The Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani has thrown his weight behind the refusal by President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the African Free Trade Agreement, (AFCTA). His position is coming barely a day after former President Olusegun Obasanjo, berated President Buhari over his refusal to sign the Agreement.
Obasanjo while speaking on Saturday at the Babacar Ndiaye lecture series in Bali, Indonesia said Buhari's hands were too weak to sign the agreement, stressing that by 2019, the country would have a new President that will be bold enough to sign the pact.
“Africa cannot overcome fears of trade wars till it achieves 50 percent intra-Africa trade,” he said. We now have the continental free trade agreement which is a good idea and I can assure that Nigeria will soon sign. Hopefully, we will soon have a president who will be able to sign because the president that is there now, his hands are too weak to sign.”
Reacting, Sen. Sani said the refusal by Buhari was justifiable as the continent does not produce locally, but relies on importation from Europe, America and Asia. He explained that by signing the agreement, the country would become a dumping ground for foreign countries. The Senator who took to his Twitter handle had said
“The African continental free trade is a great idea if African states are locally producing and not importing goods from US, Europe and Asia. The President is right for refusing to sign a trade deal that will only open our country to imports.”
