Felicitation to Mark African Union Day

AFRICAN UNION DAY
Africa, the land of abundance yet, impoverished, a land of plenty yet hunger and poverty thrives. What a paradox to reality?

What is our problem as a people? We have abundance of uncultivated virgin lands, rivers overflow and mountains with unquantifiable goodies yet its people suffer from innumerable woes ranging from civil wars, political strife, injustice, killer epidemics, illiteracy to mention but a few.

Our land was and is still blessed with great minds like Patrice Lumumba, Leopold Senghor, Emperor Haile Selasie, Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, Kwame Nkrumah among others.

On the eve of Ghana's independence, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, one illustrious son of Africa, had this to say "our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the whole African continent". A call on us all to unite and forge for the common good of Africa. Unfortunately this call fell with the death of the visionary but his memories live on.

Our problem as a continent is more of a mental subjugation. It is in this light that Bob Marley chanted his favorite lines in the redemption song saying "emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds". Yeah none but Africans can save Africa.

It is not too late yet, yesterday might have been the best opportunity to change the fortunes of Africa but all hope is not lost yet. We may not have all the money but we don't need money to right the wrongs of yesteryears. "No one is rich enough to buy yesterday but if you hustle hard, tomorrow could be yours" Prof Wole Soyinka.

They call it Africa, we call it home. Africa is the land of our birth and we must have a stake in its renaissance. The time to act is now! Africa doesn't need men with muscles but men and women with mental acuity. The wait is over, we cannot continue to wait for the perfect moment but let's seize every moment and make it right and soon we will recreate an Africa that both current and future generations will be proud to belong.

Long live Black History!!
Long live Africa!!!
©Richard Kwasi Anim -Sir Raks
Majority Leader
University of Ghana Parliament House
0244893767
animrich85@yahoo.com