Barack Obama’s message of change as a wake up call For Africa

Presidential elections in the United States of America have always generated global excitement for obvious reasons. The USA is the lone super power in the world and wields tremendous influence on the orientation and pace of global policies. The excitement this year is like nothing ever witnessed before in history. The world seems to have fallen under the spell of one man: Senator Barack Obama who is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party ahead of the November 2008 presidential elections.

Born of a Kenyan father and an American mother, Senator Obama has worked his way up to the summit of American politics. His dashing good looks, solid academic credentials, courage, vision, sense of humour, outstanding oratory skills in transmitting his message of change and hope earned him a place in history as the first black to win the presidential nomination ticket of a major political party in the USA .He is firmly on course to further create history by emerging as the first black President of the United States of America.

His rallies have attracted record crowds in the USA. There could be no better to show what a global phenomenon he has become than his recent two week trip to the Middle East in Europe. King Abdullah of Jordan personally drove him to the airport, in Kuwait he aimed and scored a perfect three pointer in a basketball court before addressing American troops stationed there. In Iraq he met with Prime Minister Maliki, in Israel he met with Prime Minister Ehud Omert and other top political leaders, he met with Palistinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Afghanistan. In Germany he met with Prime Minister Mikael and addressed a record crowd.

Senator Obama has not hidden the fact that his father grew up tethering goats in Kenya to borrow the words he used in Germany. As aforementioned, Presidential elections in the USA are always of great interest to the rest of the world. Without thinking much about the eventual out come, there is definitely a whole lot that Africa can learn from the political exploits and message of Senator Obama.

Many are those who will agree that his message of change and hope is destined for the African audience. Change and Hope occupied a choiced place on the way forward for Africa. The bulk of leadership in the continent is not the kind that can meet 21st century challenges. Brought to power and sustained by the art of flawed elections, most of the leaders lack the necessary legitimacy to govern. This results in the gross neglect of the needs and concerns of the people. There do not consider themselves accountable to the people since their elections and survival in power just do not depend on the will of the people. The list of crisis that have engulfed African countries as a result of flawed elections is endless. African countries need to put in place mechanisms that guarantee free and fair elections so as to ensure the emergence of leaderships voted by the people. Through this, leaders will be obliged to deliver or to be voted out of office. Change that will bring about patriotic, visionary, and accountable leaderships is premium.

Paul Biya, Omar Bongo, Sassou Nguesso, Mubarack, Kibaki, Mugabe and many others are way in their 70s. This contrasts with the age of Senator Obama. If you doubt what this means, then take a look at the energy, enthusiasm, dynamism ,passion and more that bond and endear him to millions world wide today. Ours is a culture which has respect for elders, where wisdom is associated with old age but with the kind of mess and misery that the afore mentioned leaders have plunged the continent and the wrong direction they continue to lead the continent to, isn't it time to question the wisdom in their policies? When at the last AU Summit in Cairo, President Omar Bongo of Gabon in power since 1967 in a country which is not a monarchy finds nothing, absolutely nothing wrong in what happened in Zimbabwe then there is something definitely wrong. Fortunately President Mugabe and the opposition are engaged in dialogue to get a way forward. The old order must also change in Africa if the continent is to make meaningful progress.

We do notice that in many African countries we tend to see family ties, clan affinities, party loyalty and other mundane factors placed above merit, competence, and talent in making choices of those who occupy office. Senator Obama comes from the minority black community but is today not only the eventual nominee of the Democratic Party but has a strong possibility of emerging as president. His emergence has not been facilitated by tribe, or friends in high places but through hard work, competence, talent, firm believe in his potentials and more. Africa needs to copy this example.

The campaign of Senator Obama is today may of a vast unstoppable movement beating all the odds placed on its way. The American people are thirsty for something different and have rallied behind the leader who has championed the course of change. Nothing can stop the furor of a determined people. We have seen people chase leaders in Madagascar, in Ivory Coast and we saw how tough they made life for President Kibaki in Kenya during the December 08 elections. The point here is that nothing can stop the tsunami that the will of a determined people constitutes. Africans ought to borrow a leaf from the movement that Senator Obama has built from all shades of political opinions, religious and racial backgrounds, etc.

In a continent endowed with abundant natural and human resources, it is our hope that the exploits of Senator Obama will inspire the emergence of similar leaders and movements in Africa. It is about time that a new generation takes more responsibilities and eventual control for there is very little of substance to hope and expect from the Biyas, Bongos, Obiangs, Nguesso's, Mubaraks, and others.