest exporter and the United States’ fifth largest oil supplier
Obasanjo to be recognised despite rigged Nigerian election
By WSWS | Published 30 April 2003
The response of the Bush administration as well as media reports makes clear that Olusegun Obasanjo and his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will be accepted as the legitimate victor in the recent Nigerian elections, despite widespread vote-rigging. When it suits them the United States and other western powers have raised their concerns about the legitimacy of an election in a developing country. In Nigeria, however, despite widespread reports of ballot box stuffing, under-age voting and 100 percent returns from some areas for the incumbent president, barely a murmur can be heard.
- Nigerian clashes leave 100 dead
- By Dan Isaacs
Published 4 March 2003
More than 100 people have been killed in clashes over the past few days between two communities in the north-eastern state of Adamawa, say the Red Cross in Nigeria. Among the dead were eight policemen and two soldiers, according to Red Cross head Emmanuel Ijewere. The situation is now reported to be calm with armed police deployed to the area. The area where the fighting took place, on Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, is very remote and it has taken some days for the full extent of the casualties to emerge.
- What Ails the American Economy?
-
By Kevin Phillips, Barry Gewen
28 Feb 2009
Even if his pessimism doesn’t seem wholly warranted, a sense of foreboding surely is, which is why his warnings have to be taken seriously. Mr. Phillips writes that the inventors and marketers of the new financial instruments didn’t entirely understand them. An executive of Fidelity International says a panicky feeling has set in on Wall Street because no one knows where the risks really are. The finance minister of France observes that investments may have reached such a level of complexity that no one can assess them. And Charles R. Morris, in his own gloomy book, “The Trillion Dollar Meltdown,” reports that even Citigroup’s chief financial officer “did not know how to value his holdings.
- What Ails the American Economy?
-
By Kevin Phillips, Barry Gewen
28 Feb 2009
Even if his pessimism doesn’t seem wholly warranted, a sense of foreboding surely is, which is why his warnings have to be taken seriously. Mr. Phillips writes that the inventors and marketers of the new financial instruments didn’t entirely understand them. An executive of Fidelity International says a panicky feeling has set in on Wall Street because no one knows where the risks really are. The finance minister of France observes that investments may have reached such a level of complexity that no one can assess them. And Charles R. Morris, in his own gloomy book, “The Trillion Dollar Meltdown,” reports that even Citigroup’s chief financial officer “did not know how to value his holdings.