African Leadership Challenge: What is wrong with Africa?
The 42nd Generation organization with the main aim of enlightening the hearts and minds of Africans for the rebuilding of the leadership of Africa organize an end of year conference in Accra, Ghana, 21st Dec. 2014 on the Theme: What is wrong with Africa.
This write up constitutes the Author’s views prior to the conference.
The question can be answered from many dimensions. Broadly categorized as follows:
- The question of Identity and Unity: The African perspective to problem solving. Who are we as Africans? If Africans do not realize that there is an African perspective to problem solving, they will keep chasing shadows and setting the wrong agenda.
- Poor Leadership: There is a deficit in leadership in Africa.
- Weak Institutions: The need for strong institutions to run affairs in Africa. (This alone can reduce corruption by over 90%)
- Too much over reliance on politics or partisanship. i.e – politicians to bring redemption to our people. Rather, Africans ought to be focusing on building a society that is Trans generational, a society that thrives beyond and above politics. Building the institutions that truly serves the needs of the citizenry.
- Failure to embark upon a strong, focused and decisive policy agenda on a long term and for a defined period of time.
- The lack of integrity (truthfulness) or character in the African. This generalization may not be the case across board. But some consciences have been seared that some people see no difference between right and wrong.
- Wrong mentality or Agenda for the highest offices of the land: The purpose is to absolutely control the resources, to financially secure ones future and take your share of the national cake.
Why does corruption thrive? Because our-systems are weak in identifying corruption and punishing it when it happens. When the laws work, corruption will reduce. Empower institutions to deal with people who violate the laws and societal standards.
Corruption also thrives because issues are often politicized. Stop politicizing the issues – deal with the problem because the solution goes beyond politics or political parties.
When the foundation on which the country should thrive is based on corruption, there is a problem. Example - Certain percentages cut off from contracts awarded to contractors.
- Lack of a good Leadership succession plan in Africa.
- The dependency culture: Some have the notion that our problems can mainly be solved by outsiders and not our selves. WRONG. Only need a paradigm shift in thinking and problem solving.
- Not recognizing Africa’s timeline in its development agenda. It has taken some nations over 200 years to get where they are today. Stop the unfair comparisons. Go through your development cycle and all will be well with hard work and commitment.
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