Ugo Aliogo
Acclaimed pan-African activists, Professor P. L. O. Lumumba, Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, have jointly rallied the youths in Ghana and other countries in Africa to remain resilient and help build the continent.
In a statement issued by New Africa Foundation,, it was noted that the activists were billed to speak at the rally dubbed: ‘The Convention 2024’, which event was called off at the last moment last Sunday.
The statement also noted that ‘The Convention 2024’, was organised by New Africa Foundation, a self-funded non-governmental organisation. The statement further explained that at a media briefing, after the cancellation of the event, Chihombori-Quao told journalists that the Foundation had requested the speakers to be in Ghana to address African youths starting with those in Ghana, but was called off a few hours to the start of the programme.
In the statement, Chihombori-Quao stated that: “We understand that we have failed our youths, but we know that we have a responsibility to make things right, and we know that with the wisdom, energy and intelligence of our youths, together, we can take our Africa in a new direction.”
She revealed that the speakers had come to deliver to the youths of Ghana and Africa a message of hope and resilience, which remarked that the Africa can only be built by Africans and for Africans to succeed at what they do, so they must be united.”
Also, Lumumba said: “We came to Ghana to share a message of hope for Africa at this time, and there is no better place to begin that message than in Accra, Ghana. It is in Accra that Osageyefo Kwame Nkrumah, almost 67 years ago, spoke to the world that the ‘Independence of Ghana is meaningless until it is linked with the independence of the African continent. 67 years later, they were congregating in Accra in the same place where the founding fathers of Ghana stood to make that statement, but they were stopped bizarrely. The message will be served as the journey of hope continues with the youth.”
He expressed the optimism that the elements are conspiring to distract them from achieving their goal, “but it is not an occasion of lamentation but for redoubling our efforts.”
Lumumba, while describing the event in Accra as necessary, added that it would herald a great future for Africa.
According to him, “Looking forward, a meeting such as this will happen not only here in Accra, but I am looking forward to it happening in Ouagadougou, Dakar, Nairobi and Johannesburg because this is about the African continent. We are saying this at a time when we have promised ourselves that Africa is going to be more intimate in our interaction. This is why the African Continental Free Trade Area is headquartered in Accra. Africans pay homage to Ghana because of what Nkrumah did and stood for.”
On his part, former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, said: “Africa is suffering due to lack of leadership. It is failed leadership over the years that has brought Africa where it is.
“No continent in the world has the potential of Africa…it is home to lots of talents and natural resources. We have 65 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land. Just imagine what we can do. We can feed the world and do everything. But ironically, because of failed leadership over the years, Africa is also home to the highest number of problems.”
Obi lamented people living in abject poverty in the face of lots of natural resources, which he stressed cannot continue.
