2006年VOA标准英语-Nigerian Groups Jostle for Power

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
22 June 2006

The build-up to the 2007 elections in Nigeria has seen a fierce challenge by some of the country's major ethnic¹ groups.  The South-South region, which includes the oil-rich Niger Delta², has mounted the most vigorous campaign to stake a claim to the presidency³ in 2007.

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The South-South, Southeast and the North have emerged as regions likely to produce the next president of Nigeria in 2007.

The South-South region is made up of minority ethnic groups mainly in the oil-rich Niger Delta. The Southeast region is dominated by ethnic Ibos, and the North has been the dominant⁴ force in Nigeria's political landscape.

Northern politicians says they only ceded⁵ power to the South in 1999 to appease⁶ the South-West, following the cancellation⁷ of the 1993 presidential ballot⁸ widely believed to have been won by Moshod Abiola, a Yoruba businessman.

Groups in the troubled Niger Delta have become incensed⁹ in recent weeks over suggestions they lack quality candidates to fill the top job. A militant¹⁰ delta leader, Mohammed Powell, says the South-South deserves a larger voice in Nigerian politics.

"How many times had the North ruled this country? Several times, the West had ruled, everybody had ruled and you say the Ijaw which is the fourth-largest tribe in Nigeria," he said. "Ijaw has not produced a president, Ijaw had not produced a vice¹¹ president and you are extracting our oil, extracting our wealth, using the money to do business in this Nigeria and you expect us to be happy? When we talk you send the military against us."

But a political analyst¹² in Abuja, Maxi Okwu, says there is an unhealthy trend for ideology-free politics in Nigeria. He says money, individual self-interest, and ethnicity have emerged as powerful tools for electoral success.

"What I mean by it is unhealthy is that nobody is talking about issues here, nobody is talking about programs. It is this cry; 'it is our turn.' Our turn for what and our turn to do what? Nigerians want specific answers to the national question," said Okwu. "How do we come out of this quagmire¹³; economic and political? How do we move forward? How do we address our imbalanced federation¹⁴? How do we deal with the situation where the president in a democracy dips his hands into the till and walks away without any apology and then nobody is talking? That is no democracy."

Next year's elections should mark the first time an elected president hands power to another since independence from Britain in 1960.

Okwu says the NIgerian system concentrates too much power in the hands of the president and this he said, has become the magnet that drives the power struggle in Nigeria.

"He who gets Abuja, by which I mean Aso Rock [the presidency], gets everything. There is so much power concentrated in Abuja, Aso Rock. It is a hangover of prolonged military rule. We have a loop-sided federation, in fact a unitary state operating as a federal government," he added.

The parliament last month rejected an amendment¹⁵ to the constitution that that would have allowed Obasanjo to run in elections next year. Analysts¹⁶ say the political scene in Africa's top oil producer has been thrown into a state of flux¹⁷.

Violence remains a feature of political life in Africa's most populous country and the build-up to the elections has been marred by ethnic clashes and attacks on the oil industry

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

3 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

4 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

5 ceded   

v.让给，割让，放弃( cede的过去式 )

参考例句：

• Cuba was ceded by Spain to the US in 1898. 古巴在1898年被西班牙割让给美国。
• A third of the territory was ceded to France. 领土的三分之一割让给了法国。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 appease   

v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足

参考例句：

• He tried to appease the crying child by giving him candy.他试图给那个啼哭的孩子糖果使他不哭。
• The government tried to appease discontented workers.政府试图安抚不满的工人们。

7 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

8 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

9 incensed   

盛怒的

参考例句：

• The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。
• They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。

10 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

12 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

13 quagmire   

n.沼地

参考例句：

• On their way was a quagmire which was difficult to get over.路上他俩遇到了—个泥坑,很难过得去。
• Rain had turned the grass into a quagmire.大雨使草地变得一片泥泞。

14 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

15 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

16 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

17 flux   

n.流动；不断的改变

参考例句：

• The market is in a constant state of flux.市场行情在不断变化。
• In most reactors,there is a significant flux of fast neutrons.在大部分反应堆中都有一定强度的快中子流。