VOA标准英语2011--Economy, Development Central to Nigerian

Economy, Development Central to Nigerian Voters’ Concerns

Nigeria's economy is the second-largest in sub-Saharan Africa, after South Africa, but observers say that status is deceiving. They complain that Nigeria, despite billions of oil revenues and nearly 7% yearly economic growth, has failed to lift living standards for the average person.
Tony Iyare is a columnist¹ and political consultant² to Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomole of the south-central state of Edo.
"More than 70 percent of Nigerians live on less than $1.00 per day," says Iyare. "We have one of the highest rates of maternal³ and child mortality. Nigeria may not meet the U.N. Millennium⁴ Development Goals [which aim for dramatic reductions in poverty and improvements in health care by 2015].
"For a country that's earned over $500 billion over the past 12 years [in oil money], it has not been able to put food on the table for its population, provide health care, schools, good roads and all kinds of services, [nor] hope for its teaming population."
AP
Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan has ambitious reforms for the country's energy sector⁶
Power shortages
It's not for lack of trying.
President Goodluck Jonathan of the People's Democratic Party has introduced several measures to improve transparency and improve efficiency.
They include a proposed $10 billion dollar plan to develop Nigeria's gas reserves and its petrochemical and fertilizer industries. Jonathan says the venture should help create half a million jobs.
His administration also backs the ambitious Petroleum⁷ Industry Bill, which would improve transparency in contracts and increase government petroleum revenues, which would in turn help create a new fund to help develop often-neglected oil-producing communities.
Perhaps the president's most publicized plan is to reform the ineffective Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The state-run agency was originally named the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), which many Nigerians said meant No Electric Power Anytime or Never Electric Power Again.
Iyare says things are so bad that companies have to rely on their own sources of energy to operate.
Nigerians cast their ballots⁸ for president on Saturday
"The cost of doing business in Nigeria is 50 percent higher [than in other countries in West Africa]. It is easier to do business in [Ivory Coast and] Ghana, where there is power 24 hours a day.
"[Here], if you are engaging in production, you have to provide your own power, generate your own water, build your own roads and hire your own security. By the time you add this overhead, the cost of production is very high."
Ambitious reforms
Jonathan has also proposed spending nearly 4 billion dollars on a new electricity grid⁹. The president predicts domestic power generation will increase from about 4,000 megawatts today to about 20,000 within the next four years.
Sola Tayo is a first-year associate fellow in the Africa Program at the London-based think tank, Chatham House.
"Goodluck Jonathan made headlines," she says, "with his plans to completely privatize the electricity sector. No one [before him] has gone as far as he is proposing. There were efforts by [former president Olusegun Obasanjo] to reform the power sector and let foreign companies bid for contracts, but what Jonathan is proposing is a... complete privatization of state-run power company, which I don't think anyone has proposed before.
"Jonathan made a big splash with that and appointed a very respected Nigerian professor to oversee¹⁰ the process, Professor Bart Nnaji. He is someone people admire, an innovator¹¹... not a light weight. But it remains¹² to be seen whether this will make a significant difference to Nigerians and if power generated will increase So far, they've had interest from [investors] in Ireland, Canada, and India. It just remains to be seen whether they deliver, and if the government makes it easy for them to deliver."
Reuters
Former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari enjoys strong corruption¹⁴-fighting credentials¹⁵
Corruption
Observers say whether or not the country can be turned around depends on how leaders handle another important issue corruption. The World Bank blames the problem for the loss of $300 billion over the past three decades.
The issue has been a boon¹⁶ to two other presidential contenders with records of fighting graft¹⁷: former general Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change and Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress Party, who has served as chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
On the other hand, some have less confidence in President Jonathon, who they say has surrounded himself with corrupt¹³ officials.
Emmanuel Iffer is a public commentator¹⁸ and former news editor for the Leadership newspaper in Abuja.
"His weakness," says Iffer, "is that he has people around him, supporters who are key organizers and planners, some of whom people are not happy with. People believe that for him to succeed, he should not have relationships with such characters.
"In the last 12 years of Nigerian democracy, some of these people have been in successive governments and Nigerians see them as people who have [failed] to move the country forward. Some people are worried about such people around him. They are suspicious they are likely to influence his decisions; [they do not think he has] a mind of his own."
Observers note another characteristic common to most of the front-running candidates. Only the vice⁵ presidential candidate of the Action Congress Party of Nigeria, [banker and businessman Fola Adeola], has any experience in the private sector.
Personality politics
Some complain that despite the importance of these issues, much of the campaign season has been devoted¹⁹ to personal topics, like the candidates' religion or home region.
Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim is the director of the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja.
Reuters
A supporter holds a poster campaigning for former anti-graft chief Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria
"Personalities²⁰ have played a much bigger role in the campaigns, which is unfortunate," says Ibrahim. "The presidential candidates are not being judged on [where they stand on] the issues. Most simply [say] they will [provide] electricity, water or create employment without going into the details [of] how they will do that using the resources available at the country at this time."
Security
Jibril Ibrahim says one important topic that's been ignored is security. In recent years, the government has confronted militants²² who say they are fighting for greater development of the oil-rich Niger Delta²³ region. It has also faced inter-communal²⁴ violence between Muslims and Christians²⁶ in the country's center, or Middle Belt and the emergence²⁷ in the mainly Muslim northeast of the militant²¹ group Boko Haram [which translates as "Western education is sacrilege"]."
"It was clear to everyone as a serious issue," says Ibrahim. "The level of violence was quite high. In some parts of the country, there is low level insurgency²⁸ that has persisted; in other parts, there have been communal conflicts of significant levels; banditry and armed robbery continue to be major problems. So, in the mindset of Nigerians, improving the security is an absolute necessity."
Ibrahim says Jonathan, who has helped oversee an amnesty for Niger Delta militants, has the support of many voters who want an end to violence in the region. But others say retired²⁹ general Buhari, himself a northern Muslim, would be best to handle conflict in north and central regions.
Social cohesion³⁰
Besides security, Sola Tayo of Chatham House, say social issues have been neglected.
"There are issues people don't like to talk about," says Tayo,"like what it means to actually be Nigerian. [Today], there [are] people not calling themselves Nigerian, but Yoruba, Ibo, Muslim, Christian²⁵ [etc]...and that, combined with the way some people campaigned during the election, does not build a cohesive³¹ nation.
Reuters
All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) Ibrahim Shekarau has earned respect as a strong and eloquent³² governor of Kano State.
"They judge people based on their ethnicity or religion. That is something that needs to be addressed because if you look at what's happened in some other African states, in particular, Ivory coast and what [former Ivory Coast president] Laurent Gbagbo did with his [nativist] campaign [making a distinction between who is a "real" Ivorian and who, in his view, is not], I think it can be quite dangerous if people don't talk about these things on a grassroots level early on."
Observers say it's not clear to what extent regionalism will determine the winner. They note that both President Jonathan and General Buhari enjoy support throughout the country. And they say that with the abundance of so many small ethnic³³ and religious groups, it's hard to be sure any single candidate has a complete lock on any given region.

