Does anyone have an answer as to why the US has just woken up to these
facts? Could it be that they did not want to 'spoil' the Abuja project
against Mugabe?

Ochieno
***********************


----- Original Message -----
From: "Osa Igbinosa" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2004 5:40 PM
Subject: [NaijaPolitics] US considers sanctions against Nigeria/Aghahowa
quits Eagles


> Daily Independent Online. * Wednesday, March 03, 2004.
> 2003 Polls: US considers sanctions against Nigeria
> By Chinedu Offor
> Correspondent, Washington DC
> The United States is considering a number of measures against Nigeria to
> show its displeasure at what it describes as a flawed election that
returned
> President Olusegun Obasanjo to power last year.
> It is also concerned about alleged serious human rights violations by
> Nigerian security agencies.
> A State Department source said the American government will continue to
> monitor events in Nigeria closely and may impose "economic and political
> sanctions" if identified abuses are not corrected.
> Among measures being considered is the suspension of further financial and
> material assistance to the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC),
> the body that supervised the widely condemned election.
> America provided materials worth millions of naira to INEC during the last
> presidential election, but it is disappointed at the way the exercise was
> handled.
> The impending sanctions are a fallout of the annual Human Rights report
for
> 2003, released by the State Department, which is largely corroborated by
the
> evidence adduced at the various election petition tribunals across
Nigeria.
> In criticising the elections, the report said the polls "were not
generally
> judged free and fair and therefore abridged citizens' right to change
their
> government during the National Assembly elections held on April 12 and
> presidential and gubernatorial elections held on April 19."
> Apart from other large-scale irregularities, the report detailed serious
> anomalies such as hoarding of registration materials and the
non-publication
> of final voters' registers.
> In confirming allegations of rigging by the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party
> (PDP), the report said all major independent observer groups,
international
> and domestic, condemned the manner the elections were held.
> It added: "Widespread fraud marred the elections, preparation for the
> presidential elections was extremely poor and in six states in the South,
> elections were not held but results were published. In the rest of the
> country, the elections were seriously marred."
> The report identified fraud which it said was carried out by all parties
to
> include ballot stuffing, intentional miscounting, under-aged voting,
> multiple voting, intimidation of voters and violence; including
> politically-motivated killings.
> It stated that instances were recorded where, in a particular state, the
> difference in the total number of votes cast for the presidential and that
> cast for the governorship slots was as much as 600,000 whereas the two
> elections were conducted at the same time and same venue and voters given
> the two ballot papers at the same time in the same exercise span.
> Revelations at the various election tribunals and claims by political
> god-fathers of single-handedly installing supposedly elected persons
further
> gave impetus to the various reports received on the election by the State
> Department.
> More disturbing, the reported stressed, are the stories emanating from the
> election petition tribunals set up to adjudicate on the matter as reports
of
> corruption and inducement of judicial officers completed the circle of
fraud
> that reportedly attended the 2003 election.
> It was learnt that Nigeria escaped stiffer sanctions because of some
actions
> by it which the American government considers as improvements.
> They include "somewhat independent actions" by different arms of
government
> and the conduct of President Olusegun Obasanjo. "The President did not
> resort to force or intimidation to stifle the impeachment threat or the
> public criticism against him," the report said.
> The report also noted that local and foreign human rights groups carried
out
> their activities without restriction and that the foreign press corps
> obtained visas relatively easily despite some delays.
> The police and other security agencies did not escape condemnation by the
> report. It accused them of acting outside the law and being used to
> intimidate opponents.
> "Security forces committed extra-judicial killings and used excessive
force
> to apprehend criminal suspects and to quell some protests, and frequently
> beat protesters, detainees and convicted prisoners," it stated.
>
> Daily Independent Online. * Tuesday, March 02, 2004.
> Aghahowa quits Eagles
> By Ben Alaiya
> Sports Editor
> Pacy Super Eagles striker Julius Aghahowa says he has decided to take a
> break from the national team to enable him concentrate on his club career
> and treat himself properly from the knocks he received at the Mali 2002
> Nations Cup.
> Daily Independent exclusively reported last week that contrary to what the
> public was fed by the NFA and the coaching crew, the Shaktar Doneskt star
> was actually fit for the crucial semi-final duel against the Carthage
Eagles
> of Tunisia but disagreement between him and Coach Christian Chukwu made
him
> to opt out of the encounter.
> The latest decision by the player is seen as a tacit confirmation of the
> widening gulf between the coaching crew and a section of the players who
> feel that Chukwu favours players from his part of the country to the
> detriment of team play and unity in the squad.
> Aghahowa who confirmed his temporary exit from all activities of the
> national team on a Brila FM programme Monday morning in Lagos said, he
wants
> to concentrate on his club career and pay the management of the team for
all
> the confidence they have reposed in him. The implication of this, he said,
> is that he may not be available for the World Cup qualifiers which starts
in
> June. He also confirmed that he would honour the five-year deal he has
> entered into with Shaktar, instead of jumping at offers when the transfer
> window opens, noting that in that way he would turn out a more
professional
> player.
> "I will return later to the national team but for now I need to
concentrate
> on my professional career and show the world that I can still be a good
> striker", he said.
>
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