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JUST IN: ‘Your Hands Too Weak To Sign Africa Free Trade Deal’ — Obasanjo Mocks Buhari In Indonesia

Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has taken a fresh swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari over his failure to sign the Africa Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA) in July.

Recall that President Buhari was meant to sign the free trade agreement after the Federal Executive Council (FEC), on March 14, approved that Nigeria should join 55 other African countries in signing the deal. The AfCFTA signing was expected to increase intra-African trade by 52.3 per cent from about 19 per cent.

Obasanjo, while previously expressing disappointment that President Buhari was unable to sign the African free trade deal, said: “That President Buhari didn’t sign the free trade agreement in Kigali is disappointing; I hope he signs it before it is too late”. He said this during a presidential panel titled: ‘When Leaders Make History’ at the Africa CEO Forum that held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, in March.

He had said, “Egypt started the discussion on the formation of the Organisation of African Unity but didn’t conclude it and Nigeria took over. Nigeria was also central to the discussion of the free trade agreement, but I am surprised that the country withdrew from signing.”

But renewing his attack on Buhari for reneging on the move, Obasanjo suggested that the president’s hands were “took weak” to ink the deal.

The former president said this while speaking at the 2018 Babacar N’Diaye Annual Lecture which held on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank Annual General Meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

At the event tagged “Global Power Equilibrium,” the former president served as guest speaker alongside American economist and public policy analyst, Professor Jeffery Sachs.

Reaffirming his recent endorsement of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, for president in 2019, Obasanjo expressed confidence that, “very soon, Nigeria will be able to have a president that will sign the agreement”.

At the event organized by the African Import-Export Bank, the former president equally said free education is the starting point for African development. He submitted that the insurgence of Boko Haram terrorists was a direct result of lack of education.

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13 Comments

13 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    October 14, 2018 at 5:41 am

    Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi To President Buhari:

    A Soldier salary is 49,000 forty nine thousand naira, some no accommodation they rent house outside the barrack no risk allowance instead they sleep inside bush fought to defend the Nation.
    Where is the change?
    Change should start with the National assembly: = A Senator receives N36,000,000 (thirty-six million Naira) monthly. If this is divided into two = N18,000,000 million (Eighteen million Naira). The second half which is N18,000,000 (eighteen million Naira) can be used to employ 200 Nigerians, each earning a salary of N90,000 (ninety thousand Naira) monthly. When you multiply 200 people with the number of Senators (109), this will give 21,800 Nigerians gainful employment. In short, 200 Nigerians will be able to live a comfortable life on half a Senator’s monthly salary.
    A member of the House of Representatives receives a salary of N25,000,000 (tenty-five million Naira) monthly. If this salary is divided in two = N12,500,000 (twelve million and five hundred thousand Naira). The other half, which is the sum of N12,500,000 (twelve million and five hundred thousand Naira) will be enough to employ 135 Nigerians with a monthly salary of N92.500 (ninety-two thousand and five hundred Naira) each. Nigeria has 360 Members of the House of Representatives, half of their salaries can employ 48,600 Nigerians who can live comfortable lives.
    So, Baba Buhari’s Administration can employ 70,400 Nigerians with monthly salaries ranging from N90,000 to N92.500 accordingly. This is just by dividing the salaries of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives. Half their present salaries is more than enough for them in a country where majority of Nigerians live on less than a dollar a day. (Now think of all the other over bloated salaries and allowances of Ministers and others)
    You may try this idea Your Excellency, the President…
    Nigerians, spread this message to Senators and Members of the House of Representatives and others

  2. Anonymous

    October 13, 2018 at 11:33 pm

    He actually don’t know what free trade is all about, this is the greatest mistake Nigeria made in the first place by voting an uneducated and uncivilized human into leadership.

  3. Anonymous

    October 13, 2018 at 11:01 pm

    IF APC is not the answer to our Problems, there is no reason going back to the instigators of the problem.
    I’m not a politician but I would do everything not to have PDP in Government in Nigeria.
    The greatest tragedy that can befall a nation is for her citizens to suffer collective amnesia. I believe PDP believes Nigerians have short memories, if not, Ibori would not have been included in their convention committee and Jonathan would not have been allowed to talk (He ended up indicting himself as usual anyway).
    For those who may have forgotten, kindly joggle your memories with the following words on marble and you will agree with me that what happened in Eagle square on saturday was nothing but gathering of rogues.
    Happy reading:

