Africa cannot move forward without a change - President Kagame

Mr Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, has said that Africa can achieve its goals and objectives through unity and good leadership.

He said Africa needed confident, objective and sincere leaders, who believe in African values and cultures to build the future.

President Kagame made the remarks in Accra, during the launch of a book written by Professor Wole Soyinka, a renowned Nigerian Poet and Playwright, titled “Crucible of the Ages,” to mark his 80th-birthday anniversary later this year.

President Kagame said Africa wanted more than survival to be able to compete globally, however, “we cannot move forward without a change.”

He said the aspirations of Africans were depressed by the failure of political leaders to effectively manage issues, adding that, it was important to have a stable leadership.

He described Professor Soyinka as an untiring fighter, and an outspoken figure on the African continent, who had been punished for his work, but never gave up.

In his remarks, Prof Soyinka said anti-humanism had extended throughout the continent, and African leaders should not wait for writers to remind them to take the mantle of their respective positions to rule effectively.

The Playwright noted that there was hope for the transformation of negativity on the continent, an atmosphere that existed centuries ago, adding, “we must accept the responsibility of history as a continent.”

He commended President Kagame for his efforts in uniting Rwanda after the genocide.

Dr Ugochukwu Promise, Chief Executive Officer of Lumina Foundation, organizers of the book launch, said the ceremony was part of projects the Foundation embarked on to celebrate the life of Prof. Soyinka.

Dr Promise described Prof. Soyinka as a man who had contributed to the transformation of the African Continent, through his writings.

The book was edited by Dr Ugochukwu Promise and Mr Ivor Agyemang- Duah, Development Policy Advisor, Lumina Foundation.

It is a collection of essays that transcend the personality of Prof. Soyinka as a prose master, language analyst and dramatist.