The Guardian (Lagos)
5 October 2001
Lagos — AS the United States and the rest of the world intensify preparations for war against terrorism, President Olusegun Obasanjo has hinged the demise of the plague on a world defined by justice and equity.
He urged the world to tackle the root causes of terrorism which he identified as injustice and inequality.
Speaking with members of a delegation from Bauchi State who came to thank him for his recent visit to the state, the president said that the world must make greater effort to address these root causes of terrorism.
"The world we live in now is not just enough. It is not equitable enough. Unless America can lead us to a world that is more just and equitable, we may not get out of the problem of terrorism. We may catch and punish the culprits this time, but there will be more culprits in future," the President warned.
On the national front, Obasanjo said that to sustain the gains of the current democratic dispensation in the country, Nigerians must pay greater attention to the quality of people they elect to public offices. "I believe that we are on the right path because Nigerians now realise that we need capable leaders to move this nation forward", the president said.
He reiterated his call for national re-orientation, saying: "Building physical infrastructure without changing our attitude will only lead us back to where we were before. We must build human infrastructure that can be relied upon. In the past we did not pay adequate attention to the question of succession. That is where others have beaten us. We must now make sure that those who will succeed to power are properly trained and brought up," he said.
Obasanjo assured the delegation led by Governor Adamu Muazu that he had already begun the fulfilment of the pledges he made to the people of Bauchi during his recent state visit. He said that he had directed the Minister of Aviation to initiate action to upgrade the Bauchi Airstrip to an airport capable of receiving Boeing 737s and; that the Minister of Works & Housing had also been directed to take action on federal roads in the state including that leading to the Yankari Games Reserve.
Governor Muazu commended President Obasanjo for bringing a positive change to leadership in Nigeria through his sincerity of purpose and clear intention of keeping the country strong and united.
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