Regional News of Friday, 8 July 2011

Source: GNA

Poverty of the mind, bane of Africa's development - Lecturer

Cape Coast, July 8, GNA - A Physics Professor at the University of Cape Coast, Professor Kofi Anane-Fenin, has observed that poverty of the mind and the culture of dependency were two major challenges debilitating the development of most Africans across the continent.

He noted that God had blessed Africans and their countries with a lot of intellectual abilities as well as vast natural resources but it behoves on them to go the extra mile to create wealth in order to stifle abject poverty that had engulfed many of its people.

The Physics Professor, who is also an accomplished businessman and preacher, noted that 93in life the way one sees the problem is the problem and what we are now is the sum total of what we think."

He said people should therefore make conscious efforts to be optimistic while making strives to better their lots.

"The culture of dependency must stop because it is affecting the innovative abilities of our people," he declared, adding that Ghana for instance was sitting on gold mine, considering the vast natural and human resources.

Prof. Anane-Fenin was speaking at the annual 93Wealth Creation Conference" organized by the Cape Coast branch of the Victory Bible Church International at the at Chapel Hill in Cape Coast.

The five-day conference is aimed at re-orientating the minds of Christians about wealth creation and to challenge members to find creative and innovative ways to earn extra income to invest towards their future.

Prof. Anane-Fenin challenged Ghanaians in particular to be innovative and eschew all negative tendencies like laziness, procrastination and over dependency and develop their skills and talents to the best of their abilities to help stem poverty.

He pointed out that repeating the negative until it became 93self fulfilling prophesy" had been the practice of most people, and it must be discouraged because poverty is an unpleasant situation that must not be entertained at all.

He emphasized that Ghanaians could more to better their living conditions and urged all to plan their lives carefully and invest towards the future because planned lives are beautiful.

Reverend Richard Ampadu-Duku, Head Pastor of the Church, tasked Christians to endeavour to be truthful in all their dealings because accountability was an inevitable phase of life.