Rev. Dr. Mensah Otabil has shaken off the stress of the controversy surrounding his alleged role in the collapse of Capital Bank and taken the podium at the Festival of Ideas to speak as he does best, MyNewsGh.com reports

Speaking at the 2018 Festival of Ideas organized by Legacy and Legacy under the theme: “Leveraging strategy Technology and best practices” monitored by MyNewsGH.com, Dr Otabil said the Lepers of Samaria are smart.

Citing the story of the biblical lepers in the city of Samaria, the head pastor of the ICGC said Africans must break out of their confines too.

“The lepers knew when they stay in Samaria, they will die; when they go to Syria they will die but they said to themselves they would rather go to Syria and die than to stay in Samaria.” he said. “When they broke out of their confines they found progress and became wealthy”, Dr Otabil said. That, according to him, should be the story of the African.

He also referenced China as a good example of the present day story of the lepers in Samaria.

“Bound by years of Totalitarian State control”, Dr Otabil said, “China has been able to break out from their confines and has become a tiger devouring the world and achieving the impossible”.

He said it is possible for Africa to also break away from the self-imposed siege. While it is “great to be part of an economy created by others,” the Non-Executive Board Chairman of defunct Capital Bank said Africa “must transition and make our own stories.”

“The future of our growth will be in the hands of private people and not the government”, he added.

“We must use policy and regulation to build people,” he said.

“There have to be people who will step out and do the bold things,” he added.