Kufuor Tasks African Journalists, Academics

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday charged African journalists and academics to highlight positive aspects of the continent and not always focus on the negatives.

“There is a lot that we need to do in Africa, but there is a lot too that we have achieved since our independence about 50 years ago.

We need to highlight more of the positives instead of always harping on the negatives which only to reinforce the stereotype of African being incompetent,” he said.

Former President Kufuor was contributing to a panel discussion on 'African Media on the Global Development Agenda' at the 14th Annual Highway Africa Conference and the 2nd African Education Journalists and Journalists Trainers at Rhodes University.

He told the about 400 delegates at the conference under theme: 'African Voices – In the Global Space' that African journalists and academics need to have a sense of history in their judgment of Africa and its leaders.

“We need to appreciate where we are coming from and how far we have reached to enable us to make well-informed conclusions as to what is happening on the continent,” former President Kufuor said.

“There is the need for us to create an African media and not a media for Africa. We need to create a media that makes Africa's voice heard loud and clear on the world stage.

This we can do by highlighting the strengths of the continent and not by repeating the negative stereotypes all the time.

“We must by all means talk about the wrong things that happen on the continent.  Where there is corruption or bad governance, we need to expose them, but it is important that we highlight success stories with equal, if not greater, emphasis.

“Africans are making great strides in trying to put things right. There is the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the African Peer Review Mechanism, the various regional blocs such as the Economic Community for West African States, the re-launched East African Economic Community, the Southern Africa Development Cooperation and many more.

“These are all initiatives being made by Africa to try to put things rights. Our media need to highlight these to make the world know that we are capable of handling our own affairs.

“Today, the world economic order is changing. There are emerging powers such as China, Brazil and India, which are making great strides on the world scene.

These emerging economies on the one hand and the countries of the West on the other are all courting Africa.

“All these people are coming for our resources. We need to meet them on an equal footing so that our interests as Africans are also met. It has to be a win-win situation for all and not a lopsided affair as in the best.

“Our academics have to write about this. Our journalists need to publicize this so that our people become aware of the changing times and adapt to the challenges of the times.”

In the evening, former President Kufuor was guest of honour at a dinner hosted in his honour by the ABSA Bank, at which he urged Africans to take pride in the well-organized 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament by South Africa and the exploits of African countries, especially the Black Stars of Ghana.

“What we have achieved as a continent by hosting the World Cup and Ghana's spectacular performance is symptomatic of what the African can do. When you go to NASA today, you will find Africans occupying places of importance.

It is the same story in medicine, technology, science, and any field of endeavour anywhere in the world today.

“We have to harp on these and let the whole world know that Africa is on the move and nobody should take us for granted,” former President Kufuor said.