Comments on: Reactions at the AU to Obama’s Ghana speech

By: frank Asseko

frank Asseko — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:58:47 +0000

stong institutions are good and they guarantee equity, equality etc. countries like Cameroon, Gabon, Zimbabwe, Kenya, DR Congo , Uganda, Chad etc have been changing their constitutions that weakened institutions such as electoral commission, anti- corruption commission, court of justice and others. so based on all those reasons Obama rises up and calls upon african leaders build strong institutions that will keep africa from all these problems she knows and has been going through. Obama i give a thump up! we needed that speech no matter whatoyher African dictators think.

By: frank Asseko

frank Asseko — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:46:09 +0000

Africa leaders will ever stun me. i can believe that even if someone comes with clean suggestions on how to improve the condition of Africa, based on national interest people will try to look for the other side of the coin which i have no problem with it. but like Obama’s speech i think it was clear that relationship between Africa and the West has to change. both sides should base their relationship on mutual needs. Africa as he said needs indeed strong institutions that will protect her from greed,unbridled corruption, poor and bad governance by African leaders. As we are all aware Africa has strong people but there is no need to emphasize on people but there is sturdy necessity to call attention to the African leaders to put strong will on building strong institutions that keep the value of democracy and important laws . so President Obama chose Ghana to acknowledge and encourage democracy in Ghana and to tell Ghana to show other African states the way to go. as i conclude i would like to quote from a great African icon Kwame Nkrumah who said’ We are going to see that we create our own African personality and identity’ and he went on saying that ‘ We again rededicate ourselves in the struggle to emancipate other countries in Africa; for our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent.
so if we look into what Nkrumah said we agree totally agree with Obama that Africa needs her own identity and pride based on liberal democracy giving way to strong institutions thus liberation of struggle.
this is my take. thanks all

By: shonhiwa chingure

shonhiwa chingure — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:15:13 +0000

President Obama highlighted the following four areas as critical to the future of Africa: democracy; opportunity; health; and the peaceful resolution of conflict. While I totally agree that they are very important, I have my doubts as to whether they are actually critical. China is not a democracy, yet it has been developing at a fast pace for the last decade.
My impressions of the speech is that the impacts of slavery and colonialism and importantly today’s world order on African countries’ economies has not been appreciated. No matter how well Africans do, as long as the agenda and structure of global institutions remains as is, there is little hope of catching up with the West in terms of development.
While President Obama’s advice should be taken up by African leaders and youth, the West should also enable development by reforming international financial institutions (and letting African countries off the debt hook). The subject of the impact of slavery and colonialism and reparations thereof should never be taken off the table. Britain remains responsible for colonizing Zimbabwe and defaulting on its commitment at the Lancaster House to compensate white Zimbabweans for land that would be used for resettlement of Africans. That the situation in Zimbabwe is dire is a responsibility of the Zimbabwean political leadership

By: John Awunganyi

John Awunganyi — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:03:14 +0000

I think if African nations develop strong institutions that would be respected and valued by all, we shall be as go od as any developed nation in Europe, Asia or Americas. Four decades ago, most african nations have strong economies that we better than Korea and just behind Japan. It could be argued that the economy of those countries were manged by thier colonial masters. It is no secret that we came from such high promise to nations of beggars would be an understatement. If we continue to do the same things, with the same leaders, we will continue to get the same results. That is how Einstein defines insanity. Some of those running these countries have been there since they got thier independence, with the same advisors driving the ship of State.