The President has said he will rather have a critical and sometimes reckless media than one that is monotonous and engages in praise-singing.

President Akufo-Addo said he abhors a sycophantic media which is likely to rob him of divergent views.

Speaking at the Africa Summit at the London School of Economics (LSE), he explained that sometimes the criticisms of a section of the media, though irritating, offers broader perspective on national issues.

He said such criticisms help in getting the feeling of the citizens, adding that the media is a key force in achieving the success story of Africa. The President was worried that more than enough human and capital resource is deposited in Africa, and yet most of it finds its way to Western countries.

President Akufo-Addo, describing the pathetic picture of how African countries are robbed of their resources by people who parade themselves as investors, called for Africa to work as a block to strengthen their economies and protect themselves from investment opportunists.

He referred to a South African panel, chaired by Thabo Mbeki, whose findings identified that $50 billion is flown out of Africa annually, robbing the continent of the resources to develop itself, adding that only Africans can rectify this trend and not depend on the West or its governments.



He expressed his support for the Continental Free Trade Agreements to strengthen African block as a trading pillar that does not require compromise but determines the trading terms as China has done.

Using Ghana as an example, the President spoke about the need for Africa to grow beyond aid through the empowerment of the youth through the use of technological advancement, education and skills training that create jobs for the continent.

He cited the use of T-VET systems in Ghana that are targeted at providing core skills for the youth.

The London School of Economics has trained African leaders like Ghana's first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Atta Mills, Jomo Kenyata, Hilla Limann, and Gilchrist Olympio.