Africa Must Develop Its Own Social Market Economies - Kohler
Former German President, Horst Kohler, has advised African countries to develop their own social market economies for their development agenda instead of adopting foreign concepts as prescriptions.
While urging Africa and Europe to develop their strategic common ground vigorously and in the spirit of true partnership, he said: 'The time that Africans have been lectured by others is definitely over'.
Mr Kohler was delivering the inaugural John A. Kufuor Foundation Lecture at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana, Legon, Tuesday, as part of activities to mark the official launch of the foundation.
Present at the well-attended ceremony were former President J. A. Kufuor, former President Jerry John Rawlings, former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and a host of dignitaries across the political divide and from the academia.
The presence of former President Rawlings in particular generated a lot of excitement from the audience, perhaps, given the cold cordiality that has existed between the two Ghanaian statesmen.
Mr Kohler observed that Africa had enormous natural resources that could provide a great source of economic prosperity for the continent, underlining,'but the crucial task will be to ensure that this fortune will benefit all people' and make it a blessing instead of a curse.
He stressed the need for the continent to develop a strategy that would make the best use of its natural resources, such as what he described as, 'sustainable resource-based African growth and development strategy'.
Such strategy, he said, required respect for the rule of law, good governance, effective anti-corruption policy and a host of other best practices.
In a brief remark, former President Kufuor said his tenure as President had deepened his conviction about the critical role of leadership as a cornerstone for good governance and overall national development, a conviction he wished to share with the youth through his foundation.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, who chaired the ceremony, said the occasion was a unique interaction between academia and politicians and expressed appreciation to the former president for establishing a centre of learning at the university.
Earlier, former presidents Kufuor, Mbeki and Koehler had performed a sod-cutting ceremony at the university for the construction of the John A. Kufuor Centre for Leadership, Good Governance and Development.
The centre is one of two academic projects that the former president wishes to leave as a legacy for posterity for his conviction in leadership, good governance and development. The other academic project is a library and a museum to be hosted by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.