NIGERIA: SIGNS OF GROWING UNREST AFTER ATTACKS ON MILITARY RULERS скачать в хорошем качестве

NIGERIA: SIGNS OF GROWING UNREST AFTER ATTACKS ON MILITARY RULERS

(2 Oct 1995) English/Nat There are signs of growing unrest in Nigeria following the weekend announcement by military leader, General Sani Abacha, that he'll be staying in power for another three years. Leading the way, a senior clergyman who turned an official church service Sunday into a scathing attack on Nigeria's military rulers. In Washington however, the Nigerian ambassador said his country was stable and democratic and was working its way towards the 21st Century. Criticism is not something Nigeria's government is used to. But as the country's military chiefs celebrated an official church service marking the country's 35th annual independence celebrations they were forced to endure a scathing tirade. SOUNDBITE: "And so we move from corruption unto corruption, we keep sinking deeper and deeper into it from the frying pan into the fire and now we have almost completely lost our sense of direction. Our country that was once great is now a heap of ruins. The giant of Africa is a giant of corruption. How are the mighty fallen." - lots of applause SUPER CAPTION: Right Rev Monsignor D.E. Lyang, Vicar General Abuja The mood of some members of the congregation contrasted dramatically with that of the Generals, who sat stony-faced as others applauded wildly. SOUNDBITE: "Failing this we shall continue to be moving from the frying pan into the fire and one day the fire will burn us and we shall perish. Honour and shame from no condition rise act well your part - there all the honour lies." - applause SUPER CAPTION: Right Rev Monsignor D.E. Lyang, Vicar General Abuja The outburst followed an announcement Sunday from the military leader General Sani Abacha, who said he would remain in power for another three years. He also commuted to life imprisonment the death sentences on 13 alleged coup plotters, convicted at secret trials. Abacha - who took power in June 1993 - had promised to hand over to a civilian government by January ,1996. His main opponent is Chief Moshood Abiola, widely believed to have won elections in 1993 which were cancelled by the military. Abiola is in prison awaiting trial for treason. In Washington, the Nigerian ambassador to the U-S told reporters at a briefing that his country was moving forward all the time and was relying on U-S support to implement reform. SOUNDBITE: "We hope that we shall get the required support so that our country can move forward to the, 21st century as a democratic united country." SUPER CAPTION: Zubair Kazaure, Nigerian Ambassador to U-S He stressed that despite recent criticism of the government, the country as a whole was democratic, and stable. SOUNDBITE: "Nigeria is very stable. In any nation there, must be people who disagree with the government there must be, that does not mean that that nation is unstable. In this country there are many people who do not agree with the government .The people we are talking about , they are very few in number, definitely not up to one hundred in a population of one hundred million .So the fact that they disagree with government does not make Nigeria unstable." SUPER CAPTION: Zubair Kazaure, Nigerian Ambassador to U-S Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...