Africans need more freedom less regulations to create wealth

The words inscribed below resonate so loudly, only to those with a welcoming and industrious mind, an embracive heart and a discerning soul to listen, understand and perpetuate. These are the preconditions that such a seed as African liberalism and pride, rests on forever.

Ideologically, Africa has been perceived to be the least liberal continent. This kind of perception has been fueled by the presence and the incessant stay in power of some leaders who are dictators, tyrants, anti-progress and conflict entrepreneurs. They are hungry for power and creating wealth through politics and confiscations of properties of the vulnerable.

Authoritarian administrations in Africa in the past and some rebel regimes in the present have married force to actuate and accentuate bullet actions towards the market forces thinking that it's a good economic policy.

They're characterised by inhumane policies and untested methods to attempt to address what they believe to be bad economic management. They are using complex solutions to solve simple problems.

For instance, Ghana had its share in the 1960s to the 1970s where military leaders thought they could use force or coercion to fix the problems of the economy.

There are some democratically elected leaders on the continent who had also engaged in anti-liberal tactics that were aimed at gagging all opposing voices and perpetuating themselves in government for eternity. Due to these uncountable examples, it can be concluded without justification that Africa remains the least liberally oriented continent in the world.

In this brief, I send the right message to all by exposing a contrary view to the liberality of Africa as some people have in mind. It follows a perspective of the Institute of Liberty and Policy Innovation.

As an AJEOT Participant who has grasped policy foundations and elements, our "Africanness" shouldn't only be actuated and accentuated in our culture, our inherent geographical setting, or colour. But our "Africanness" must transcend these common and pervasive concepts. If we begin to think and act as such, it culminates into an inner conscience that reaffirms the pride we exude as Africans. We must think more about freedom and policies that facilitate property ownership.

There exist a plethora of reasons that suggest the acceptance of liberalism and its good prospects in Africa. Everyone wants to be free from oppressor’s rule and tyrannies. Africans love the freedom to farm, trade and do business. When such activities to keep Africans in motion to prosperity are heavily taken away, poverty comes in to decide our fate.

At the African Journalists Training at ILAPI-Ghana, I learnt a lot more than expected. It will only be difficult to pretend that the members of this think tank do not matter. It can safely be concluded that any single individual in Africa who is a member of this entity is a person who is liberal by nature and seeking peaceful and more freedom for the people of Africa.

People do not set organizations if they do not believe in the principles of that organization. They are changing minds and transforming society on the ideas of economic freedom.

Africa is still not free from its own people. They push the very people who voted and pay for their upkeep into poverty. They then pretend to solve the problems with unfriendly policies that again benefit them and their cronies.

Freedom is not only about movement and talking but more of doing business and to own properties. African leaders create wars and corruption and regulate the activities of the people but rarely regulate their own corrupt acts. They destroy the properties of the people through corruption and war.

The few prosper by regulating the masses. When this happens, poverty will not leave us alone. That’s why they are afraid to lose power because they will have to come back into the unfavourable system they created.

It's about time we industrialized our minds and reconfigured our genetically default setting to derail the colloquial misogynic representation of Africa and think more about economic freedom and trade by Africans and for Africans to include globalization.

Let's deconstruct that social, economic construct to begin to live life anew, with brewing pride and liberty in our blackness and prospects.

Our sovereignty thrives on this. Do not be an African who only lives in Africa. Be an African that has African values living and throbbing in his or bosom causing more freedom and liberty over elections and power. Let's imbibe this and our lives will never be the same.

The author, Bright Philip Donkor is the African Journalists for Economic Opportunity Training (AJEOT-2020) Best Article Writer; a Young Activist, Political and Social Commentator, and a Columnist.