By Bertram Nwannakanma

Former Transport Minister and a delegate to the on-going National Political Reforms Conference in Abuja, Ebenezer Babatope, declared this in Abuja last Thursday.

Speaking during the pre-second anniversary of Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola lecture titled: "Nigeria, Will Democracy Survive?", delivered in Osogbo, Babatope noted that despite several efforts at improving the economy by the present administration, high incidence of poverty will remain in the land.

According to him, the nation's economy is still being controlled by a few and the people are still wallowing in hunger, want and deprivation.

His words: "I am one of those that constantly praise our governments, particularly the Federal Government for the huge developmental success recorded as a nation since 1999. I am, however, one of those who believe that we still have a major war to fight in combating the devilish effects of poverty in our people and national life".

Babatope further noted that while one must credit President Obasanjo for the tough measures he had taken, which had shot up the country's external reserves to $20 billion, the purchasing power of the naira is still very weak.

He prayed that those who will succeed the president come 2007 will not divert the country's reserves into private pockets and waste them in the markets of "greed, avarice and squandermania".

He, however, appealed to President Obasanjo to inject some of the reserves into the nation's economy since it is better for him to do this now and effectively supervise its management rather leave the stage and feel sorry over the nonsense that might be made of the wealth he had painstakingly built for Nigeria.

On assassination cases in the country, Babatope said the worst were those of the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, one-time Peoples Democratic Party (PDP's) Deputy National Chairman (South-South), Chief A.K. Dikkibo and more recently, Alhaji Hussein Olajokun, an Alliance for Democracy (AD) leader killed at Gbonggen in Osun State.

Babatope said Nigerians are still expressing their concerns on these cases and expressed the hope that they will be resolved before the end of the present administration.

He, however, applauded the president for his anti-corruption campaign, saying that it has achieved a "demystification of the arrogance and pomposity of power in Nigeria, since it is becoming clear to all public office holders that public office is service to the people and not licence to loot, steal or tamper with public funds".

He, however, advised that the present administration continues to pummel the bastions of corruption in Nigeria, saying that the green trees should not be cut while the dry ones are allowed to stand erect.