A letter to African Leaders by Francis Xavier Tuokuu

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• Johnson Tunu 10 years ago

  It's depressing that Africa's 'leaders' don't create institutions to build new states, the main message from Obama on his recent visit to Africa.If today's African leaders continue to be like traditional chiefs for life, as w ...
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  It's depressing that Africa's 'leaders' don't create institutions to build new states, the main message from Obama on his recent visit to Africa.If today's African leaders continue to be like traditional chiefs for life, as was the tendency in our immediate post-colonial experience(which was then somehow justifiable due to lack of qualified personnel),then we'll continue to be moving backwards when even a leader who achieved a lot over his long rule(like Gaddafi over 41years) leaves the scene suddenly for any reason.The diasporas from the continent have to play a bigger role in raising awareness and materially helping in our small ways. God will never solve our problems, only increasing the consciousness of the citizens in Africa can increase effective pressure on present 'leaders' and their sycophants to act according to the needs of the current times. Bad habits die hard. Meanwhile, let's see if we can help with solar batteries for our unelectrified African villages.Electricity can bring access to more rapid knowledge. Africans need more knowledge of facts, not more religion, to effect change.

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• Kwamebeba 10 years ago

  Their neo-colonial masters are those who are sustaining them including the Obama you talked about. When Ghadafi went contrally to their wishes didn't they marshall all their weapons to eliminate him? And what did they do to ...
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  Their neo-colonial masters are those who are sustaining them including the Obama you talked about. When Ghadafi went contrally to their wishes didn't they marshall all their weapons to eliminate him? And what did they do to Nkrumah and Lumumba? All our leaders who are able to keep their seats are quislings and in the paybook of their neo-colonialist masters. Nevertheless, as sure as the sun shines, one day the African Revolution will take place and all that have sinned against Africa and Africans will pay the ultimate price. No one betrays the fatherland and motherland and goes scot free. The same goes with the progeny. It is a matter of time.

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• Kofi 10 years ago

  Blame your adopted country America for most of our woes.The got rid of Nkrumah on a flimsy excuse of being a dictator yet gave their full backing for Pinochet,Mobutu and a host of other dictators.They made sure Wa would never ...
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  Blame your adopted country America for most of our woes.The got rid of Nkrumah on a flimsy excuse of being a dictator yet gave their full backing for Pinochet,Mobutu and a host of other dictators.They made sure Wa would never be verdant as your new surroundings.

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• Bill 10 years ago

  Typical of the African. Always shifting blame. If our leaders were resolute and selfless they wouldn't allow anyone, not even the devil to manipulate them. We must bear the ultimate sacrifice, not for ourselves, but for our c ...
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  Typical of the African. Always shifting blame. If our leaders were resolute and selfless they wouldn't allow anyone, not even the devil to manipulate them. We must bear the ultimate sacrifice, not for ourselves, but for our children.

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• A.B. Dakson 10 years ago

  Thanks for the good write-up.

  Thanks for the good write-up.

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• ISSAH SERYA 10 years ago

  Good epistle but I would have loved it if you had first sent it to your Country's president.
  Charity begins at home.

  Good epistle but I would have loved it if you had first sent it to your Country's president.
  Charity begins at home.

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• ISSAH SERYA 10 years ago

  Good epistle but I would have loved it if you had first sent it to your Country's president.
  Charity begins at home.

  Good epistle but I would have loved it if you had first sent it to your Country's president.
  Charity begins at home.

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• David Banaaleh(Kingdave) 10 years ago

  Excellent delivery my brother! But in my candid opinion, it will be unfair blaming only our heads of states/ presidents and their ministers for the numerous problems in the African continent. Leadership goes beyond being a h ...
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  Excellent delivery my brother! But in my candid opinion, it will be unfair blaming only our heads of states/ presidents and their ministers for the numerous problems in the African continent. Leadership goes beyond being a head of state or a president and or being a minister of state. We have leaders in our families, Churches/Mosques, Shrine, communities and other institutions. But the question is,how supportive and useful are these sub-leaders to our developmental efforts? As a people, we have a "pull him down" attitude problem in Africa that makes it extremely difficult for the leaders we constantly blame so much to handle. Family heads are unable to manage the behaviour of their small families, even the clergy is finding it very difficult to maintaining discipline and morality among its congregation. As for our attitude to work, the least talked about it the better. Lateness and absenteeism are the order of the day. The African is not about how long or short some leader stay in power.
  Yes, we have all the natural resources in Africa but it is a collective change of attitude that can do the magic not good leadership alone.we all witness acts of corruption in a daily basis at our various localities but the question is, how many of us report them to relevant agencies? We can all help to offer the quality leadership that we so desire in wherever small corner we find ourselves than to blame our head of states/presidents. Let's focus on what our generation can do to change the negative history of Africa than to find faults for our leaders. Africa deserves better.

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