Sumaye calls for responsible African governments

Former Prime Minister, Frederick Sumaye

Former Prime Minister, Frederick Sumaye has said Africa needs enormous and urgent economic transformation, calling for governments that can manage its resources properly.

Speaking at the Columbia University in New York during a key note address at the 12th Annual African Economic Forum yesterday, he said the continent requires economic growth that touches people’s lives.

“We need to go an extra mile; be ready to move from the drawing tables of Africa and those of the world reports which do not give the appropriate perspective of the continent to a positive change that will ensure that our people have better lives,” he noted.

He said abundance of resources in the continent must be reflect on the lives of the people otherwise people will sing for these potential for ages as it is being depleted leaving them reeling in poverty.

The former PM said in the recent past Africa has been in the limelight in international forum and meetings when it comes to future development requirements of the continent and the world at large.

“Africa have had past governance problems attracting the world attention to save the lives of dying children, feeding the hungry, malnourished and displaced populations,” he said.

He added, “Today many African countries have changed from the gloomy past pictures of political war conflicts to stability resulting from embracing multiparty democracy”.

This, he said has changed their economic systems from centrally planned and controlled economies to liberalised economies as the continent continue to attract positive attention within and from outside borders which is likely to make Africa an important player in the world economy.

He pointed out that such changes has given hope to their citizens and the international community in general leading to an increased annual Growth Domestic Product (GDP) of about 5% in recent years.

“Africa is therefore quite different from the past and is attracting a very different form of attention from all corners of the globe.” he stressed while acknowledging contradictions about the immense opportunities that exist in many countries and their sectors including their state of affairs.

Commenting on leadership and good governance, Sumaye said Africa has huge reserves of natural resources which have to be properly managed.

According to him, natural resource in itself is just a factor of production that has to be combined and managed together with other factors to bring a meaningful change to people’s lives.

He expressed fear that there is a clear scramble for natural resources in Africa from the developed world and other advanced developing countries like Brazil, Russia, India and China (so called BRICS group).

Africa must manage this scramble otherwise it will end up a loser or worse still in chaos. Natural resources can become a curse if not managed well, he said.

“Africa therefore needs good leadership that will put in place good governments to manage and handle the combination of factors of production,” he said.

He added, “We need the leadership that has vision, integrity, courage and the knowledge to lead such economic transformation and people’s development on the continent. High moral standards that will not give room to corruption and embezzlement of public funds are also crucial”.