Ambassador Arikana Chihombori-Quao, a former Permanent Representative of the African Union to the United Nations, has taken parliaments in Africa to task for not doing much to hold the executive arms of government accountable for the democratic failings.  

 “What are our parliamentarians doing? And that is why you see what is happening in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali,” she added, in apparent reference to recent revolutionary actions in parts of the continent. 

“The African youth are not taking it anymore. The youth are saying they will replace the leaders if they do not do the right things.”  

Ambassador Chihombori-Quao observed that African leaders had failed the younger generation due to poor leadership, leaving the continent to continue to languish in the firm grips of the Western world.  

Delivering the 14th Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lectures at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), she said a radical approach was required to change the status quo. 

UCC instituted the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lecture series in 1974 to honour the memory of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President.  

The lecture is a platform to address issues of social, economic and political development of Africa and the black world in general.  

The ambassador’s lectures, delivered in two series, were on the themes: “Imperialism, Colonialism, and Neo-colonialism – The three Axis of Evil for Africa,” and “African Youth Rising – The Revolution has Begun.”  

She explored how imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism had been used to systematically undermine the continent’s development.  

The ambassador, also the Founder and President of the African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI), observed that imperialism and colonialism had transitioned into neo-colonialism where former colonial powers and multinationals continued to exert economic and political influence to keep Africa perpetually poor and hinder socio-economic development.  

In view of that, she said the unfinished business of the revolution, which began in 1963 by Pan-African fathers like Dr Kwame Nkrumah purposely for a united Africa, must be completed to salvage the continent from the claws of the West.  

“The leadership that is not awakened, the leadership that does not understand that imperialism no longer has room in Africa, neo-colonialism no longer has room in Africa, colonisation no longer has room in Africa, exploitation of Africa can no longer continue; a leader who doesn’t understand that, is a leader whose days are numbered,” she cautioned.  

“Youth, make us accountable as your elders, make your leaders accountable. If your leaders are not accountable, replace them.”   

Ambassador Chihombori-Quao cautioned Africans to accept that they were still suffering from the legacy of colonisation and slavery and would remain defeated if nothing was done to change it.  

As a staunch pan-Africanist, she called on the leaders to unite Africa for expedited development, chastising African leaders for failing to stand up and denounce the draconian financial regime offered by the World Bank for instance, which had a toll on the economies of African countries.  

“The World Bank must stop giving us frivolous loans, the World Bank must treat Africa fairly; an Africa that is treated equally on the world stage, an Africa that is free of racism, bigotry and hate,” she added.  

The real problem was about the leaders who had failed to stop the onslaught being continually unleashed by the colonisers, multinationals, non-governmental organisations and embassies to make Africa poorer.  

She referenced the situation where Namibians were required to pay about 170 dollars to get a visa to go to the United States, but it was free for Americans to go to Namibia.  

She questioned what leadership was doing about that kind of cheating.  

“The same people who are abusing us, taking advantage of us, and exploiting us are laughing at us because we are jokers,” she added.