Zambia 2022: Bimbo Daramola makes case for African youths in breaking barriers to achieve excellence
African youth are diverse in realities and skill set, they have the ability to provide the resolutions to challenges plaguing the continent, through their unwavering resilience, vibrancy and penchant for innovation.
Young people, by virtue of their energy, vibe and adaptability, gravitate to the forefront of creating new solutions to old problems, and African governments must leverage this natural affinity through building their capacity and providing spaces for them to thrive.
The above assertions were the views of the convener, OneunitedAfrica Project, Congressman Bimbo Daramola who prominently featured and participated at the the AFRICAN UNION YOUTH DAY tagged, ZAMBIA 2022 with the topic; Toward Continental Food Security.
Daramola, a Social Democratic Party Candidate for the 2023 Ekiti North Federal constituency 1 election, hinted in his remarks at the auspicious occasion in Zambia that African youths must inspire themselves with the labours of their forefathers through the renaissance of the PAN AFRICAN philosophy.
Below is full text of Hon. Daramola’s remarks:
REMARKS OF FOUNDER ONE UNITED AFRICA, CONGRESSMAN BIMBO DARAMOLA ON THE AFRICAN UNION YOUTH DAY, TAGGED ZAMBIA 2020
Salutation and PROTOCOLS
- I welcome you most warmly to the AFRICAN UNION YOUTH DAY tagged ZAMBIA 2022 with the topic;
Toward Continental Food Security
It gives me great pleasure on behalf of ONE UNITED AFRICA to be back in Zambia, my second home.
- Last year we were here on this day at an event such as this that held at the great UNZA, an event that had over 1000 young peoplein attendance titled: Taking down Barriers; Fixing Today & securing the future, attended by 3 Government ministers.
- That event came right on the back of your National election, where the great young people of Zambia where you took the destiny of not only this great country, the land of the Papa KKs and your own destiny in your hands.
– You mobilized yourselves, got to the polling units and voted as you wanted, queing behind your mantra “BALLY WILL FIX IT”!
At that singular event, and by that singular action, you shifted the course of your nation and today Zambia and Zambian youth have become the symbols of not only incremental progress on the continent, but affirming the capacities, capabilities, potentials and possibilities of not only the Zambian Youth, but the African Youth if discovered , harnessed and deployed to constructive purposes.
This understanding must have been the justification for the African Union to designate November 1 of every year as the AFRICAN UNION YOUTH DAY.
So we are here again in pursuit of this new direction to advance the course of and concern for Africa and Africans, through a more intentional and deliberate ENGAGEMENT OF the greatest resource of Mother Africa, her vibrant youth, to reconnect the young population of Africa with our historical trajectory and identity as Africans, challenge and inspire ourselves with the labours of our forefathers through the renaissance of the PAN AFRICAN philosophy.
To continue on the path that our patriarchs charted toward the destination that the likes of Papa Kenneth Kaunda, Papa VJ, Jomo Kenyata, Julius Nyerere, Kwameh Nkrumah, Dr, Nnamdi Azikiwe etc all envisioned for the continent and her people.
This is the cardinal objective and goal of the #oneunitedafrica foundation, and the reason why we are here in Zambia for the African Union Youth Day for the second year.
THE LINK BETWEEN THE WEALTH OF AFRICA AND THE FUTURE OF AFRICA.
The future of AFRICA cannot be interred with the bones of our forefathers on the continent, because in Africa , Spirits don’t die! So Pan Africanism is a spirit, cannot die and be buried even as we painfully continue to witness the departure of these patriarchs of the continent, one by one, we have an obligation to raise an informed successor generation who will take the baton and the torch from them.
It is the imperative of this fact that informed the famous charge of Papa KK to declare that the future of Pan Africanism is in her vibrant and visionary, the recognition of which would later accentuate the declaration of the AFRICAN YOUTH DAY by the AFRICAN UNION in 2006.
