Posted by From Josephine Lohor in Abuja on
President Olusegun Obasanjo has said failure of the numerous reforms of his administration will translate to the downfall of the whole of the African continent......
President Olusegun Obasanjo has said failure of the numerous reforms of his administration will translate to the downfall of the whole of the African continent.
Obasanjo said there are opponents who have been working round the clock to see to the failure of the reforms, adding that there is really no option than to ensure that the reforms are sustained.
He told the out-going Ghanaian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lt-General Joshua Hamidu, at the State House, Obasanjo said 'you (Hamidu) have been here when we were going through substantial transformation. The good thing is that it is working. 'The bad thing is that there are opponents who are fighting a rearguard action. If we fail, we will be doomed. In fact, West Africa and Africa will be doomed. As a nation, we have no option but to sustain the reform."
Obasanjo identified the public service and corruption as 'the areas we still need to deal with adequately," and expressed delight at the progress in many sectors of the economy, including foreign reserves and agriculture.
He assured leaders in West Africa who have expressed concern at the sustainability of the reform after 2007 that it would be sustained, adding that 'I know the concern of most brothers in West Africa, but I assure them all that we will have a sustained programme."
He assured Ghana and Togo that it should be possible to replicate the trade agreements between Benin Republic and Nigeria with them, to check dumping of goods into their economies.
Obasanjo described the West African Gas Pipeline Project as a success of the cooperation in the sub-region.
Responding, Hamidu said Ghanaians are praying for the success of the reforms in Nigeria.
'All Ghanaians, indeed all Africa, needs Nigeria to succeed. We wish Nigeria well", he concluded.