US President, Barack Obama, since taking charge of office has on his premier visit to the Sub-Saharan Africa stated that Africa must take hold of its own fate in the world. The US President’s visit came after his first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI just hours subsequent to the conclusion of the G8 summit in Italy.
During his one day visit to Ghana where he met President John Atta Mills, the US president accentuated that Africa was a significant part of the world affairs, with what occurring here having an equivalent effect all over the world.
Ghana was the preferred destination by Obama due to its powerful democratic record. Addressing the parliament soon after meeting up with the President Mills, Mr. Obama admitted that the bequest of colonialism has aided in fuelling the clash on the continent. He further mentioned that the West were not liable for the devastation in the Zimbabwean economy in the past decade or the conflicts wherein the children are recruited as fighters.
Mr.Obama was all praises at Ghana’s growth, governance and economic development, calling attention to the much needed, good governance to facilitate development, which is a responsibility to be taken up Africans.
Mr. Obama laid stress on four crucial areas to the future of Africa and the whole developing world were democracy, ample opportunity, health care and peaceable means of resolving conflicts.
He summoned for strong parliament, non-corrupt police, autonomous judiciary system and liberated press throughout Africa.
He vowed to carry on significant US assistance towards public healthcare programmes in Africa, highlighting the need for prudent utilization of innate resources like oil in the wake of threatened climatic changes.
Mr.Obama expressed that a major section of Africans had invariable conflict-ridden lives. He urged the people to become aware, hold their leadership responsible and to put together organizations that truly deliver. Mr.Obama stated freedom was Africa’s birthright and pushing for means to make the continent disease and conflict-free, thus hailing in long prevailing amends.
He concluded the speech with his trademark saying ‘Yes you can’. Obama will be joined by his wife, Michelle, where they will later pay a visit to the Gold Coast Castle, a sea bordering fort that was altered to the slave trade during British rule in the seventeenth century.
