Obasanjo, other ex-African presidents rue continent’s porous borders, offer advise on COVID-19 fight

Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo and other former presidents of different African countries have decried the continent’s porous borders.

The former leaders were reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic currently ravaging the world.

According to them, the existence of porous borders on the continent was militating against the battle against the pandemic.

In a statement twelve of the former presiden’s signed on Tuesday, they advised that a joint effort was needed in the continent to collectively win the fight against coronavirus.

Aside Obasanjo, other African leaders who signed the statement were John Kufour (Ghana), Hailemariam Desalegn (Ethiopia), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia); Joyce Banda (Malawi), Joaquim Chissano (Mozambique) and Thabo Mbeki (South Africa).

Others included Kgalema Motlanthe (South Africa), Benjamin Mkapa (Tanzania), Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Mohamed Marzouki (Tunisia) and Festus Mogae (Botswana).

“With porous borders all over Africa, national efforts will not be enough to combat the pandemic,” they said.

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They, therefore, called on the African Union (AU), United Nations (UN), World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank and G-20 to urgently have a plan that will moderate the social and economic effect of the onslaught of COVID-19 on Africa.

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