“Instead of using their own experts, the leadership resorted to using foreign experts. This de-motivated our own experts, some of whom resorted to finding jobs outside the continent.”
The main mission or agenda of African leadership has been shaped by the rapid appetite for personal wealth accumulation at the expense of wealth creation for the entire nation. Poor governance has contributed to this type of behaviour. It is now acknowledged that good governance is central to creating and sustaining an environment which fosters strong and equitable development. Lack of transparent and accountable governance is one of the root causes of socio-economic crisis facing
the African continent today. Without a clean and democratic government, it will prove difficult to initiate a sustainable economic development.
Instead of using their own experts, the leadership resorted to using foreign experts. This de-motivated our own experts, some of whom resorted to finding jobs outside the continent. It is a sad fact that
in Africa, outsiders have foisted their own perceived goals and perceptions on us. Indeed, the outsiders have always behaved as if they know better than the Africans, what is good for Africa. As a
result, Africa has been derailed from pursuing the agenda it set for itself in the Monrovia Strategy, the Lagos Plan of Action and Nepad.
The luxury to allow others to think for us and to drive our own development effort is a real crisis. Unless this truism is understood, African will continue to march with a begging cup in hand to its
ultimate doom. The African policy makers who should have been concerned with ending this crisis preoccupy themselves with looting their own economies like ruthless vampires.
Source: Leadership and Economic Crisis in Africa by Samuel Agonda Ochola.
