Military needs extra hand to end insurgency – Obasanjo

Firstclass newsline learnt that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo
has said the use of only military operations to tackle Boko Haram
activities in Nigeria and other violent groups across the world cannot
end insurgency.
A statement on Friday by the African Export-Import Bank, indicated
that the former president said this during the bank's 22nd Annual
General Meeting held in Lusaka, Zambia.
Obasanjo, speaking about conflicts in Africa, also said the crises
were caused by failure to address certain social problems in the
society such as educational disparity.
Afrixembank's spokesman, Obi Emekekwue quoted Obasanjo in the
statement thus, "He proposed a carrot and stick solution to the
conflicts on the continent through an approach involving military
solutions and social development since a purely military approach
would not work.
"According to Obasanjo, a situation, such as in Nigeria, where one
section had an educational attainment level of 79 per cent while
another had only 19 per cent, created room for conflict."
The former president also called on Nigeria and other African
countries to pursue economic integration on the basis of regional
economic communities rather than doing so with the over 54 countries
on the continent.
He noted that by pursuing economic growth, each region of the
continent would serve as platforms to strengthen Africa.
In a wide-ranging discussion, the ex-president stressed the importance
of infrastructure in promoting intra-African trade and called for the
establishment of a viable well-run coastal shipping line from Dakar in
Senegal to Maputo in Mozambique to improve intra-African trade.
Obasanjo stated further that while Nigeria and other nations on the
continent should encourage the local production of goods, they should
also encourage and develop the process of moving those goods.
The statement added, "Former President Obasanjo added that Africa
should start adding value to its commodities rather than exporting raw
commodities only for those commodities to be sent back to the
continent as finished goods."
Meanwhile, the Afreximbank on Saturday announced the appointment of
Benedict Oramah as its new boss.
Oramah's appointment was one of the key decisions taken during the bank's AGM.
"Dr. Oramah takes over from Jean-Louis Ekra, who has been the bank's
chief executive officer since 2005. Oramah, a Nigerian national, has
served as Executive Vice President in charge of Business Development
and Corporate Banking at Afreximbank since 2008. He was a pioneer
staff of the bank, which he joined in 1994 as Chief Analyst, rising to
the position of Senior Director, Planning and Business Development
Department in 2007. He previously served as Assistant Manager
(Research) at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank from 1992 to 1994," the
statement said.
Firstclassnewsline.net