Economist and University of Ghana professor, Godfred Bokpin, has criticised African leaders for captivating international audiences with eloquent speeches while failing to translate such rhetoric into meaningful reforms at home.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, October 1, Prof. Bokpin noted that African leaders often push for reforms of international organisations at platforms like the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) but struggle to demonstrate practical reforms within their own countries.
“We are happy to show up at the UN and make positions on how we can reform international organisations, but we are unable to demonstrate to the world how these can be done from within,” he argued.
He described it as “sad” that leaders deliver powerful speeches abroad yet fall short of addressing basic challenges that directly affect their citizens.
“We are happy to deliver wonderful speeches at the UN and all of that. We come home, and the people of the Central Region are not sure where clean water is going to come from. This is failure, this is a disaster. We should be apologising to the world,” he said.
His remarks come in the wake of widespread praise for the speeches delivered by African heads of state during the recently concluded 80th UN General Assembly in New York, held from September 23 to 29.
Prof. Bokpin stressed that without bold domestic reforms to improve the lives of ordinary citizens, international recognition amounts to little more than empty rhetoric.
Source:Africa Publicity
