President Akufo-Addo
Although migration is not a new phenomenon in the history of man, the trend in contemporary times in Africa can be attributed to bad governance.
A 19th Century European history entry speaks about a massive migration of Italians and Irish from their native countries to America for better lives. Their countries were in shambles in those days and both the young and even some aged joined the craze.
Those countries in those days were in the clutches of bad political leaders as we are in Africa.
During his recent speech at an international forum, President Akufo-Addo recalled vividly this European History entry when he was making a point about the importance of Africa fending for herself and to wean herself from the aid phenomenon.
He could not have put it more succinctly; we dare state. In recent times, the President has had opportunities to prove his mettle as a politician who thinks about the continent and how its constituent countries can project themselves in the comity of civilized nations. Â There is no way to do this than to be independent of the apron strings of the donor countries.
We have had once more a President whose stature in the international community is outstanding and who does not fear to state what in his estimation is in the best interest of the continent and not the donors.
It is unsurprising therefore to hear a Nigerian celebrity shower accolades on him as he describes him as his hero. The natural outpour of admiration from the man was not strained – it continued to flow from his lips as though he had rehearsed his lines.
Be it as it may, President Akufo-Addo is proving to the international community that no longer shall we be the underdogs ready to jump at the crumbs under the table of the donor countries.
With sufficient management of our resources which the President did not mince words in describing as vast, there is no reason we should be in the state in which we are today waiting for donor injection in our national budgets.
Bad governance is responsible for most of our predicaments today. The migration phenomenon reached its zenith with the youth topping the list in the past decade even as the Mediterranean Ocean continues to exact death on the daring.
As President Akufo-Akufo pointed out, the energies of these youth must be harnessed for the development of the continent. We wish to add that harnessing these energies can only be done when the critical element of good governance exists.
The memories of the terrible pictures about what Africans, fleeing the unacceptable situations in their countries, suffer in Libya and the danger they face as they cross the Mediterranean Ocean, are still vivid.
Even as we compose this commentary, many are still languishing in Libyan prisons – the reason for their incarceration being the inability to pay ransom for their captives.
European countries must wake up and avoid propping up rogue governments on the continent. The double standards which translate into the generous doling of pass mark to bad elections in African countries, have a negative effect on the lives of the youth especially in these places.
If Europe is seeking the cause of migration in the face of the glaring dangers, let them not look elsewhere for it lies in the manner in which they support these bad African leaders to rip off the resources of their countries and keep same overseas.
They can stem the tide of migration if they stop supporting the rogue governments and rather assist in the formulation of civilized electoral systems which would reflect the will of the people at the polls.