1 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

2 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

3 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

4 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

5 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。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

8 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

10 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

11 innovator   

n.改革者；创新者

参考例句：

• The young technical innovator didn't lose heart though the new system was not yet brought into a workable condition. 尽管这种新方法尚未达到切实可行的状况，这位青年技术革新者也没有泄气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Caesar planned vast projects and emerged as a great innovator. 恺撒制定了庞大的革新计划。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

14 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。

15 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。

16 boon   

n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠

参考例句：

• A car is a real boon when you live in the country.在郊外居住，有辆汽车确实极为方便。
• These machines have proved a real boon to disabled people.事实证明这些机器让残疾人受益匪浅。

17 graft   

n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接

参考例句：

• I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我马上就要接受手臂的皮肤移植手术。
• The minister became rich through graft.这位部长透过贪污受贿致富。

18 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

19 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

20 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

21 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。

22 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

23 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。

24 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

25 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

26 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

27 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

28 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

29 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

30 cohesion   

n.团结，凝结力

参考例句：

• I had to bring some cohesion into the company.我得使整个公司恢复凝聚力。
• The power of culture is deeply rooted in the vitality,creativity and cohesion of a nation. 文化的力量，深深熔铸在民族的生命力、创造力和凝聚力之中。

31 cohesive   

adj.有粘着力的；有结合力的；凝聚性的

参考例句：

• She sealed the parcel with cohesive tape.她用粘胶带把包裹封起来。
• The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole.作者将这些片断巧妙地结合成一个连贯的整体。

32 eloquent   

adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的

参考例句：

• He was so eloquent that he cut down the finest orator.他能言善辩，胜过最好的演说家。
• These ruins are an eloquent reminder of the horrors of war.这些废墟形象地提醒人们不要忘记战争的恐怖。

33 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。