General News of Saturday, 26 May 2018

Source: Edward Acquah

Be agents of Pan Africanism – Bernard Mornah entreats African youth

Bernard Mornah, PNC National Chairman Bernard Mornah, PNC National Chairman

Bernard Mornah has implored Africa‘s youth to take the frontiers in the campaign and struggle for Africa to become a unified state.

The ardent Pan Africanist believes Africa‘s unity would maximise its economic strength and to the advantage of the youth, hence the need for them to channel their energies into matters aimed at resolving Africa ‘s differences.

He made the call when he delivered the Keynote address at the Second Meeting of the Pan African Federalist Movement (PAFM)-West Africa held at the Memorial Modibo Keita, Bamako, Mali on Friday, May 25, 2017.

The movement is a pro-African group existing to champion the formation of a United Africa State (UAS) within a generation.

Mr. Mornah who is the West African Coordinator of the Movement maintains that although the concept of unifying states owes it’s origin to Africa, the continent has over the years failed to dissolve its “artificial” boundaries – a standing block to its economic, social and political development.

He laments the absence of vibrant African youth to relive the unity-oriented ideologies of its past leaders including Kwame Nkrumah, Madibo Keita, Patrice Lumumba, and the likes.

“Europe has learnt something from Africa. In the days when states in Europe were fighting among themselves, Nkrumah and the likes were trumpeting the call for Africa ‘s unity. When European states identified their differences and came together, they enjoyed efficient economic strength. It is ironical that Africans who started the campaign are wandering in disunity".

“We are common people with no differences whatsoever within us in terms of culture and heritage. We should not allow artificial demarcations established by our colonial masters suggest our differences. We must dismantle all those borders. …. As said by Dr Kwame Nkrumah; Africans are not poor. It is Africans who are poor. We have allowed ourselves to be divided at our own detriment", he noted.

Friday’s meeting which marked the PAFM’s second in West Africa with the first held in Accra last year, was on the theme: Unifying States of Africa in this generation; What are the actions of the Malian Youth?

It was supported by the government of Mali. The meeting summoned highly spirited Pan Africanists from Mali, Ghana, Togo, La Cote D’Ivoire and other West African countries to discuss the way forward in the campaign aimed at making Africa attain a unified status.

In a related development, MrMornahand Ghana ‘s Ambassador for Mali, H.E. Major General Francis Adu- Amanfohwere present at a short ceremony held by the government of Mali at the African Tower in Bamako, Mali in observation of the African Union (AU) Day Celebrations.