Opinion: Tinubu’s historic speech at UNGA, by Kola Amzat

In the past, African leaders have always seized the platform of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to inundate the world of endemic poverty, conflicts, wanton destruction, political instability, strife, wars, economic degradation, insurgence etc pervading their continent.

They, in essence magnified the enormity of the aforementioned challenges with a view to attracting undue sympathy & pity, as well as making unnecessary demands of humongous financial grants, aids, donations etc from the international community to the continent.

Consequent upon this, the global community have always had the erroneous beliefs and perception of the continent as a troubled and most challenged part of the world, that must be continually avoided like a plague and left out particularly, when key and strategic matters that affect the global economy, infrastructures, global security, scientific initiatives etc are on center stage for discussion.

This perhaps might have accounted for the reasons why Africa as a continent has continue to miss out in the United Nations Security Council as a permanent member despite spirited efforts and clamor made in the past, and even, in other  global benefits of immeasurable proportion which ordinarily should be accruing to her, like other 6 continents of the world.

But, the audacious speech of the Nigerian president at recently concluded UNGA session in New York might have significantly changed this narrative. The speech would have gone a long way in changing the dynamics and general perception of the global community towards African continent.

At a crucial time like that, African continent needed an African home-made leader with grit, panache, candor, courage, charisma, aura, sound knowledge of the global diplomacy & politics and essentially, devoid of inferiority complex and colonial mentality to step forward and speak out for the continent.

That’s exactly what the illustrious, iconic, and supremely confident and one of today’s African celebrated & referred leaders, Asiwaju Tinubu got done in a commanding fashion, at that all-important session beamed live to the people around the globe.        

In that historic speech, that has obviously resonates with the global community, President Tinubu declared that African is not a problem to be avoided nor to be pitied. And, that the continent is nothing other than the key to the world’s future. 

Tinubu declared that Nigeria and African accord with the guiding principles of United Nation: peace, security, human rights and development.

He further asserted that Africa seek to be neither appendage nor patron and, do not wish to replace old shackles with new ones.

He confirmed that African desire a prosperous and vibrant democratic living space for her people.

President Tinubu copiously observed that in the aftermath of the Second World War, nations gathered in an attempt to rebuild their war-torn countries and the United Nations, was established purposely as a symbol and protector to champion the aspirations and finest ideals of humankind.

And, that nations saw that it was also in their own interests to help other troubled countries exit the rubble and wasteland of war, and by this, they offered reliable and significant assistance to allow countries emaciated by war, to grow again into strong and productive societies.

President Tinubu further asserted that for several decades, Africa people have been asking for the same level of political commitment and devotion of resource that described the Marshall Plan, even though, African people are conscious of the fact that the underlying conditions and causes of the economic challenges facing today’s Africa are significantly different from those of post war Europe.

Tinubu declared to the international community that African continent is not asking for identical programs and interventions, but, what the continent clamor for is an equally firm commitment to partnership, as well as enhanced international cooperation with African continent to achieve the 2030 agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.

He captured the above in 5 highlights as follows: that Global Institutions and other nations & their sector must see African development as a priority, not just for Africa, but in their interests as well, that democratic governance must be affirmed as the best guarantor of the will & wellbeing of the African people, that international community must strengthen its commitment to arrest the flow of arms and violent people into West African Sub-Region, that the Global trust and solidarity must secure the continent’s mineral rich areas from pilfering & conflict and, that African nations will fight climate change, but must do so on their terms and in order to achieve this popular consensus, the campaign continental efforts regarding climate change will register important victories if advanced economies of the world were more forthcoming with public & private sector investments for Africa’s preferred initiatives.      

Instructively, the Nigerian president also seized the UNGA platform to make serious case for the most troubled and oppressed countries in Africa.

He alerted the world of the following evils foisted on the continent: entire African continent already locked in protracted battle against violent extremists, the channel of inhumane commerce that has been formed, with men, women and children only seen as chattel.

He lamented of thousands of African young men & women risking the Sahara’s hot desert and the Mediterranean’s cold depths in search of pastures new in Europe and America. 

Tinubu further alerted the world that some African countries have become catacombs of misery and exploitation, with special emphasis on Democratic Republic of Congo, a country that has significantly suffered pilfering and conflict, aided by some foreign countries.

Other countries he mentioned in the league of Democratic Republic of Congo are Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso and Central African Republic

Of course, the president of the most populous black nation on the earth also put Nigeria in focus, where he confirmed that foreign entities abetted by local criminals who aspire to be petty warlords have drafted thousands of people into servitude to illegally mine gold and other resources, with dire consequences of Billions of dollars meant to improve the nation now fuel violent enterprises.

The Nigerian president didn’t forget to draw the attention of the globe to Northern Nigeria that is being hounded by desert encroachment on once arable land, as well as Southern part of the country that is also being pounded by the rising tide of coastal flooding and erosion, and the Middle Belt where rainy season brings torrential rains & associated floods that kill and displace multitudes.

President Tinubu has spoken eloquently, loud & clear and where it matters most, justifying reasons why the global community must see African continent as an equal partner and ally, in the matters that affect world economic, infrastructures, security, educational and scientific developments, and not a continent that is always cap in hands, seeking for sympathy & pity and undue favors in terms of foreign grants, international donors, aids, palliatives and other mundane things that indeed necessitating losing the global respect & honors.

But, Nigerian president as resourceful, visionary, insightful and discerning as he is, and having consciousness of the fact that what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander, he is just one president out of many 54 African presidents.

African continent is obviously not a deprived and impoverished country as the international community are hitherto made to believe. Not at all!

Like other continents across the globe, God also endow our continent with her own share of natural endowments, beautiful & relatively predictable weather, very hardworking, creative, industrious, highly educated and ubiquitous people, with particular reference to people of Nigerian.

We have incredible deposit of oil & gas, with Nigeria, Angola, and Gabon having dominance in this area. The continent also have humongous deposits of mineral resources in gold, uranium, limestone, iron ore, zinc, uranium, columbite, emerald, topaz, tin etc also with Nigerian also a leading force.

Besides, African has incredibly huge and vibrant market, with Nigeria also a major force with a tremendous population of more than 220 million people with youth population dominant with about 50%.

So, what’s preventing the continent to stand toe-to-toe with other continents around the world? What’s the justifiable reasons for African inferiority complex?

What are the reasons for our laid back?            

But, do other African very referred presidents like Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Gabon, Cameroun etc share in Tinubu’s aspirations and quest for renaissance African, that’s able to stand on the same pedestal with the rest of the continents of the world, competing in all facets?

I won’t draw the curtains on this Piece without admonishing and imploring other prominent African heads of states that, we’ve reached a point of no return.

African continent is in that crucial time of its existence where there must be a turning point.

Turning point of being an ally and equal partnership status with other continents of the globe, as against hitherto of being appendage and parasite. Turning point of being a permanent member of the United Nations’ Security Council. Turning point in Industrial, Technological, as well as in Educational Developments.

This was what President Bola Tinubu summarily advocated for the continent in UNGA session.

This is the battle he’s leading at the world stage on behalf of the continent.

But, it’s a collective and collaborative struggle. It’s a struggle for total emancipation of African politically and economically.

All presidents in the continent must therefore enlist and participate in the struggles for a new Africa.        

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)

LAGOS BASED FINANCIAL CONSULTANT,

09077509348

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB,  CTP, MBA)                                                                                                                  Lagos Based Financial Consultant

09077509348.