2007年VOA标准英语-Some Former Nigerian Governors Under Scrutiny A

By Selah Hennessy
Dakar
07 June 2007

Former governors in Nigeria suspected of corruption¹ have showed up in Abuja for a meeting with an anti-corruption body, but several others are on the run.  The government of new President Umaru Yar'Adua has vowed² to stamp out corruption, but some opposition³ leaders say only political opponents are targeted.  Selah Hennessy reports from the West Africa bureau in Dakar.

Umaru Yar'Adua, 56, waves to supporters after he is sworn in in Abuja, 29 May 2007

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had summoned 15 governors on charges of corruption amounting to millions of dollars. 

Nigerian media said at least ten met with Nuhu Ribadu, the chairman of the EFCC on Wednesday. Details of the meeting are not known.  None of the former governors was detained following the discussion.

The anti-graft agency was set up by former president Olusegun Obasanjo in 2001 to purge⁴ the country of official corruption.

Tunde Martins, a political analyst⁵ in Nigeria who has been advisor⁶ to previous governments, says he believes the EFCC is doing well in its fight against corruption, despite persistent⁷ criticism.

"I can tell you that the commission has largely helped to not only sensitize Nigeria on the need to fight corruption, they have also succeeded in fighting corruption head on," he said.

Martins says he disagrees with the often-made accusation⁸ that the Commission is a political tool used by the government to intimidate⁹ political opponents.

"I am not impressed with some comments of people who try to say that the EFCC has been fighting political enemies of the government," he added.  "So long as it has been confirmed that they were arrested for stealing public funds there is no need to bring politics into it."

A Nigerian journalist says that new president Umaru Ya'Adua is cautious not to appear to be using the EFCC for political gain now. He says this is why the EFCC did not arrest and publicly humiliate¹⁰ the former governors, as was sometimes done under the former president.

Damka Pueba is based in Abuja for the non-profit organization Stakeholder Democracy Network. She says the outcome of this investigation¹¹ will have huge repercussions¹² for the future of corruption in Nigeria.

"This is a very significant step that the EFCC is taking and Nigeria is actually watching," she noted¹³.  "The way that this investigation goes is really going to impact negatively or positively¹⁴ in terms of the way that the new government behaves."

She says she is impressed with the recent developments made by the EFCC, but that in the past the government and EFCC have talked a lot about fighting corruption, but done little.

"We have reached the point in this area where a lot of things are said, but when it comes to implementation¹⁵ we find something different happening," she explained.  "If the governors are actually brought to book it will be a deterrent¹⁶ factor to this new government, governors that are in place, that when you are in office, if you do not perform well, if you make money from the people, when you leave office you have the people to answer to."

The EFCC says it wants to investigate most of the 36 governors who left office last week after serving during the presidency¹⁷ of Mr. Obasanjo's. Under Nigerian law, they enjoyed immunity¹⁸ from arrest while in office.

But at least four are on the run, having left the country before turning over power in inauguration¹⁹ ceremonies last week. One outgoing governor organized a transition of power several days ahead of schedule.

EFCC chairman Ribadu says it will be difficult for the commission to bring the runaway²⁰ former governors to justice, as it does not have jurisdiction²¹ outside of Nigeria.

The EFCC says that Nigeria's military governments squandered²² around $400 billion over the course of 40 years.

1 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

2 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 purge   

n.整肃，清除，泻药，净化；vt.净化，清除，摆脱；vi.清除，通便，腹泻，变得清洁

参考例句：

• The new president carried out a purge of disloyal army officers.新总统对不忠诚的军官进行了清洗。
• The mayoral candidate has promised to purge the police department.市长候选人答应清洗警察部门。

5 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。

6 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

7 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

8 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

9 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

10 humiliate   

v.使羞辱，使丢脸[同]disgrace

参考例句：

• What right had they to bully and humiliate people like this?凭什么把人欺侮到这个地步呢？
• They pay me empty compliments which only humiliate me.他们虚情假意地恭维我，这只能使我感到羞辱。

11 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

12 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

14 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

15 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

16 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。

17 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。

18 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

19 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

20 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

21 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

22 squandered   

v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He squandered all his money on gambling. 他把自己所有的钱都糟蹋在赌博上了。
• She felt as indignant as if her own money had been squandered. 她心里十分生气，好像是她自己的钱给浪费掉了似的。 来自飘（部分）