| A free online article of the Focus on Africa magazine | | | | themselves. |
| of particular interest to me was that by Gamal | | | | How many African nations are permanent members |
| Nkrumah, published on 22 Jan 2007. In this article, Mr | | | | of the UNO Security Council? If the answer is zero, |
| Gamal advised that the only way forward for Africa | | | | then there are no nations in Africa because UNO is an |
| was a continental union as envisaged by his late | | | | organization of nations. How many higher institutions |
| farther Kwame Nkrumah, one of the founding | | | | of learning or research institutes in Africa have an |
| fathers of pan-African politics. A free online aspect of | | | | electron microscope? How many African countries |
| BBC News by the economics reporter, Steve | | | | manufacture cars or aeroplanes? These and many |
| Schifferes with the question:'Why can't Africa tackle | | | | other questions should be asked by African leaders |
| poverty?', also caught my attention. Mr Schifferes | | | | and a lasting solution to poverty and backwardness |
| blamed African poverty to unfulfilled promises of | | | | of Africa sought. |
| monetary aid to Africa by developed countries. | | | | The writer therefore suggests a final solution to |
| Unknown to Mr Gamal and Mr Schifferes, their | | | | African poverty and backwardness in the form of |
| suggestions will never be solutions to African disunity | | | | the creation of a STATE OF AFRICAN UNION .Once |
| or poverty. | | | | created, this will be an independent state within the |
| An elder once said, 'One can never know what | | | | African continent in which all peoples from all African |
| poverty is, unless one becomes poor'. The true | | | | nation as well as Africans in the Diaspora will be |
| situation of Africa today is that there is much | | | | eligible citizens. This may sound impossible or |
| poverty in the continent than what is known by the | | | | considered as madness but we should not forget |
| rest of the world. I mean poverty with capital 'P'. | | | | that Greek philosophers who first talked of |
| Africa is a continent in which each nation is made up | | | | democracy were considered as mad men and Galileo |
| of several ethnic groups with diverse cultural and | | | | was also considered mad when he said the world |
| religious differences. This situation is aggravated by | | | | was round rather than flat. |
| poverty such that the continent is susceptible to | | | | The State of African Union will be a state in which |
| ethnic clashes, civil wars, formation of political parties | | | | African nations will confidently trade with on fair |
| based on ethnic interests, etc. A continent made of | | | | terms; a place where giant research institutes will |
| about 99% of children leaving in abject poverty, the | | | | exist for all Africans; a political asylum for Africans, a |
| dream of every African child is to become rich in | | | | permanent home for Africans of the Diaspora; etc. |
| order to liberate himself/herself and the family from | | | | The donation of land by African nations toward the |
| the terrible monster-poverty. The truth is that | | | | creation of this state must not be considered as |
| African leaders grow up with this dream and consider | | | | violation of territorial integrity but rather a giant and |
| their political positions as a longed opportunity to | | | | courageous step of the African Union ahead of any |
| enrich themselves and their families or to make their | | | | existing continental union under the sun. This is a |
| ethnic groups popular within the country. They put | | | | challenge to African nations with large land areas such |
| tribal or ethnic interests first in their dealings, rather | | | | as Sudan, Congo (DR), Algeria, Libya, Mali, South |
| than national interests. | | | | Africa, Angola, Ethiopia and Tanzania. A single country |
| Therefore, how can a continent with so many ethnic | | | | may donate or neighbouring countries can jointly |
| groups not even in unity within their own nations | | | | donate. |
| unite as envisaged by Kwame Nkrumah? How can | | | | The president of this great African nation will be |
| any amount of foreign aid be of help to African | | | | democratically elected by all African citizens. One may |
| nations? This money will be embezzled and put into | | | | imagine the news on BBC or CNN during vote counts |
| foreign accounts! | | | | from the different African countries .The creation of |
| Despite being blessed by so many natural resources, | | | | this state will surely change the course of political, |
| Africa remains the poorest continent on earth tagged | | | | economic, cultural and historical events of the world. |
| as the 'Black Continent '. Having suffered from slave | | | | Africans must forget their differences and take giant |
| trade and colonialism in the past, Africa is suffering | | | | decisions together to make their continent great. It is |
| today from economic suppression by developed | | | | high time Africans said goodbye to poverty, |
| countries; and disunity and lack of courage to create | | | | oppression and suppression. |
| progressive policies, on the part of African nations | | | | |