Page 989 - Week 04 - Thursday, 3 May 2007
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elections were marred by poor organisation, lack of essential transparency, widespread procedural irregularities and significant evidence of fraud, particularly during the result collation process. At least 200 people, including candidates and policemen, it said, were killed in election related incidents. It added that thugs were widely used to create a significant degree of fear and intimidation. It noted that the quality of final voter registration was poor and included under-age voters, double entries and missing and blurred pictures of voters.
We are talking about a country that has the largest population in the African continent. Amongst the African countries, pretty much all of the oil wealth is held within Nigeria. We are not talking about a poor country. Here we have a country which has massive oil wealth and massive mineral wealth, yet it is a country in which basic standards of living which you and I take for granted are not provided. And more than that, even people at the wealthier end of the market, at the privileged end of the market, suffer. Businesses cannot run effectively unless they have generators, because there are continuous blackouts. The basic tenet of progression in the country of Nigeria is providing political representation.
I think there is hope for the future, because the elections have gone forward. Hopefully, between now and the next elections, which I think will be held in 2011—they are held every four years—they will fix the situation up.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
The Assembly adjourned at 6.27 pm until Tuesday, 29 May 2007, at 10.30 am.
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