|
BNW |
|
B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Obasanjo rules out return of Vaswani brothers
PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo at the weekend ruled out the return of the Vaswani brothers who were deported from the country.
Obasanjo told Nigerian professionals in Accra, Ghana, that the Indians had constituted themselves into a cartel that sabotaged the economy.
He wondered why some Nigerians were rooting to have the Vaswanis back into the countolry despite the havoc they caused.
He said the Vaswanis were not the only people deported on account of economic sabotage, adding that two expatriate bunkerers were also deported.
The president, who was in Accra for a national prayer session, said the Anglophone ECOWAS member countries were working hard to bring their economies together for the benefit of their people.
But Obasanjo said that all the five member countries in the West African Second Monetary Zone had failed to meet some of the convergence criteria for the introduction of the 'ECO,' the common currency.
Some of the criteria include low inflation rate and deficit financing. The 'ECO' currency was to have been issued and circulated in the member countries in July 2003 but the plan was shelved due to the inability of the member countries to meet all the convergence criteria.
Obasanjo said Nigeria would ensure that member countries work towards meeting the convergence criteria to enable it to meet the July 2005 date for the introduction of the 'ECO'.
Obasanjo explained that a lot of money would be needed for the take-off of the 'ECO', saying between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion would be required to print the new proposed currency.
In his address at Ghana's first National Prayer Session breakfast, Obasanjo said political differences not withstanding, Africans must live in harmony for development to occur.
"You can have political competition but please live in peace and harmony," Obasanjo charged all Ghanaians.
Obasanjo, who delivered a special sermon based on the first question God asked Adam after eating the forbidden fruit, also read from the book of Genesis chapter three, verse one to 10.
"The question: Adam where are you? Was not for God the location to awaken Adam spiritually," Obasanjo added.
In his address on the occasion, President John Kuffour said the special prayer session was organised to herald the forth-coming election.
"It will be a major test of this nation's commitment to democratic governance based on the rule of law," he said, noting that his administration had committed itself to "peaceful, free and fair election" and urged the nation and especially the contesting parties to make the same commitment.
Prominent Ghanaian sons and daughters, including leaders from the opposition attended the prayer session.
|
|
||||||||||||
