Leadership failure major challenge bedeviling Africa — GPF
By: Austine Emmanuel, Kaduna
Global Peace Foundation, Africa, has said that widespread leadership failure is one of the major challenges bedeviling the African continent.
The Director General, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Nigeria, Dr. Joseph Peter Ochogwu, made the assertion during the 2023 annual Global Peace Convention, virtually organised by Global Peace Foundation, (GPF) earlier this week.
Speaking on the ‘African Renaissance: Key to Continental Peace and Equitable Development’ as one of the panelists, Ochogwu noted that Africa should be a shining light to other continents of the world in terms of all round development considering its rich human and material endowment, “but reverse is the case.”
The Director who expressed dismay over what he termed as a far cry from the kind of leadership displayed by past African great leaders like Nigeria’s Nnamdi Azikiwe, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, among others, lamented that the current realities of poor governance and level of underdevelopment is a threat to the destiny of the continent in years to come.
He said, “The narrative of leadership in the African continent is replete with corruption, mis-governance, mediocrity, abuse of power, human rights abuses, nepotism and mismanagement.
“This is a far cry from the kind of leadership displayed by great African leaders like Nnamdi Azikiwe (Nigeria), Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya), Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana), and Julius Nyerere (Kenya), amongst others, whose pattern of leadership was characterised by genuine sense of patriotism and united struggle for common good.
“What we see today is an Africa with economic dependence, political instability, endemic with multi-dimensional corruption and insecurity, all of which are clear reflections of failed leadership in the continent.”
He then posited that Africa is indeed at war with itself.
Fielding questions from participants particularly in response to the question posed by the Country Director, Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, (GPFN) Rev. John Joseph Hayab, regarding religious leaders who contribute to division through provocative and inciting utterances, thus emphasising the need for a moral and ethical revolution within their ranks, the panelists acknowledged the positive impact of non-kinetic approaches, particularly through interfaith dialogue led by leaders with moral authority.
Remarking also at the concluding part of the programme, Rev. Fr. Canice Chinyeaka Enyiaka, who served as the anchor of the virtual session emphasised on the imperative need for Africa to return to the principles of Ubuntu as a foundation for development and peace, while adopting call by panelists on the importance of engaging young people to instill a culture of peace and tolerance in them for a better future, with call for influencing university curricula through advocacy and collaborating with communities.
The programme also featured influential figures including Mrs. Shamim Parker Khan, Chair of Tanzania Women’s Interfaith Network, Sheikh Nasib Musenene, Member of Rwenzori Region Interreligious Council, and Ms. Joy Wandabwa, Finance and Administration Director at Programs for Christians and Muslims Relations in Africa.
