In Africa, the greatest wealth is surrounded by the greatest poverty. This naturally demands a revolutionary effort to help our society regain belief in itself following years of denigration and self-abasement.
The damage to Africa has already been done, and there’s no need to continue harping that sob story. Simply put, reiterating the problems of the continent will not make them go away.
Africa needs to lifet its head and hold it up high. We must refuse to be pushed over. But at the same time, we must desist from acting like cry babies in this world, always expecting external hands to clean up our own self-created mess.
The hole that was dug for us need not necessarily keep us holed in. We have to climb out of that hole but its not external hands that will help us to achieve that. It has to be a self-directed initiative.
The present challenges demand more than just looking to history to justify the corrosion of our societies, war, bloodshed and disease. We know that we will come right if we strive to focus on the future without losing the faith, courage and love to confront the immediate problems that face our continent today.
We need to bring healing to our beloved continent.
Our continent needs to rediscover itself, and the only way to achieve this is through love.
Only through love will the continent rise to its fullest potential.
Yet unless Africa calls out the dormant energies of its people, it will continue to be a basket case of the world.
Sadly, no amount of donor aid – in spite of the good intentions – will change the status quo.
The people of this continent must awaken to the fact that they hold the key to their own freedom.
Mental slavery remains the greatest obstacle against the full and independent development of the continent.
As Africans, we should no longer be afraid to expose the best in ourselves.
Slowly, but surely, we are becoming the masters of our own destiny. The increasing dominance of our people in various sectors of the global playing field is clear testimony of what we can achieve if we put our various talents to use.
However, it is important that our people retain a perspective of their cultural heriatge.
We must develop a sense of pride in our past achievements. We must use the best of our cultural heritage as a foundation to make greater contributions to the world civilization.
Only by doing so can we realize the full potential that exists within us.
We are indeed a beautiful people with an immense potential.