ADDIS ABABA – Experts call on African leadership to come up with a comprehensive and unifying plan in order to ensure continental prosperity and peace.
According to Dr. Messay Mulugeta, College of Development Studies with Addis Ababa University, while many promising developments are happening throughout the continent, Africa should have eradicated poverty many years ago due to its abundant natural and human resources.
He notes that large number of the continent’s people live under extreme poverty although the rate in Africa has dropped in recent years.
As to him, the key source of the problem has to do with the fact that the continent’s leadership look to gain political profit rather than solving those daunting challenges facing the people of Africa. Another issue is the leadership fails to implement guidelines and documents already in their hand, and is unable to frame strategies and policies that last.
Thus, he continued, African political leadership should focus on reducing poverty and strengthening human development efforts.
According to him, the issue does not only lie within the leadership but in the continent’s body as well.
Although African Union had been established to address the challenges facing the continent, it has not been to match the scale of the magnitude required.
“In my view, it is high time for Africa to come up with comprehensive and unifying plan to ensure development.”
To this end, African Union should revisit the operations and the structures, he argues. It should not be a club of presidents that are engaged in ceremonial activities rather than being focused in building strong institutions that could ensure continental stability, peace and security.
“African Union leadership should come out of the business as usual fashion when it comes to issues happening in various corners of the continent. If AU keeps on going on same line, it will remain insignificant in terms of impacting positively the lives of African people,” he noted.
The leadership should let the new blood join the ladder of higher offices in the shortest possible time.
Dr. Geleta Simesso, Technical Program Head with World Vision Ethiopia for his part noted that it is high time to shape African thinking pattern, and unify it.
“In my view, African Union leadership should frame carefully to calibrate growth-enhancing policies, and African countries also need to work together to promote peace and stability while addressing trade obstacles, climate change, corruption, Cyber security and the opportunities and challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
The experience from developed nations like Japan and the Netherlands proves that unifying ideas are instrumental in transforming any society to the next level of development.
Dr. Geleta also indicated all efforts of the continent should take the youths at the epicenter of its activities, because politicians are eying the youths with old day’s narrations. Instead of preparing them to fulfill their destinies, they calculate for the next election. “Leaders should let youth be equipped with skills and knowledge to manage all challenges,” he opined.
The Ethiopian Herald February 5/2020
BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
