AU Arts Festival Foundation Board Celebrates Africans

Today marks Africa Day, a day set aside by the African Union to commemorate the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and its successor, the African Union. Africa Day also celebrates African Unity and what true African renaissance stands for.

The Governing Board and Management of the AU Arts Festival Foundation would like to salute all Africans and African Leaders on the occasion of AU Day. This year’s Africa Day is being celebrated under the theme: "Food Security”.

As we celebrate African Unity today, we have to remember the sacrifices of our forebears and work together to find solutions to the myriad of problems confronting our continent. The vision of our forefathers was ensuring that the continent will grow to have one strong voice, politically, economically and socially but these have eluded us because of indiscipline and lawlessness.

As we are all aware, indiscipline and disregard for laws and regulations are setbacks to our development. As we commemorate the sacrifices of our forebears, we must be mindful of the threat of indiscipline and lawlessness to our development. We can only achieve food security, economic freedom and improve the livelihood of our people if laws are enforced.

We commend all of us for upholding the rule of law and ensuring political stability on the continent over the last decade. We say ayekoo!!.

We also want to remind us all the need to be united as one people. True African unity and sovereignty can only be achieved through a united front where we allow economies of scale and free movement of people, goods and services to empower us economically and politically. Therefore, we urge African leaders to embrace Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) which is a new opportunity for growth. We can achieve food security if we pursue this vision. These would give us alternatives to the West and other economic powers that always wish to pursue their own interests in their interventions on the continent.

Last year, the AU Arts Foundation which uses creative arts to empower the youth for accelerated development honoured President John Agyekum Kufour, Former President of Ghana for his tremendous contributions to the development of Ghana and Africa at large.

This year, the award would be held in July at a venue to be announced later. The Governing Board and Management of AU Arts Festival in the coming weeks will announce the winner of the 2019 award.

Thank you.
God bless AU!
God bless Ghana!!
God bless us all!!!
Nana Obokese Ampah I
(Chairman, Governing Board)
Mr. Richmond Yeboah
(Executive Secretary)