A lot of people feel and most erroneously too that the wealth of Africa is emboweled in her fertile agriculture and mineral-rich friendly soil and subsurface, while these endowments are the differentiates mother Africa, I hold the strong view that the greatest wealth of Mother Africa is her children, everyone within and outside of this room and those following on internet and generations yet unborn.
We cannot be so blessed and still be so challenged, the images of Mother Africa in the face of her humongous wealth should not continue to be hunger stricken shriveled and contorted faces due to hunger, malnutrition, squalor, diseases , poverty, unemployment and in some cases untimely deaths.
As an African proverb from the Yoruba people in western Africa say, ‘’no one resides by the riverbank and still complain of being thirsty’’ neither should the sons and daughters of butchers eat bones!
So the African Union Youth Day for the year 2022, with the topic TOWARD CONTINENTAL FOOD SECURITY is trite and most timely, if not a little late.
This years topic is a wake up call and a clarion call for a renewal of conviction driven commitment, deliberate, intentional focus to raise a new generation of farmers whose aggregate efforts will guarantee that AFRICA CAN FEED AFRICA, and that Africa will not only banish food insecurity but also feed others , isn’t that the nature of Africans? That’s who we are. our pristine African identity.
This is a duty and obligation to ourselves and that is the reason we are gathered here today.
It is in the discovery of this link between the real wealth of AFRICA as represented by her young population estimated to be about 55-60%, that we can progressively secure the future of Africa. This is tangible and mearsurable goal.
This will drastically cut down pervasive unemployment that plagues the continent, there will be no African going to bed, deprived of a good night rest because of the pangs of hunger and rumbling of an empty stomach, our children wont look emanciated and gory due to malnutrition, and the plug in into the value chain will help to reposition and revamp the fortunes of our motherland.
I therefore call on the great youth of Zambia to again lead the way as you veritably did with your past elections, and this time your mantra will be the YOUTH OF AFRICA WILL FIX IT!!!
I want to thank the Government and affectionate people of this great and blessed nation for the warm reception and the opportunity to continue the POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT with our brothers and sisters , particularly the youth of Zambia to signpost the new direction for Africa’s prosperity, progress and well being.
Let me also use this medium to thank all the participants at this years AFRICAN UNION YOUTH DAY, in this magnificent KENNETH KAUNDA WING OF THE MALUNGUSHI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE, here in Zambia, we are grateful indeed to the management and staff of this world class centre.
We Thank You greatly.
We want to also acknowledge with profuse gratitude the support from our partners, who have chosen to walk hand in hand with us on the road to an Africa that will offer Africans and Non Africans comfort, helping to address the imperatives of today, SEEDCO, HARVEST GROUP, TRADEKINGS…. Of particular mention is my Sister Judy , the indefatigable President of FARMERS ASSOCIATION ZAMBIA, FOR THE AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH ONE UNITED africa to raise 500 new farmers from every province in Zambia.
WE CERTAINLY CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH, THE FUTURE OF THIS CONTINENT IS BEEN PREPARED FOR WITH YOUR SUPPORT AS FOUNDATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I must not forget to specifically salute the grit, fervor , fervency , conviction and hard work of ONE UNITED AFRICA zambia, led by Aaron Mondoka, Mwangala, the PR Doctor, Rinah, Faith, Shekinah, Ruth and a host of others , you are such an inspiring team, Thank You,
Of course these young team have been mentored greatly and wonderfully supported by Mrs Tola Adebayo, ably assisted by my sister Jacqueline and my brother Happy, I am so grateful.
Today we have again put our hands on the plough , we cannot afford to look back
I am grateful to everyone, thank you
God bless this great nation, her people , President and Government.
God bless MOTHER AFRICA continually.
HAPPY AFRICAN UNION YOUTH DAY
Thank you all. ZIKOMO UMUNTU.
Congressman Bimbo Daramola
FOUNDER, ONE UNITED AFRICA,
November 1 2022.
