President challenges Africans to tell their stories

President John Dramani Mahama has challenged African leaders and academicians to tell their own stories by portraying the positive sides of their development to the international world.

He said until that was done, others would continue to portray only the negative sides that had to do with ethnic conflicts, hunger, disease, poverty and misery in the continent.


"Until the Lion begins to tell its own story or gets others to tell its story, the hunters will continue to glorify their own feat and prowess in the forest, "President Mahama stated.


President Mahama said this when he delivered a lecture on :"The Promise of Africa" at the Brandeis University in Boston, Massachusetts, as part of his 10-day official visit to the United States of America.


The Brandeis University, which was established in 1948 and named after Justice Luis Brandeis, has over the years been engaged in the fight for social justice, fairness and equity in society.


Apart from investing in initiatives, the University also offers scholarships and research programmes to underprivileged societies across the world.


The invitation to President Mahama fell in line with Ghana's fight for social justice, equity and fairness in society and their quest to integrate African cultures into the school curricula.

President Mahama said it was disheartening that in spite of the socio-economic progress the continent had gained after their independence from colonial masters, foreign historians and the media were still engrossed in portraying only negative aspects of the continent.


He declared:"Out of the best 10 fast growing countries and economies in the world last year, six of those countries were in Africa, and it's still surprising that most people in other parts of the world are still glued to the past negatives of the continent, that I prefer to call the lost decades of Africa."


He explained that African countries were more into democracy than dictatorship, in spite of the artificial boundaries that were bequeathed to the countries by their colonial masters.


President Mahama said although there were still traces of terrorist groups, diseases and conflicts, but there had been tremendous change and development in the past three decades on the continent.


He said the continent was reaping democratic dividends through increased stability, peace and unity and commended development partners in other parts of the world for their support towards the advancement of the continent.


Professor Frederick Lawrence, President of the Brandeis University, commended President Mahama for accepting their invitation to deliver the lecture, saying his visit had consolidated the existing partnership they had with some educational institutions in Ghana.

He promised to keep the link alive to ensure better partnerships in the coming years with tertiary institutions in the West African country.


Prof Joseph Assan, a Ghanaian lecturer at the Heller School for Social policy and Management of the University, said they had for some years now established some partnership with University for Development Studies and had so far carried out some exchange programmes.


President Mahama has already addressed the United Nations General Assembly, participated in other programmes at the sidelines of the Assembly debates, and engaged the business community.


He also delivered a lecture at the Harvard University in Boston, met with the Boston Chamber of Commerce and addressed the Ghanaian Community in Worcester, in the Boston Massachusetts State.