Obasanjo’s prescriptions were contained in a strategy report submitted to the former military head of state.
The former president had, four months ago, set up an independent think-tank group headed by Prof. Akin Mabogunje of the Obasanjo Presidential Library with the aim of carrying out a study on the challenges facing the country.
Presenting volumes of the report to Buhari on behalf of Obasanjo think-thank team at the Buhari Support Organisation Campaign Office, Wuse 2, Abuja, yesterday, the vice chairman of the committee and former minister of Finance, Dr Kalu Idika Kalu, said: “The whole idea was that Obasanjo set up his own think- tank with the aim of carrying out a study on challenges facing the country in five key areas of education, power sector, economy, security and infrastructure. The study was commissioned four months ago so that the outcome will be made available to the incoming administration after the election”.
Also, Dr Christopher Kolade, who heads the power committee, gave various stages of the proposed power sector development plan to include short term, medium term and long term solutions.
He said under the short term solution, the plan seeks to raise country’s power generation to 10,000 MW within a very short period of time.
In his response, an appreciative Buhari expressed gratitude to the former president and his team, describing their intervention as a great impetus for the incoming government.
The president-elect lamented that the outgoing government that is supposed to give him tips on how to take off had done nothing so far.
He thanked Obasanjo’s team for its gesture, assuring it that his administration would be needing its advice as time goes on.
Speaking about the occasion, Prof Akin Maboguje said: “The Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library is working on a number of critical issues for the development of this country and they have now sent a delegation of those who’ve been involved with the preparation of those policy documents to talk to the president-elect.
“We’ve looked at education, security, economy, power and infrastructure. Those are the areas we’ve made recommendations and which we hope the new administration will be able to work on.
“He (Buhari) was very happy that we’ve been thinking about how to help him hit the ground running and he expressed his appreciation for what we’ve been doing.”
Boko Haram: President Yayi Assures Buhari Of Support
…Says 55 % Benin population are Nigerians…
The president of neighbouring Republic of Benin, Boni Yayi, yesterday assured President-elect Muhammadu Buhari of his country’s support in tackling the problem of insecurity in the country.
The Beninoise president also disclosed that 55 percent of his country’s population are Nigerians.
President Yayi stated this yesterday in Abuja when he visited Buhari at Defence House.
On cooperation, Yayi said there was need for the two countries to strengthen their ties as they share common culture.
He said: “Benin is the 37th state of Nigeria and Nigeria is the 7th department of Benin. Fifty-five per cent of the population of Benin comes from Nigeria; and at home here, my brothers and sisters in Nigeria have recently chosen my senior, President Buhari, as their president in order to lead their destiny.
“He is well known to people for his integrity, his experience as a former head of state of Nigeria, his patriotism and his ability to take up the challenges in Nigeria and our sub region are facing today, mainly Boko Haram issue, peace issue, ECOWAS issue. Mainly, Nigeria’s economy has been hanging the sub region’s economy.
“Mr President, you are an able man; you can deal with all the issues. May almighty Allah lead your step so that your mandate is successful to Nigeria, the sub region and the world.”
While congratulating the president-elect on his electoral victory, he noted that “Benin and Nigeria are very close in the area of culture, tradition and the two countries are bound together. We will always be by your side and support the great people of Nigeria. After his inauguration I will come back and together we will examine the status of our cooperation. We need to strengthen our cooperation.”
In his response, Buhari thanked the visiting president for identifying with Nigeria during it security challenges.
“I am truly impressed with the prepared speech delivered by the President of Benin and we thank him very much for identifying with Nigeria. Being so close a neighbour and with the ethnic and cultural affiliations which he identified, is making it easy for Nigeria, especially on the security aspect.
“He has identified himself and his country with our major problem, the security challenges in the North East and Boko Haram – and he has voluntarily identified himself with the sub region of Chad Basin and being part of it in trying to stamp out the insurgency in the North East, which Nigeria is taking the biggest punishment so to speak in terms of the security and how it affects commerce and industry.”
… Praises Jonathan For Conducting Free, Fair Elections
The Benin Republic president also poured encomium on President Goodluck Jonathan for conducting what he described as very transparent and peaceful polls this year.
Addressing journalists after a closed-door meeting with Jonathan at the presidential villa, Abuja, Yayi commended his Nigerian counterpart for setting an exemplary leadership style on the African continent.
He recalled that Jonathan played outstanding leadership role in Africa by mediating in crisis that threatened many African countries, including Mali and Guinea Bissau.
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