“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 noted that because of their incompetent leadership, African leaders have let the continent remain firmly in the hands of the West, failing the younger generation.
Speaking at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) during the 14th Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lectures, she stated that a drastic measure was necessary to alter the current situation.
In 1974, UCC launched the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lecture series in remembrance of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana.
The lecture serves as a forum for discussing issues pertaining to the political, social, and economic growth of Africa and the African continent 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, who is also the President and Founder of the African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI), noted that neo-colonialism had replaced imperialism and colonialism, with former colonial powers and multinational corporations continuing to use their economic and political clout to impede socioeconomic development and keep Africa in a state of perpetual poverty.
Given this, she stated that in order to save the continent from the grasp of the West, the unfinished business of the revolution—which was started in 1963 by Pan-African fathers like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah with the intention of creating a unified Africa—must be accomplished.
She issued a warning: “A leader whose days are numbered is a leader whose leadership is not awakened, the leadership that does not understand that colonization, neo-colonialism, imperialism, and exploitation of Africa no longer have room in Africa.”
“Youth, make us accountable as your elders, make your leaders accountable. If your leaders are not accountable, replace them.”
Ambassador Chihombori-Quao forewarned Africans that unless something changed, they would continue to be vanquished due to the heritage of colonization and slavery.
As an ardent supporter of pan-Africanism, she urged African leaders to bring their continent together for faster development. She criticized them for being silent about the negative effects of the World Bank’s harsh financial regulations on their countries’ economies.
“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 true issue was with the leaders who had been unable to halt the relentless campaign of poverty in Africa being carried out by colonizers, international corporations, non-governmental organizations, and embassies.
She brought up the point where Americans could travel to Namibia for free, but Namibians had to pay roughly $170 to obtain a visa to enter the United States.
She questioned the leadership’s actions on such instances of dishonesty.
“The same people who are abusing us, taking advantage of us, and exploiting us are laughing at us because we are jokers,” she added.