    1. I acted based on Jonathan’s instruction – Dasuki

    2. I didn’t give order – Jonathan

    3. I collected 350M from Dasuki for consultation – Iyorchia Ayu

    4. I only collected $30,000 from Dasuki not N100m – Bode George

    5. I got N4.6b from Dasuki for spiritual purposes – Bafarawa

    6. I got N650M from Dasuki for my Abuja burnt office – Thisday Obaigbena.

    7. I got N2.1b from Dasuki for publicity – Dokpesi

    8. I got another N100m from Yuguda he didn’t tell me from where – Bafarawa.

    9. I gave N100m each to Odili, Jim Nwobodo Bode George and others – Yuguda

    10. The president asked me to change N10B to foreign currency for PDP delegates – Dasuki

    11. My boss asked me to get $11M from the CBN – Dasuki’s account officer.

    12. I got order from above to pay Tompolo N13B for Maritime university land. – Nimasa DG.

    13. 950m was shared in my house — Shekarau

    With all this looting and many more revealed, some people are still shouting no sign of change yet, they even say it’s political persecution.

    But I believe, it is the right thing to do.
    If you believe too, send this to other people to garner more support for the fight against corruption and looting in our nation. There must be consequences for such crimes otherwise Nigeria will not develop.

    WHERE ARE THE #WAILERS?
    “Over 20 billion dollars unremitted to the Federation account, and if nothing is done by 2015 upward, Nigeria will know what economic crisis is”
    *~ Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi*

    “Whoever wins 2015 will NEVER find it easy to govern. Over 30 trillion is mismanaged, unaccounted for or missing under Jonathan.”
    *~ Prof Charles Soludo*

    “Our reserve is depleted and our savings are squandered. Our nation is in trouble.”
    *~ Dr Oby Ezekwesili.*

    “For seven months, NNPC did not remit any money into federation account. When I called as a sitting governor and major oil producing state, Deziani Alison Madueke refused to pick my calls.”
    *~ Godswill Akpabio*

    “I told them to save ahead of eventualities but Jonathan had no political will to do so and this is the reason why we are in crisis, because we squandered our boom.”
    *~ Okonjo Iweala*

    “Okonjo-Iweala, Sanusi urged us to save but we state Governors refused to save for the unseen future during the tenure of Goodluck Jonathan, despite warning from economic experts.”
    *~ Peter Obi*

    “Jonathan is a blessed ATM machine that doesn’t have secret pin number”
    *~ Bala Mohammed*

    * Tompolo was paid 13Billion.!
    * Ex-CDS,Alex Badeh dug a pit toilet to hide $32m.
    * Patience Jonathan is claiming $31m, she has sued the Nigerian state.
    * Femi Fani-Kayode took 740M.
    * Dasuki used trucks to load over $35B from the CBN.
    * Olisa Metuh took 400M.
    * Aziboala, GEJ’s cousin took 6B naira.
    * Nenadi Usman took 3.5B naira.
    * Fayose took 3B naira.
    * Obanikoro took 4Billion naira.
    * Olu Falae took 100M naira.
    * Tony Anenih – 400M naira.
    * Oritsejafor – $35M
    * Former Air Chief Amosu – 2Billion naira.
    * Lucky Igbinedion-16B naira.
    *Bode-George and Dabo -100B naira
    * Jolly Nyame-2.4B naira.
    * Joshua Dariye-700M naira.
    *Nyesom Wike stole #4b.
    * Diezzani with $20 billion missing oil money?
    15 billon dollars missing from arms fund, 10 billion naria, converted to dollars and given as gift to delegates of PDP Nation convention, Bafarawa collected 3 billion for spiritual purposes , 12. 7 billon naria for deceased NEPA staff grew wings and disappeared, 20 billion dollars missing from NNPC accounts, 23 billon naira as bribe to INEC staffs to rig the general election. The list is endless. They only left what they can’t carry or unable to lay their hands on. The list continues…..
    Recession didn’t just happen, people looted Nigeria into RECESSION happening

    Copied

  4. Anonymous

    October 13, 2018 at 7:33 pm

    OBJ is fake #!

  5. Anonymous

    October 13, 2018 at 5:41 pm

    Obasanjo how many companies shot down by your government??

  6. Anonymous

    October 13, 2018 at 4:36 pm

    Ensieeere

  7. Anonymous

    October 13, 2018 at 4:35 pm

    Mad Man,
    Obasanjo,with crazy comment

  8. Anonymous

    October 13, 2018 at 4:34 pm

  9. Anonymous

    October 13, 2018 at 4:12 pm

  10. Anonymous

    October 13, 2018 at 3:27 pm

  11. Anonymous

    October 13, 2018 at 3:21 pm

  12. Anonymous

    October 13, 2018 at 2:49 pm

    Mr illiterate knows nothing and should shamefully go back to daura and do what he knows best. The herdsman should take care of his cows which he valued more than human . His only hope is rigging

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