Africa’s current lack of a workable developmental agenda has been strongly condemned following the present realities plaguing the countries of the continent.

 

This position was strongly canvassed by Ernesto Yeboah, one of Ghana’s radical activists and commander-in-chief of the Economic Fighters League (EFL). The EFL which started its agitation in 1992 has remained Ghana’s conscience in calling for a more inclusive, democratic country. Beyond this, Yeboah has equally been canvassing for a more representative Africa where equity and the high democratic ideals are enshrined. While fielding questions from the panel and audience of the Toyin Falola interview series presided over by Professor Toyin Falola, Chief Nana Ansa, Dr. Charles Prempeh, and Afia Pokua, Yeboah called for a more people-oriented governance. The Toyin Falola Interview series has today remained one of Africa’s most engaging virtual platforms.

 

Speaking on the need for an ideological education for Africans, Yeboah stated that: “The period in European history that they refer to as the age of reason where the society started questioning certain realities of what they had earlier assumed to be their ontological realities, saw a more progressive layer of intellection begin. People began asking to see more of rational behaviour and thought than anything based on superstition.

“We need the philosophers. The likes of Nkruma provided that. Whereas the Marxist ideology is centred on the things that can only be perceived by the five senses, Nkruma went further to point to the overarching importance of ideology and his emphasizes on the immaterial categories of nature. He did not leave it there; his genius is established in the fact that he devised a theory using quantum physics and the theory of relativity in advancing the existence of the immaterial. For this, many Marxists in his time criticized him as being revisionist. Today, how many educational institutions have centred Kwame Nkruma’s theorizing as a course of study? We have not. The lost bearing of the African is rooted fundamentally in the kind of education that we are getting. Until we are able to correct that anomaly, the African of today and the future will continue to be a confused person who doesn’t understand the existential realities that confront him. Chinua Achebe says that the frog does not loiter in the day for nothing. It is either something is pursuing it or it is pursuing something. What is pursuing Africa and what is Africa pursing? What has happened to African leaders who confronted the problems bedeviling Africa? Such leaders are often vilified, isolated and killed. We have seen that with Thomas Sankara, Patrick Lumumba. Recently we saw that with Ghadaffi. This is our existential reality where a body of people somewhere actively worked to ensure that we do not have the right kind of leadership that would advance the core cause of our society. To the extent that this has not agitated the minds of policymakers in our society. Kwameh raised the question of what the vision of Africa is. When this is asked, this people will quickly point you to some MDGs and SDGs and visions that have not emanated from us, that have been imposed on us and all we are doing to rehash these things. Talk about Agenda 2063 by the African Union and these leaders are telling us that that is when the see the unity of the nations of the African continent.”

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In response to one of the questions of Professor Toyin Falola, the chief panelist, on development, Yeboah informed his audience that: “There is no development on the agenda of any African state. I will take the case of Ghana as an example. There is only agenda which is tailored to protect a particular political regime. When I look across Africa, I don’t see any difference with the Kenyan, Nigerian constitutions. All these constitutions are basically built to bottle up power for a few people. That is why their response to actions (like demonstrations by workers, students) is violence. In their mind, those kinds of activities can lead to a regime change. They therefore must prevent it from happening. To that extent, I will say that there is no development focus as we speak.  Currently what we have does not enforce development. ”

Earlier, Yeboah had outlined the burden of his movement. “We are looking for a new future. Everything we have done has pointed to that charting of a new future that we want for ourselves. It is also because we hate this system so much. It is rotten; it is a system that works for the few; it is a system that does not prioritise the needs and aspirations of the people. And so, we are determined to tear down this system. We take this nation very seriously; we have taken it upon ourselves to learn and understand our people, I mean the people that we are fighting for. I will take you through a history of what has today come to be known as Ghana. This place Ghana was once upon a time taken over by the Portuguese, 1471. They were here for 166 years. It was followed by the Swedes who stepped in in 1647; they were here for ten years. Then the Danes were here from 1642 to 1850, 208 years. The Dutch were here from 1598 to 1870, 272 years. Then the English were here from 1533 to 1960, 427 years. While they were here, they were raping our mothers; they were locking out our future; they were oppressing us. For all these years, our people endured. When we look at what is happening today, and we are told that Ghana is a democracy, when we know that it is not, especially given the fact that the kind of things our so-called leaders are able to do. In places like Saudi Arabia, where we know that they do not have a democracy, their leaders cannot even contemplate it. Under this false shield or screen, the whole world has been bamboozled to think that when you come to Africa, one of the shining spotlights of democracy on the continent is Ghana. But what gives us more confidence in our victory is that fact that when I look at Liberia, I see Kekola on the streets. When I look at Kenya, I see Oyo. When I look at Senegal, I see Kunba Toure. When I look at Gambia, I see Mohammed Lamin. I am seeing other movements beyond the Economic Fighters League. And so, I am convinced that our struggles are linked, and we are drifting towards a centre.

In South Africa, when young people demanded what was rightfully theirs, the political establishment instructed that they be shot and killed. Soon after that had happened, money was sent to buy for them coffins so they would be buried. The simple message been that “we will kill you if you speak up and we will bury you.” When our brothers and sisters in Nigeria occasioned what the continent has not seen in a very long time and stretched out the banner of EndSars, we saw what the fake leadership, fronted by Mr. Buhari, did. They ordered the dastardly killing of innocent young people who were simply asking that the police and their brutalities be shelved. We in Ghana also have our share of these brutalities fronted by black leaders. When we look around, we know that our brotherhood and sisterhood is held strongly because our oppressions are linked.

“And so if I am here today, it is to unite with the rest of Africa and all black people in the world to stand together, fight together and tear down this rotten system together,” he said.

The interaction featured eminent members of the audience both from Ghana and across several countries.