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