No be small matter o! Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo don carry vex come naija talk say na rice importing wahala dey worry us since 1979 when dem lift ban wey military government put. You fit believe am?
Dem gather for Abuja join body for International Memorial Lecture wey commemorate 50 years since the death of General Murtala Muhammed. Obasanjo dey yarn how that decision don scatter our rice production plan for decades. Abeg, no be only rice wey dem de import, na so e don be!
As e dey talk, him remind us say back then, hin government dey almost get our rice palava on lockdown before dem hand over power to Alhaji Shehu Shagari. “We don near self-sufficiency for rice production before we leave,” Obasanjo talk. E also talk say dem older government ban rice rice importation.
But wahala come show face when dem civilian administration enter, as one of dem first action na to lift the ban sharply. Dem wey get political connections jump enter the rice importing trend sharp-sharp for Nigeria. Obasanjo don even call one notorious case wey involve one importer wey add $5 million extra to rice contract just to collect kickbacks. Na wah!
“Dis kind matter na wetin dey cause our rice wahala,” Obasanjo lament. E dey question if Africa don really come of age, as we still dey import rice wey we suppose dey produce by ourselves. E no go better when our economy dey fall like wow!
As if that one no finish, Obasanjo carry matter enter economy. E dey reminisce how nigeria fit dey among top economies for the world, if we no slack for 20 years. “Na today I no even sabi our position,” hin talk. Omo, na serious warning be dis!
Obasanjo dey call all African leaders to focus on reform and production. E talk say for Africa to fit really blow, we need dey grow GDP like 9-10% every year. “We fit do am before, and we go fit do am again.”
E even drop some jabs about our agriculture. During hin time as president, cocoa production jump from 150,000 metric tonnes to 450,000 metric tonnes. But today, e do be like say we dey produce only 300,000 metric tonnes. Na how dis one go help Africa come of age?
Apart from economy talk, Obasanjo reflect on leadership and wetin General Murtala Muhammed stand for. E say Murtala be true patriot wey sabi wetin e dey do for the country. “The greatest achievement of Murtala na say e create a successor wey fit continue after am. Na wetin all the leaders after am dey struggle to do, including me,” Obasanjo yarn.
As we dey carry dey gist go, we sabi say dem military government don dey try to enforce measures like
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