African countries must unite against hostilities against their compatriots attempting to cross the continent’s borders, Chief of Defense Staff General Christopher Musa said.
During his journey across the continent, he expressed sadness at seeing such inhumane treatment of his fellow Africans.
Mr Musa expressed his concerns at the Royal Banquet dinner held in honor of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III and his wife, Olori Atuwatse III, at the Trancorp Hotel in Abuja.
According to him, beyond such remarkable devastation, Africa has made great progress over the decades.
He said: “I have had the privilege of visiting most countries in Africa and if you show up there you will believe you have come home because the feeling is exactly the same.” They walk, talk, and act the same way. Therefore, it is important that we accept ourselves. Personally, I feel very sick when I visit other borders in Africa and see how hostile they are to each other.
“That’s actually one of the things that is very painful for me. We have to learn to appreciate each other. We do business with others, but we do business with ourselves. I don’t. I think we need to break down those barriers. I think Africans should be able to travel across county lines and be welcomed into the family. It’s the only way we can grow.
“As Africans, no one should speak for us. We must stand strong and bold wherever we are and speak for ourselves. We are Africans and the cradle of civilization. As the Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Defense Force, I am proud to stand before you and recognize the great strides our continent has made in recent years.
Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District, also shared his vision, recommending the removal of certain barriers to trade between African countries and the introduction of a single currency as the way forward.
He said, “Africa is just one continent that was divided by Europeans many years ago. I think many of us know about the division of Africa, along with the economic interests. There are no natural resources anywhere in the world, but we will remain poor forever.
“Solutions to our problems must revolve around lowering border barriers that allow free movement of people across Africa. The second solution is to enable the manufacturing and refining of products At this stage we cannot export the raw materials overseas to be processed and sent to us at great cost.
“The more contentious issue I think is the need for a single currency so that we can trade with each other. Believe me, we don’t need the dollar or the euro. We must learn to develop compassionate leaders.”
Former First Lady Patience Jonathan opened her speech by supporting her fellow Africans to embrace peace if they want meaningful and sustainable development.
She appealed for a massive grassroots awareness campaign so that the message of unity spreads uninterrupted.
Patience Jonathan said: “We are here to spread positive and inspiring stories about Africa, because Africa is blessed with experts and human resources with great potential. We need a united front to advance Africa. The time to tell our story is now.
“Public partnerships, key to Africa’s development, are among the initiatives that have impacted the power, education and transport sectors of this great country.A continent rich in human and natural resources, we Africa could become a wonder of the world.
“Unfortunately, for decades Africa has been labeled a continent in conflict. But we all know that without peace there can be no sustainable development. We need to sensitize our people to embrace peace and focus on issues that unite us rather than divide us. This sensitization should start at the grassroots.”
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