African leaders should religiously fight poverty – Cardinal Turkson

Cardinal Peter Appiah-Turkson, President, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, has urged African leaders to focus action on the fight to overcome poverty and other indignities faced by their people.

They need to show strong commitment towards the continent’s blueprint – the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

He said they should be seen as originators and implementers of their own ideas and plans, instead of waiting for partnerships to be foisted on them in the name of globalization.

Cardinal Appiah-Turkson said he found it quite curious that the initiative which received global applause and was hailed as a right step in the struggle to overcome poverty, ignorance and bad governance appeared to have lost its shine.

Delivering the 12th Biennial Marshall Moreau Marat Memorial Lectures organized by the Knights and Ladies of the Catholic Church, he said they should find the energy to push ahead with the NEPAD.

The programme, which was held at the Auditorium of the College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), was attended by a large gathering of chiefs, the clergy and the laity as well as the general public.

Cardinal Appiah-Turkson said it was important for Africa to take responsibility for its own progress – the growth of their economies and transformation of the lives of its peoples.

He rallied the church to work hard to bring hope to the people, help them to remain unwavering in their faith and promote “our common humanity”.

This they should do through stepped up evangelization to move the society away from the path of evil, greed and selfishness.