The continent of Africa has suffered a lot of setbacks over the years. Dating from the colonial era, we have not been able to access and assess the true cause of our predicaments. We are quick at pointing accusing fingers at our colonial masters that they are responsible for our woes. It is sheer self-denial, to say the least, to narrow down our challenges: be it economical, political, socio-cultural etc, on those who came to transact business with our forebears with cunning and mischievousness and more essentially, the ignorance of our own people who have allowed themselves to be treated the way they were treated. 

The wealth of Africa is undoubtedly, the largest across the globe, but Mama Africa is the least developed. Poverty, diseases and all societal ills are common in every corner of our land. Our people are living in abject poverty and arrant despondency. Do we still keep pointing an accusing finger at our colonial masters who came to loot and plunder our resources all in the name of evangelism and bogus trade pacts with our kings we have overlooked for decades and working with a sense of urgency to tackle our common enemy—poverty.

The continent needs a sense of rejuvenation, purpose, renaissance and a drive towards a true emancipation in economics and politics. Indeed, the missing ingredient in our quest for self-reliance and alliance for stronger voice and influence in the world is "SELF-BELIEF". We have betrayed the cause of our freedom fighters who have laid down their lives for the good of our land. For how long do we continue to be wallowing in poverty and under-development? How many of our leaders today, are really committed towards the attainment of a peaceful, industrialized and racially-aligned Africa, without suspicion, ego, threats on one's sovereignty, prejudices or reservations, etc? Colonial boundaries and borders were meant to infiltrate our camps ostensibly to execute the imperialistic agenda. Why won't we remove such torturous and wicked partitioning of our land by the enemy and consequentially foster unity amongst ourselves. 

Today, Africa can boast of the requisite human resource to effectively and efficiently be its own resources. Africa should channel its energies toward instilling a sense of morality, the I-can-do mindset, sincerity, modesty and honesty, humility and ambition, vision, innovation, self- actualization commitment to decency, integrity and ethical public life in her children. 

There are wars, disputes or conflicts and government overthrows all over the continent, where brothers cannot afford to live as one people with a common destiny. Everything seems to have gone topsy-turvy. There is apparent manifestation of moral or cultural decline and nobody seem to care. 

We must be the change we crave to see in the world. There has to be a paradigm shift from the old ways of doing things—a significant shift indeed. You and I know that our main reason why we found ourselves in an institution of higher learning such as University Of Professional Studies is to change society in a positive dimension. Let us go into the world and affect society the best way we can. Let us inspire hope in Mama Africa by demonstrating honesty, loyalty to the course of building strong institutions of state, directing our energies towards the sacrificial work of salvaging our pride. We have that inherent dynamic ability to cause that change to happen. You are that transformational leader the world craves.

We the youth are the source of hope and inspiration for well-meaning Africans and for posterity. The charlatans and the criminals who ride to political power on the back of manipulating the minds of the youth to be belligerent must be stopped. The days when the hot blooded sons and daughters of Africa were used by the charlatans to unleash their terror to satisfy their parochial ends were gone. How many of us are willing to say “No” to political violence or "gangsterism"? Can we all shout no to belligerence, no to cyber fraud, no to demand for unrealistic wages and fat service benefits, no to organizational insubordination, no to espionage, no to child trafficking, no to homosexuality, no to lesbianism and no other social vices that threaten our African identity. Being human as we are, we have the tendency to say NO to all social vices but we are the very same people who commit such despicable acts on ourselves and society.

Today, we are quick at saying that our leaders have failed us in comparison to the so-called advanced countries and their leadership, their legal regimes, their national policy-continuity programs which bind successive governments to continue projects initiated by their predecessors in order not to waste their hard earned resources. Can we say the same of any African government in our sub-region? 

The management of the economy shall be done by pooling our best brains to make an input. We will work with civil society organizations, the academia, the clergy and all those who matter in our forward-movement match for freedom. Being action-driven, decisive and pragmatic leadership, we can achieve that which we so much dread. The willingness to serve our dear country depends on you and me. When we stand firm and decide to attain the height of legendary, the credit goes to no one but our gallant men and women who want to see change.

“A nation without a conscience is a nation without a soul.

A nation without a soul is a nation that cannot live.

A nation without a conscience is a nation that cannot live.” (Winston Churchill)

We are tomorrow's leaders. And how do we assume such a great responsibility and take the mantle of leadership from our fathers devoid of acrimony, wars, corruption, undue influences, and sabotages to say the least? Help us say NO to the rot in our world. 

Until the mentality of an African child has changed, the solutions to all these myriad of problems will remain a dream.

God bless Africa.

God bless our Homeland Ghana. 

Thank You.

M. John-Terry

(University Of Professional Studies, Accra)