Tanzania: OBASANJO falls in love with Magufuli’s performance
OLUSEGUN Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, has become the second “Africa Renaissance Generation” leader to praise the great work of Tanzanian President, Dkt. John Pombe Magufuli. Obasanjo who was in Dar es Salaam recently, reminded the leaders in Africa not to forget that the former colonial masters wished they continued exploiting the vast resources of Africa as EU trend clearly exhibits the trend.
Last year another “Africa Renaissance” leader Thabo Mbeki, former President of South Africa, was also in Tanzania and spoke well of the Magufuli Presidency especially on anti-corruption agenda and social development.
“We should not deceive ourselves, the colonial masters and the neo colonial masters want to be able to continue to exploit and any leader in Africa that tries to stop that will not be much of a friend to them,” he clearly says.
Dr Olusegun Mathew Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo (81), is a former Army General who has twice served as Nigeria’s head of state as both a military ruler and democratically elected President.
Franked by the Tanzanian President Dr John Pombe Magufuli, accredited in implementing historic reforms in Tanzania, Dr Obasanjo did not spare his words, he enlisted some of the strong achievements showcased by President Magufuli.
He mentioned successes in the areas of infrastructure, education, air transport and in the management of the ruling political party, CCM, making it inclusive and manageable.
President Magufuli’s speed of delivery has shocked, mostly, neo colonial powers. Tanzania is making its way to industrial nation with middle income by 2025.
The strong infrastructure projects include quality roads, standard gauge rail, air transport, marine transport, energy, educational infrastructure, health infrastructure, mining, raising loss-making state corporate to profitability and many more.
In Tanzania, Obasanjo continued to warn against impact of neo-colonialism. He argued, it is the same neo colonialists who continue to impose their strange policies and aid conditions to Africa, others namely EU orders African countries to decriminalize homosexuality for aid. “
All these point to de-capacitating both intellectual capacities of Africans, depopulate them and suggest wrong policies which would discourage growth.
A Danish Philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, who is called the father of existentialism, said there are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what is not true; the other is refusing to accept what is true.
This is the situation which made Africa poor amidst ample resources. President Magufuli has been changing the narrative. “African leaders who takes initiatives to block the exploiters are not much of their friends,” Dr Obasanjo says.
Obasanjo who in 2008 was appointed by the UN as a special envoy for Africa, says “we have to understand the world in which we live so we can get the best out of it,” says. I believe there is an opportunity for change. Africa needs to intensify its struggle for economic liberation.
Emulate Magufuli
This is not the first time Obasanjo showers his faith on Magufuli. In June 2018, the former Nigerian strongman, Dr Olusegun Obasanjo, commended President Magufuli for his resolve to ensure Tanzania benefited from its resources.
He then urged other African leaders to take a leaf from the Tanzanian leader in protecting the country’s resources. “Before I came to Tanzania I visited Malawi and Mozambique and I have insisted the importance of African leaders to make sure that their people benefit from contracts with investors,” he said.
Africa’s Open Sky Agreement
While debriefing on the successes Africa got in 2018, which includes Yamoussoukro’s open Skies for Africa Agreement, the former Nigerian leader took it as a wonder for the country to acquire a good number of aircraft in a span of only three years.
“I believe the open sky agreement will also benefit Air Tanzania, which I understand you have acquired eight new, new aircrafts, including a wide body aircraft,” Under the Agreement, an Airline can fly to any country in Africa. We did not have it before but we now have it. Air Tanzania can fly to any part of Africa.
This practice originated in the early 1960s when many newly-independent African states created national airlines, in part, to assert their status as nations. However, the agreement appears to profit mostly small countries.
Many African countries also restrict their air services markets to protect the share held by state-owned air carriers. In December last year, Tanzania became the first nation in Africa and the fifth in the world to fly Airbus 220 in an ambitious and comprehensive programme to consolidate its airline business.
The sister Airbus 220 to be delivered brings Air Tanzania’s active fleet to eight. The fleet comprises three propeller-driven Bombardier Dash-8s, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the two Airbus 220. Another Boeing 787-Dreamliner will be delivered later next year.
Three years on, Tanzania continues to witness rapid economic transformations in all key sectors of the economy. Tanzania is the fifth fastest growing economy in Africa. It is also projected as the fourth fastest growing economy in the world for the next decade. Indeed this is a success story.
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Dr. Obasanjo also briefed on the developments of the African continental free trade agreement. He said Africa needs to utilize its collective market of 1.2 people. China is 1.42 and India 1.35.
The 18th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2012, adopted a decision to establish a Continental Free Trade Area by an indicative date of 2017.
The Summit also endorsed the Action Plan on Boosting Intra-Africa Trade (BIAT) which identifies seven priority action clusters: trade policy, trade facilitation, and productive capacity, trade related infrastructure, trade finance, trade information, and factor market integration.
