Dr Yomi Akinyeye, foremost expert on integration, writes from the University of Lagos:

Integration has always fascinated me as a major possibility out of Africa's numerous problems of underdevelopment.However this has to be properly done by the African people and not by a figment of wishful thinking and imagination by African rulers who ignore the obvious impediments to integration.There are certain things that must manifest themselves among integrating states before they can intagrate.I have my doubts if these are manifest now or whether the enthusiastic East African rulers have the plan to make them manifest before they can talk of integration or Union.Not doing this and expecting a union is like sharing the illusion of a barren woman who is not pregnant but goes out to announce to her neighbours an EDD.The honourable African leaders should first exact themselves along the lines of rudiments of integration before laying this time table.

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