Nigeria Deserves Permanent United Nations Security Council Post

Friday, December 11, 2009

‘Nigeria deserves permanent UN Security Council post’

By Damilola Osunsanya
Nigerian Guardian

FOUNDER and Chairman, Nigeria-China Friendship Association, Ambassador Victor Chibundu, has made a strong case for the admission of Nigeria into the United Nations (UN) Security Council as a permanent member of the body.

Chibundu, who spoke recently at a “Workshop on Restoring Standard of the Foreign Ministry” in Abuja, premised his call on Nigeria’s track record as a UN member since it joined the global body on October 7, 1960.

The former envoy observed that with the recent moves by the UN to restructure its organs, several African countries have shown interest in representing the continent on the UN Security Council as permanent member.

However, he argued that none of the jostling countries had advanced the UN cause more than Nigeria, which he said, deserved the permanent seat.

Chibundu listed Nigeria’s contributions to Africa’s growth and UN initiatives to include “the fight against colonial domination and apartheid regime in South Africa” and the country’s support for “the admission of the People’s Republic of China, instead of Taiwan, in the United Nations Organisation in 1960 contrary to the expectations or desire of certain big powers”.

He added: “Nigeria has continued to provide technical assistance to several African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP) through its Technical Aid Corps (TAC) programme. No African country has instituted such a laudable programme to date”.

The former envoy charged the Federal Government not to relent in its effort to secure a permanent seat for the country at the UN Security Council.

He said: But may I ask, where were the African countries, which now aspire to be elected as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council in 1960 when Nigeria raised the issue of representation of Africa in the Security Council? Fifty years have elapsed but the issue is still dangling in the air.

“I am of the view that Nigeria should not give up the struggle by default or wait for stragglers to join the race. Suffice it to say that the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be well advised to now strongly focus, as founding fathers, on securing a permanent seat in the Security Council of the United Nations”.

China’s Economy Picks Up Pace

Friday, December 11, 2009
07:32 Mecca time, 04:32 GMT

China’s economy picks up pace

Heavy industries such as steel production saw the strongest growth

China’s economic recovery gained momentum in November, government statistics have shown, with industrial production, retail sales and investment all posting solid growth.

Consumer prices also rose for the first time in 10 months, climbing 0.6 per cent in November, the National Statistics Bureau reported.

According to the figures released on Friday industrial output rose 19.2 per cent in November over a year earlier, with the strongest growth in heavy industries such as coal, steel, power generation and autos.

The growth was boosted by reviving demand for exports and massive investment in factories and other construction which climbed 32.1 per cent in the first 11 months of the year.

Also in November retail sales – an increasingly important driver of growth in the Chinese economy - climbed 15.8 per cent in November from a year earlier to $166bn.

Earlier this week, the government moved to bolster the recovery by extending tax cuts and subsidies for purchases of small vehicles and appliances, while adjusting some measures to counter rising property prices.

Officials have pledged to continue policies aimed at countering the impact of the global downturn, including lax credit and lavish spending launched with a $586bn stimulus package a year ago.

In a separate report also released on Friday, customs figures showed the slump in Chinese exports continuing to ease as nascent recoveries in the US and other key markets helped revive demand.

According to data from the customs administration, exports fell 1.2 per cent in November, marking the smallest decline this year.

Imports into the world’s third-largest economy were also seen to rebound strongly, rising 26.7 per cent over the same month last year.

The figures suggest the global recovery is gaining momentum as consumers in the US and other regions begin spending more after months of holding back.

Source: Agencies