Akufo-Addo: Africa’s countries should cooperate rather than rely on foreign aid.
Ghana’s immediate past President, Nana Akufo-Addo, called for African nations to work together to address their difficulties. Akufo-Addo made the call during a book event in Abuja in memory of former military president General Ibrahim Babangida.
He argued that African nations should not rely on foreign aid for survival, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for independence.
“There is no charity in international relations. Nobody will provide you vaccines until their own needs are totally met,” he stated. “African countries must consequently work together rather than relying on international help.
That is why Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, and other countries have taken the initiative to manufacture their own vaccinations.”
According to Akufo-Addo, the epidemic taught the world several lessons, including the necessity for global leaders to “acknowledge the urgency of the infrastructural deficiency in our countries, particularly in the health sector, as exposed by the pandemic.”
He added that the pandemic also allowed governments to launch a program that included the development of hospitals for citizens. COVID-19, a respiratory ailment caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was first detected in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, sparking a global pandemic.
Several politicians attended the ceremony, including President Bola Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, and Abdulsalami Abubakar, among others.
In his speech, Jonathan congratulated former military president Ibrahim Babangida on the publication of his biography and stated that Nigeria’s history would be incomplete without his account.
“So, as we all know, Ibrahim Bagandiga is one of the country’s most charismatic leaders. He is someone to whom people now travel as if on a pilgrimage to consult.
“We thank God for giving him the grace and wisdom to continue to mentor people,” Jonathan said at the occasion, which also marked the opening of Babangida’s presidential library.
“In terms of leadership, Nigerians are aware that you have made substantial contributions to the development of the country’s infrastructure and social mobilisation. We cannot write Nigeria’s history without mentioning your service as president,” he remarked. “You’ve done well!”