The All African Students Union (AASU) has called on African leaders to take a decision “without delay" on the formation of the United States of Africa. Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, Mr Ibrahim Murtala, Deputy Secretary-General of AASU, said African students were committed to the unity of the continent, irrespective of the type of government that would emerge from the outcome of the grand debate of the formation of a united Africa. He said African leaders must make collective examination of their consciences as they planned for the grand debate, which would determine the destiny of the continent from its current state of deprivation to a more prosperous one. "African leaders must try to do more than express their common opposition to each other on the basis of who wants to become the first president of this great dream." Mr Murtala said even though the continent had been saddled with problems, it was in the interest of Africans to come together, adding those were the same arguments some African leaders used against the vision of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and other Pan-Africanists. He said recent events in Africa showed that cases of development had not followed a steady upward course due to obstructions by powerful nations under the guise of development partnership. Mr Murtala said African leaders owed a duty to the youth and they would not hesitate to hold them accountable. "For us, the formation of the United States of Africa is not only important but necessary and also a channel of unity and reconciliation.” He said there was the need for a youth-oriented succession plan, which would ensure their involvement in the processes leading to the establishment of the continental union government. Mr Murtala said there was also the need to establish the formation of a Pan-African Youth Parliament Secretariat for it to be incorporated into the new national constitutions of member states. "This will not only ensure the involvement of the youth, but certainly guarantee the tapping of the enormous potentials that are lying idle or unattended to.” He said some individuals had attempted to derail the laudable idea of a united Africa. "The time has come when the fate and destiny of African people particularly the youth should cease to hang so dangerously on the desires and selfish ambitions of some narrow sighted African leaders," he said. Source: GNA