Pull down barriers towards creation of continental govt — GCPP
The Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) has called on the African Union ( AU ) to take immediate steps to pull down all barriers, obstacles and hindrances towards the creation of an African continental government.
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This is because the time has come for the AU to be turned into a continental government that is capable of shaping the will and destiny of Africans.
A statement issued in Accra by the Chairman and Leader of the party, Dr Herbert Henry Lartey, to mark the annual celebration of AU Day, which falls on May 25, 2013, observed that the AU Day has been embraced overwhelmingly by Africans across the entire continent and this display of continental solidarity amidst social and linguistic diversity was indicative of the long-standing dream and aspiration of the African people to unity.
The GCPP leader used the opportunity of the golden jubilee celebration to salute the founding fathers of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which is now the African Union.
The party further saluted the current leadership of the AU, as well as the innumerable civil society organisations and institutions, for their commitment and contribution towards the development of the continent.
Dr Lartey said the GCPP would continue to honour the memory of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of the Republic of Ghana, whose articulation of the principles of African Unification, in the GCPP’s view, contributed immeasurably to the political emancipation of the continent in its struggle from the yoke of colonialism.
Dr Lartey said comparing Africa against the socio-economic development of other continents, it was clear that Dr Kwame Nkrumah had been vindicated in advocating for a continental government to lead the peoples of Africa.
He observed that most African countries, today, were experiencing economic hardships which could only be mitigated through a centralised government; the proof of which was being exemplified by the fact that virtually all governments on other continents were exploring policies of integration to achieve their economic developmental objectives.
According to the GCPP leader, the approach of using sub-regional economic groupings across the continent was the wrong path for addressing the demands and challenges that confronted the African people on a daily basis at the social, economic, and political level.
Mr Lartey noted that the success of a single regional block would bring limited value to the people of this continent, as no sustainable merit could be found in achieving economic prosperity in one region while the rest of the continent was plagued with poverty, famine, ignorance, and war.
The party said for this reason, the call by Dr Kwame Nkrumah for a continental government needs to be adhered to, explaining that by integrating the vast resources and skills of the current sub-regional groupings into a singular economic block --the African economic block, in which member countries collectively facilitate trade and commerce through a single currency, Africa can manifest itself as an economic powerhouse within the global community
Dr Lartey stressed that “we have what it takes. Today, we understand the potential of our natural resources but more importantly, amongst our citizens are those with an immense depth of understanding in the areas of sciences and technologies, transport and communications, so that the continent can transform itself from being a mere commodities provider to a modern knowledge based society.’’
He said Africans needed to foster a borderless alliance and develop a closer international trade cooperation within the continent since the continued division of the continent along old colonial influences such as language, i.e. French vs. English vs. Portuguese, was anachronistic to the spirit of African unification and the aspiration of the African people.
