By Kenneth EHIGIATOR
Former Ghanaian President, John Kuffour, said yesterday that his country was learning fast from Nigeria’s experience to ensure that oil did not become a curse to Ghana.
He spoke against the backdrop of recent discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities in Ghana,and what role oil has played in the dislocation of Nigeria’s socio-economic and political development.
Kuffour, who spoke in an interview at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, also advised politicians in the country to play by the rules, as the 2011 general elections approach.
“We are very much learning by the Nigerian experience and we hope oil will be a blessing rather than a curse,” President Kuffour said.
He cautioned politicians in Nigeria to be careful not to subvert the constitution in their quest for power, stressing that had been the bane of leadership crisis on the continent of Africa.
Kuffour said much of the political crisis in Africa could have been averted had leaders on the continent respected their guiding principle, which is the constitution.
He said: “Politicians in Nigeria should play by the constitution. African leaders should play the by constitution of our nations.”
The former Ghanaian leader, however, noted that gradual improvement was being made in Africa with regards to democratic governance, the political crisis in Niger, Equatorial Guinea notwithstanding.
“It’s always unfortunate that there is a crisis of leadership, but I will say overall… I believe Africa is making a headway. Above all, we are improving.
“It will take time for Africa to get out of its leadership crisis. It is a process; Africa is integrating from more difficult time into better times ahead,” said Kuffour.
Referring to Nigeria’s (oil created) corruption as as mistake is understatement in my own opinion, I think the problems we are causing for ourselves in this country are deliberately caused by ourselves and can only be fixed by Nigerians
There is an element of truth in Kuffor’s statement about oil and gas being the cause of our problems though, it is left for us to convert that problem to blessings
Ex-president John Kuffour, your conclusion that Ghana’s purposes are better served by learning from Nigeria, is an error of analysis and disregard of historical precedence. In other words, Ghana is better off learning from political, economic, and social experiences that produced Jerry Rawlins.
In this context, Nigeria is not your or Ghana’s point of reference but Jerry Rawlins.
Of course Ghana cannot make the mistake of Nigeria because in the first place there WAS nothing like mistake by Nigeria. Nigeria’s oil problem was not created by mistakeS but by a well planned and orchestrated system of corruption, marginalization, executive insensitivity and outright criminality. The corrupt Nigerian ruling class know what they are doing very well, if in the course of their actions there was a mistake then it must be THE mistake of allowing a small crumb to reach the very people they planned to completely dispossessed. If GHANA can organize good elections, run schools and power every well and other sectors, then they have nothing to fear, we shall very soon see how the Ghanains will enjoy the true gift of God that our corrupt leadership transformed to a curse in the ND
it is a great statement from the mouth of kuffour as a warning and lesson for our politicians.this oil is for all of us but the dividend of it is being siphon by some few people in power.let us have the fear of God.we came to this world with nth and with nth will all go.our leaders should close their eyes and shot their minds for some minutes and think of the consequences of dying and spending the rest of eternity in hell after amassing wealth for their childrens childresns to enjoy and them having the opportunity to repent.lets be transparent in all we do so as to receive God’s blessings.one day we all will go either to heaven or hell.choose one
Strip dancing is not a crime,and i don’t support the raiding of this clubs.its a form of entertainment.
i currently live in the United Kingdom,and its a normal thing.Nigerians wake up man.