Trumpet the positive image of Africa - Vice President

Accra, Sept. 24, GNA - Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Monday expressed the need for Africans to trumpet their positive image, in order to drown the negative representation about the Continent by outsiders.

"We need to tell the story of Africa, because nobody will tell it for us," he said when he interacted with the Former President of Mauritius, Mr Karl Auguste Offman at the Osu Castle. He said the Continent needed the right push to explore the abundant human and natural resources at its disposal in order to progress. Mr Offman is in Ghana at the invitation of the University of Ghana (UG) to undertake a five-day Residency at the University, under the African Presidential Archives and Research Centre (APARC). Vice President Mahama asked the Former Head of State to use his rich experience to intervene in the flashpoints of Africa. He said Africa had a lot to gain from members of the Forum, who were seen as senior politicians and statesmen and had gone through the mill. Vice President Mahama said the former leaders should help to promote peace, investment and stability.

Mr Offman said there was the need for Africa to promote the Continent and rid it of the negative image as a place for corruption and wars.

He said although Mauritius was a small country, it was making ambitious strides to transform itself to become an Asian giant such as Singapore and Malaysia.

Professor Clifford Nii Tagoe, Vice Chancellor of the UG, said Mr Offman was making efforts to link the premier university with universities in Mauritius to share ideas, promote the common best practices, organise joint researches and exchange lecturers and students.

The APARC programme, which is co-ordinated by Boston University, of which the UG is an affiliate institution, seeks to promote intercontinental dialogue and to demonstrate to current African leaders the contributions they can make as statesmen after leaving office. Mr Offmann would lead informal sessions at the University on the topics: "Challenges of leadership in Africa," and "The future of Africa's Development: Anticipating the Challenges".

He will also deliver a special public lecture on: "The Outlook for Africa: Possibilities of Social and Economic Development for our Time and Future Generations," at the Great Hall on September 26. Last year, the UG received the Former President of Botswana, Sir Quett Masire as for the same programme.