NEAP gets kudos from Nigerian President

NIGERIAN President Oluse-gun Obasanjo has commended the National Association for the Empowerment of African People (NEAP) for promoting the advancement and protection of African people in the region. He has also pledged his country’s readiness to work with the organisation in educating “their children about the cultures of Africa.” Addressing NEAP’s fifth annual Emancipation dinner and awards ceremony on Saturday evening at the Cascadia Hotel, St Ann’s, His Excellency Obasanjo also extended an open invitation “to you and your families, to visit Africa regularly.”

President Obasanjo pointed out that while “opportunity, time and space may separate a people for decades, even centuries, when there is a natural spiritual, cultural and locational connection, it is often a matter of time before separated kith and kin come together.” He said it was even more profound that when they got together, they were wiser, more mature, more exposed, more aware of their environment and more determined never to repeat the mistakes of the past. He saluted NEAP for “courage, resilience, achievements and your unshaken belief in Africa” while commending them for their “entrepreneurship and capacity to weather challenging environments.”

Labelling NEAP as “true children of Africa,” President Obasanjo identified his reason for visiting Trinidad and Tobago, as a renewal of the historical and cultural ties that bind the region with Africa. As the current chairman of the African Union (AU), President Obasanjo said while globalisation was responsible for having Africans in every continent, Africa’s globalisation was largely a “negative and unproductive one.” He said it “undeveloped, depopulated and marginalised Africa, ruining boundless opportunities and possibilities for internally generated growth. “Developed and promoted violence, suspicion,  poverty and dependence on the West.”

His Excellency said Africa was yet to recover, but the fascinating thing about the experience, was the fact that “we were never intimidated, defeated, nor discouraged.” He said Nigeria, with its population of about 150 million, “has been in the vanguard of redirecting attention towards the establishment of viable political institutions, good governance, transparency and accountability.” He said the country has undergone a series of reforms in almost every sphere, and results were now beginning to be seen with Nigerians appreciating the gains. “We are collectively building a new Nigeria anchored on social justice, private sector-driven growth, fair competition, transparency, accountability and service delivery.”

President Obasanjo said recently the AU set-up the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), to review situations in African countries. He assured, “we are building a new Africa, one of hope, dedication and collective action. We are determined to prove our detractors, the Afro-pessimists, and those that feed on undeserved stereotypes about us as a people, wrong.” He also congratulated Government for its 2020 initiative. During the dinner, awards were given to Makandal Daaga, the elder, Chief Ifa Oje Wonyomi Abiodan (Leroy Clarke) and Danielle Stewart, the student who placed first in this year’s Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exams. Prime Minister Patrick Manning and NEAP’s president Professor Selwyn Cudjoe also delivered remarks. President George Maxwell Richards was also in attendance.