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U.S. threatens sanctions
•Obasanjo won’t go for it, says Mbang
By Chinedu Offor
(Washington) and
Stella Odueme (Lagos)
Washington proposes to take several punitive measures against Abuja if President Olusegun Obasanjo seeks a third term.
Tension is growing between the two countries over Nigeria's future leadership.
To cap it, the United States Government is reportedly furious with what State Department officials called "an unwarranted attack on the country with the tacit support of the Nigerian leadership by Presidential Spokesman, Femi Fani Kayode".
He recently rebuked Washington over comments by serving and former administration officials who frown at suggestions of a third term bid by Obasanjo.
Sources confirmed that the government has taken the unusual step of informing members of Congress of a possible leadership problem in Nigeria.
The notice to senior lawmakers of both parties also contained an earlier assessment about the possible disintegration of Nigeria.
"If the present administration seeks to stay in office longer than its current term, the scenario in the assessment could come sooner than expected" senior government officials said.
Measures that could be applied against Nigeria include military, economic and diplomatic.
The U.S is a major supplier of military hardware to Nigerian forces and the administration assists the country in economic policies, such as the recent debt pardon by the Paris Club.
Congressional sources said the U.S supported the debt forgiveness after obtaining assurances from Obasanjo of a smooth hand over to another leader at the expiration of his term.
"The deal was to give a new leadership in Nigeria less economic burden to chart a new course for the country, but all bets will be off if Obasanjo amends the Constitution to prolong his term", said officials.
Reminded that the U.S could be seen to be dabbling in the internal affairs of another nation, one insisted that a leadership crisis in Nigeria could have a "devastating domino effect" on the whole region and would "severely hurt the administration’s goal of encouraging democracy, term limits and good government on the continent".
According to sources the U.S. administration decided to pay closer attention to the "persistent rumours" of a plot to extend the term of office in Nigeria after failing to get a clear denial from Abuja.
Recent reports that 30 governors and several of their state Senate and House of Representatives reportedly signed on for a constitutional amendment for fear of being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also causes anxiety.
"If this story is corroborated, the administration would have no option than to consult with its allies on the need to tell Abuja in clear terms that such an action would not be supported by the international community" American officials said.
But back in Lagos, Prelate of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Sunday Mbang, expressed confidence that the President would not go for a third term in 2007.
His words: “People don’t know Obasanjo, that is why they are talking like that. I have known him for long, he is not going for a third term. When he finishes his second term, he is returning to Ota and I am very confident about it”.
He charged Nigerians to embrace the wind of change in the spirit of Christmas to make things better for all, just as Jesus Christ, whose birthday is being celebrated this season, came to make the world a better place.
Nigerians should shun corrupt practices to move the nation forward, Mbang pleaded.
“In spite of so many churches packed full every Sunday and with the huge crusades, corruption, bad habit are everywhere. It looks like Nigerians inside and outside out are dirty.
“Jesus Christ has come once again this Christmas to change lives and I hope that this Christmas, the lives of Nigerians will change. I hope that policemen who have been collecting N20 on the roads would stop taking it, NEPA would give us light and bad roads would be repaired in the New Year so that the lives of Nigerians would change for the better. That is the Christmas message.
“Anybody who collects bribe during the elections in 2007 will die, that is what I asked God to do. That person will die completely, from beginning to end.
“Nobody will rig the elections, nobody will cause confusion in this country, no more strike, everybody will live peacefully in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
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