2006年VOA标准英语-Activists Blame Nigerian Government for In

By Franz Wild
Abidjan
14 March 2006

An unidentified woman walks on oil pipeline¹ belonging to the Shell oil company as armed militants² in Nigeria are vowing³ to further cut daily oil exports   
  
A new report issued Monday by the Nigerian government says three million people have lost their homes since the return of democracy seven years ago.   The report also says that sectarian violence has increased during that time.  Civil liberty activists⁴ say government policies are to blame for the displaced people and the upsurge in violence.

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The report says the worst hit areas are the oil-rich Niger Delta⁵ region and the North-Central area surrounding Abuja, Jos and Kaduna.  These are areas where different ethnic⁶, religious and political groups live in close proximity⁷, and tensions frequently erupt into open and sometimes deadly conflict.

There is a debate to what extent the government is to blame for the violence and millions of displaced people.  Civil liberties groups say authorities believe the government has a role in fomenting⁸ the unrest because the subsequent crackdowns weaken the opposition⁹.

A director of a civil liberties group in Jos, Steve Alukodanye, says the crackdowns are part of a campaign by President Olusegun Obasanjo to stay in power.

 
Olusegun Obasanjo (file photo)
  
Some ruling party lawmakers are currently trying to change the constitution to allow him to run for a third-term in next year's elections.

The government report released Monday said the problem of internally displaced people is worsening on a daily basis, and Alukodanye says it is mainly people who openly oppose the president whose homes are destroyed by government supporters.
 
"It is a deliberate policy of the government to pull down structures of those who choose not to be supporters of a third term," he noted¹⁰.  "The worst of it is that these houses are pulled down without making adequate provisions for people to resettle themselves and integrate themselves back into society."

But the secretary-general of the Nigerian Red Cross, Abiodun Arebiyi, says the government is trying to find homes for those displaced.

"The government is supposed to finalize¹¹ a policy on IDPs [Internally Displaced People] and take it to the National Assembly for endorsement¹², so that there will be a strategic approach to solving the problem of IDPs in Nigeria, not the haphazard¹³ system we have in place now," he said.  "That is why the board is being charged with coordinating¹⁴ IDPs in Nigeria."

Steve Alukodanye says the Nigerian government needs to provide people with more protection.

"It has to do with the government abdicating¹⁵ its responsibility as regards to the protection of life and property. This has resulted in a number of cases of ethnic violence and religious intolerance," he said.

The government says it is doing everything it can to stop the violence.  It also accuses opposition groups of trying to use violence to undermine democracy.

1 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

2 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。

3 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 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。

7 proximity   

n.接近，邻近

参考例句：

• Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
• Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

8 fomenting   

v.激起，煽动（麻烦等）( foment的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They accused him of fomenting political unrest. 他们指控他煽动政治动乱。
• Three sailors were fomenting a mutiny on the ship. 三个水手正在船上煽动叛变。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 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。

10 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。

11 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。

12 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

13 haphazard   

adj.无计划的，随意的，杂乱无章的

参考例句：

• The town grew in a haphazard way.这城镇无计划地随意发展。
• He regrerted his haphazard remarks.他悔不该随口说出那些评论话。

14 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

15 abdicating   

放弃（职责、权力等）( abdicate的现在分词 )； 退位，逊位

参考例句：

• It is merely claimed that this is abdicating to save itself. 他仅仅把这称之为是人的高傲为了自我救赎而退出了王座。
• A complete hands-off approach is abdicating your business responsibility. 彻底的不闻不问意味着你对自己事业责任的放弃。