Former Nigerian President General Olushegun Aremu Obasanjo says bad leadership and governance has failed the continent and is to be blamed for Africa’s problems. According to the statesman, change can only happen if the youth take up key role in governance by being positively defiant.
According to the Former Nigerian President Olushegun Obasanjo who was speaking at the 15th African Youth and Governance Convergence at Mankessim in the Central Region, the continent blames colonialism, slave trade and in some instances neo colonialism as the bane of Africa’s problems.
The statesman says the narrative has changed as bad leadership and governance is to be blamed for Africa’s problems.
He cited the Nigerian sinario where the country is not at war but don’t have a sound footing economically, socially and Politically adding that the continent is in bad shape and situation.
Insurgency, bandits, kidnappers have also taken advantage of the situation distabilizing the peace of the country.
The General fears that Africa’s problems is far from over as leaders who are supposed to deal with the situation are themselves participants.
“Africa’s problem is enormous but I will start from Nigeria my country. We are not in a state of war neither are we in a state peace but politically, economically and socially we are not stable. This cuts across the whole African continent and we are in bad shape and situation because leadership and governance in our different countries and sub regions have not lived up to expectation. Some are blaming the colonial power slave trade or neo colonialism but that is not the case. We have put colonialism behind us for well over 150 years and so what excuse do we have to blame colonialism or look for scape goat. Leadership and governance have simply not lived up to expectation”General Olushegun Obasanjo noted.
The Former Nigerian President enumerated some key challanges the continent is faced with and how they can be resolved while urging the youth to exhibit positive defiance if they want to counted as stakeholders of development on the continent.
“Since Independence the problem of Africa has been five and it ranges from the lack of full understanding of what being independent means and what it entails. We don’t have one market as continent and this is causing us as a people. We produce the raw materials here and send it oversee, then they repackage it and send it to us as exhorbitant prices.These are but a few of Africa’s problems but leadership has failed to solve our problems “The Former Nigerian President said.
” The youth can play a key role in the development of the continent but engaging themselves in governance issues. As a youth you must be positively disruptive, defiant and surge for greater things for the continent” Olushegun Aremu Okikiola Mathew Obasanjo said.
Commander of the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre Major General Richard Addo Gyane urged the youth to add their voices in drawing out policies and programs in their various countries while shirking off interest from insurgency groups among others.
“The youth must take advantage of digitization and use it positively. I pray they don’t fall pray to insurgent organisation, child sexual abuse and exploitation, cyber bullying and the worse of all is the recruitment into insurgency groups” Commander of the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre Major General Richard Addo Gyane said.
In all over 65 delegates from 26 African countries and 2 diaspora countries namely Canada and the United States were present at the event.
According to Joyce Nyame the cordinator for this year’s African Youth and Governance Convergence the purpose of the event is to make the governance process across the continent youth inclusive while ensuring that the youth take active participation in governance process..
“What we champion as Youth Bride Foundation is to make sure that all governance processes and architecture is youth responsive and youth inclusive so we engage policy makers with young people and give them capacity to be able to dialogue with young people. We are ensuring that young people contribute to the peace and security of Africa”Programs Manager for the Youth Bridge Foundation said.
Head of Secretariat for the Africa Union Economic Social and Cultural Council William Cawee wants employment opportunities created for the youth across the continent adding that that is the antidote to prevent most youth from going wayward.