AN elder statesman and a PDP elder, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, has urged Nigerians to appreciate the reform programmes introduced by President Olusegun Obasanjo PDP led government, saying they were adopted to revamp the already deteriorated economy of the nation which needed a bold economic policy.
Speaking during an interview with pressmen in Kano, Kaita explained that most developed nations adopted various reforms before they could have their economy strengthened, adding that Nigeria is not the first country to adopt economic reforms.
Kaita explained that with the due process reform policy adopted by the present administration, a lot of economic frauds will be addressed, and even the problem of inflated contracts will be minimized by the government and have the excesses saved for other projects.
His words: “As the government is equally fighting corruption in all sectors, the due process reform will close the doors of contractors and government officials who connive to inflate prices of contracts against the government, and this has been very effective in the past few years since the introduction of the due process”.
The PDP stalwart in Kastina state stressed that before the end of the second tenure of the Obasanjo’s led government, Nigerians will begin to enjoy the fruits of the reform programmes introduced despite the complaints that the due process is too long and demanding. “There are no countries who have found it easy during the reform years, and there is no magic that makes Nigerian case different from other countries, but I am optimistic that Obasanjo is on the right track on his reform programmes in the country”.
Alhaji Kaita a retired permanent secretary in the federal government who refused to comment on the controversy concerning the zoning of the 2007 presidential ticket lamented that Nigerians busy themselves with issues instead of what will move them forwards as a nation, adding that talking about who rules in 2007 is not an issue he would like to take about as an elder. He noted that the present government have a task of addressing the problem of sectionalism, which is fast becoming the fundamental problem of Nigerians because people now talk about their region instead of Nigeria as a country. Said he: “ I have interacted with so many prominent Nigerians and some leaders of ethnic groups in their communities.
I can tell you that nobody including those shouting about disintegration that want this country to be divided. They know we cannot survive without each other”. Looking back at his active years in government, Kaita said 30 years ago, his dream for Nigerians was for the people to have overcome the sentiments of sectionalism and move the country forward for good, saying it is becoming a disturbing development in the Nigerians politic.
The Elder statesman then observed that not event a constitutional conference will address the problem of ethnicity in Nigerian, saying what every Nigeria should do is to accept each other as one because of the current sentiments among Nigerians.
