NewsDon Charges Pan-African Leaders On Collaboration

Don Charges Pan-African Leaders On Collaboration

August 23, (THEWILL) – Prof Amaechi Akwanya of the Department of English and Literary Studies, University of Nigeria Nsukka has urged Pan-African leaders to collaborate in order to surmount challenges confronting the continent.

Prof. Akwanya stated this in a keynote address at a leadership conference organised by the Pan-African Association of Scholars of Humanities and Social Sciences (PASHASS), a civil society organization, in Enugu.

Speaking on the theme: ‘Pan-Africanism, the African Union and those left behind,’ the don called on leaders in Africa to synergise so as to proffer viable solutions to developmental challenges affecting the continent.

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Akwanya, a Catholic Priest, lamented “developmental backwardness” in Africa and called on leaders at all levels to trade personal ambitions for collective interests.

He commended PASHASS for organising the conference and called on African leaders to invest in education as a catalyst to development in the sub-region.

“An organisation such as this should be supported and allowed to flourish so that with time, we can begin to chart the way forward. We have come a long way as a continent and people, but critical analysis reveals a spate of developmental backwardness, which is as a result of individualistic ambitions rather than collective growth.

“We have come down from where we were and we need to embrace international cooperation within Africa to unite peoples of the continent with the aim of collectively addressing concerns and reclaiming our position in the league of continents “.

In a welcome address, president and founder of the association, Dr Abah Ikwue said the conference was hosted to address the dearth of quality leadership in Africa from the Pan-African perspective.

Ikwue, a senior lecturer in the Department of English and Literary Studies of the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri called on African leaders to harmonise ideas so as to address leadership challenges in the continent.

He condemned national, ethnic and religious divisions which he described as the bane of unity and urged scholars and political leaders in the continent to look inwards so as to identify areas where they need to improve.

“We have gathered as researchers and scholars of the humanities and social sciences to interact and harmonise ideas toward addressing humanistic and leadership conundrums within and outside the African sub-region.

“All men are equal and it takes a combined effort from the Pan-African point of view to achieve the Africa of our dreams.

“I strongly believe that this begins with our readiness to bridge religious, ethnic and other divides as countries so that gradually, we can achieve the greater Africa of our collective dreams and aspirations.”

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