By Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The President of Mission Africa Incorporated, Dr. Kodjoe Sumney, has called for a new framework and a paradigm shift in African governance.
According to him, a new framework and a paradigm shift in African governance will alter the status quo as a result of the way and manner African leaders are managing the continent’s economic and educational system.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with GBCGHANAONLINE’s Franklin ASARE-DONKOH, on the sidelines during the 19th edition of the annual African Union (AU) Day Prayer Conference held in Accra, Dr. Sumney explained that the current governance system most African nations are practicing has never benefited the youth and keeps making Africans poorer.
He said the governance system Africans need is to go back to its original root dubbed “African Democracy” where our kings and Queens were steering the affairs of their kingdoms.
“Under their governments, they were not in debt. Africans were loyal and patriotic, there was a true rule of law, moral law, natural law, spiritual law, economic law, barter trading laws, and gender equality. There were women in business, Queen of Sheba, Queen Candace, and proper sexual Human Rights laws were working properly”. Said Dr. Sumney.
According to him political independence minus economic independence is equal to remote control independence. The United Nations, Western Europe, and the United States of America have no business discussing Western Democracy in Africa. He stated.
The President of Mission Africa Incorporated has, therefore, challenged the United Nations to address the core causes of Africa’s issues and stop advocating for unity and democracy until those who divided the continent bring her together.
“Africa was en route to innovation and economic independence until we were invaded. That’s absolutely an abuse of our autonomy and that is undemocratic.
Timbuktu universities for instants were producing doctors, midwives, tradesmen, skilled workers, masons, and architects, among other professions before these heinous crimes were melted against us.
Innovations were springing up all over Africa systematically, from hunts to bamboo houses and fence walls, mud houses, and stone houses, designing pyramids, chariots, King’s palaces, and prisons, with systems. Chariot builders, goldsmiths, etc. Africa was the birthplace and cradle of civilization.
None of these things mentioned above were created by the Europeans, Americans, or Chinese people; rather, they took place during the African Democracy era.
Africa was glowing decently and in order. Africa was the World Trade Center for far-flung and nearby countries because it had an abundant and sustainable economy. Before Europeans arrived, Africa was in a prosperous state.” He narrated.
“Today we are here marking the 60 years of African independent states celebration (25th May 1963- 25th May 2023) but there is little to show for as a continent but mega foreign debts.
However, we must give credit to some African leaders who have strived to develop a little. Nations like Rwanda, Botswana, Nigeria, Ghana, Seychelles, Kenya, Djibouti, Tunisia, Egypt, and Morocco have achieved some milestones by managing to hold their independence but that cannot be compared to UAE countries. UAE countries have been more successful because of unity of purpose and togetherness. Dr. Sumney bemoaned.
Advocating for the return of African Democracy, Dr. Sumney urged all African leaders to sing the same song and see Western Democracy as a virus.
He continued further by saying Neocolonialism is a virus killing Africans. Our youth are being disappointed day in and day out. The cost of living is so high and no price control. Local food is becoming more expensive than foreign goods.
Dr. Sumney augured that Africa is destined to a perpetual economic dependence but is yet to attend such enviable status due to the adoption of porous Western Democracy.
“Africa will be in economic comma, so far as the economic virus continues to eat into the economic heart of Africa and eventually hand over its sovereignty to the Chinese and Arabs. We shall soon be slaves in our own homeland.” He warned.
The President of Mission Africa Incorporated touched on the importance of proper education for all African children.
According to him, the current educational system being practiced across Africa and its competition is ineffective as African children are not able to find fulfilling careers in their countries because vocational-technical education training had not received the needed attention from policymakers.
He went further to state that although there is broad agreement among African education policymakers that vocational-technical education needs to get more attention, there are still widening discrepancies between policy and reality, thus making African youth not see the significance and worth of vocational and technical education appealing no matter how lucrative it may appear.
Using China as an example, Dr. Sumney calls on the youth to consider the enormous rise in the fortunes of China’s ultra-wealthy, who now numbered 878 and have a combined wealth of $4 trillion. China in 2010, had just 189 billionaires living in China thanks to vocational and technical education, today the country has 878 billionaires.
They have a system of vocational education that combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training. China offers three levels of vocational education: junior secondary, senior secondary, and postsecondary.
He contends that Africa can achieve the same results by first getting rid of the Western political order and then putting new institutions in place within a specific time frame. Bringing together the following groups: Political leaders, traditional leaders, religious leaders, business community leaders, academics, and members of the Ministry of Defense to form the National Consultation Council.
The National Consultation Council will then come up with a constitution that is based on a cultural values system, Self-reliance system, Agriculture and industrialization focus to redirect Ghana’s development drive. Dr. Sumney reiterated.
He suggested that each of the 54 African countries must come up with one national strategic agenda with fifty years plan. Then break it into a five-year term plan. No member of parliament must stand for more than three terms as well as abolish the ‘Winner takes all’ kind of politics most African leaders are engaged in.
The era where the president alone appoints ministers, and chief executives for all state enterprises and institutions must be a thing of the past, saying the president should be allowed to appoint only 30% of the appointees than other recognise bodies like the national house of Chiefs, religious groups and Civil Society Organisations appoints 30% each with the remaining 10% appointment given to meritorious young adults as well as ensuring that at all given time there is 40% gender balance. He noted.
Dr. Sumney is of the view that African language must be welcome in the various Parliaments to enable Members of Parliament to feel free to express themselves in their local language.
Speaking at the function, a rep from the Ghana Naval who sat in for the Naval Commander, Captain Ben Abudoul shared the views expressed by Dr. Kodjoe Sumney on his “African Democracy” theory.
He called on the youth to change their mindset. Saying Africa’s greatest challenge is the mindset of its citizenry. “Our problem as Africans is our mindset this is because the mind is the most effective location to attack. Since it is difficult to alter a fully developed human being’s mindset, we, the youth, must change our own mindset in order to pass it on to the upcoming generation. It is only when there is a change in our thinking, acting, and deeds that we will be able to succeed as a continent.” He reiterated.
According to Captain Abudoul, if leadership doesn’t consider the well-being of the next generation in policies they make today, the state will fail because our immediate pleasures and material comforts corrupt us. Saying no matter where you are, put in enough effort at work to support future generations. In Africa, we struggle to keep businesses afloat but excel at bringing them down, He retorted.
