VOA标准英语2010-Niger Delta Leaders Say Acting President

Acting¹ President Goodluck Jonathan has just over one year before voters choose a new leader, or far less if President Umaru Yar'Adua recovers from a heart condition and resumes the powers of the presidency².

Scott Stearns | Dakar 20 April 2010

Acting Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, 12 Apr 2010

Leaders in Nigeria's troubled Niger Delta³ believe Acting President Goodluck Jonathan can make progress on resolving a rebellion over oil profits and environmental damage if he moves quickly to demonstrate his political commitment.

 

Acting President Jonathan says ending violence in the Niger Delta is one of the biggest priorities for his new administration. He has restructured the management of an amnesty plan for former fighters and says the first class of job training will begin this month.

But at the most, he has just over one year before voters choose a new leader. Or far less if President Umaru Yar'Adua recovers from a heart condition and resumes the powers of the presidency. So Mr. Jonathan is realistic about what he can accomplish in so short a time.

"These are issues that you cannot really say you are going to conclude in a year, because the issue of young men who have taken arms to fight the system and some of them the capacity is quite low," he explained.  "So it takes a lot of time to train them, even for them to be in position to make a living."

Mr. Jonathan says he is clearly focused on the problem and assures Nigerians that they will see progress.

So what do people in the Niger Delta think?

"Any project succeeding depends on the people who are the heads. Because if the head is bad, nothing can go well. If they really apply themselves to their jobs, something good will come out of it," explained Simeon Efundu, a former secretary in the Delta state government and a member of the region's elders' forum⁴.

Efundu says Mr. Jonathan must closely watch how money for the Delta is being spent.

"There are some people who want to play politics of the stomach," he added.  "All they are thinking about is how I can be rich without caring what the masses are suffering."

Human rights activist⁵ Oke Joseph says Mr. Jonathan can bring peace to the Niger Delta if he shows the political will to follow through on developing the region.

"We don't need politics this time. We need commitment," noted⁶ Joseph.  "It depends on him. Political will. If he has it, he can do it. Anybody who has the political will can do it. But are they ready? That is the thing."

Chief Mike Ofere says Mr. Jonathan's decision to personally supervise the power ministry⁷ in his new cabinet shows he is serious about improving electricity for the Delta.

"He wants to make sure that power comes into place. We have been suffering darkness whereas in many places they are having light," said Ofere.

Chief Gabriel Gegbekpo says replacing President Yar'Adua's Cabinet gives Mr. Jonathan the opportunity to make real progress.

"With the change of Cabinet, there is going to be good things in this country," said Gegbekpo.  "There is going to be a perfect reform as far as this country is concerned politically, economically, and socially."

Acting President Jonathan says he will build on President Yar'Adua's Niger Delta amnesty plan under which thousands of gunmen turned in their weapons for a monthly stipend⁸ and the promise of job opportunities. The amnesty turned around what had been nearly four years of declining petroleum⁹ output because of kidnappings and sabotage¹⁰ in the Niger Delta.

Additional reporting for this story provided by Hilary Uguru in Nigeria.

 

1 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

2 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。

3 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。

4 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

5 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

6 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。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 stipend   

n.薪贴；奖学金；养老金

参考例句：

• The company is going to ajust my stipend from this month onwards.从这一个月开始公司将对我的薪金作调整。
• This sum was nearly a third of his total stipend.这笔钱几乎是他全部津贴的三分之一。

9 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。

10 sabotage   

n.怠工，破坏活动，破坏；v.从事破坏活动，妨害，破坏

参考例句：

• They tried to sabotage my birthday party.他们企图破坏我的生日晚会。
• The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。