50th Anniversary of the Independent States of Africa Conference
Eight independent African states comprising Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and United Arab Republic (Egypt), gathered in Accra, Ghana, from April 15 to 22, 1958 to dedicate themselves to the cause of total political and economic liberation and unification of the African continent and the uplift of the African Personality. It was at this conference that the principle of “one man one vote” was adopted to provide cohesion and direction for the liberation movements. Moral and material support was promised the freedom fighters.
The convener, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the Prime Minister of Ghana, in his inaugural speech referred to the significance of the occasion being the first time in history that independent African states had gathered together with the common aim of evolving strategies to safeguard their independence, plan for the total liberation and unity of Africa and to shape their common destiny in their own interest by raising the living standards of their people through economic, cultural, educational, technical and scientific cooperation.
It would be a sad day for Africa and the younger generation if this historical signpost passes by unobserved continentally through an African Union organised celebration. For historical amnesia to affect Africa to the extent of intellectual paralysis on the part of the vast array of African institutions that have become the repository of the history of Africa’s development and progress is an indictment on the leadership and the civil servants that underpin them. Will April 15, 2008 pass by without rekindling any memories in the political minds of the present rulers of Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia? Will the significance of April 15, 2008 pass by unrecognised by the other member states of the African Union as the conference was the forerunner of the African Union?
Do I hang my head in shame as I send out this release in the hope that the world media will wake up to this story and remind their readers and viewers of the significance of April 15, 2008 as there is the distinct possibility that no significant statement would come out to make the African child and youth proud of their past? Occasions such as the 50th Anniversary of the First Conference of Independent African States are celebrated with such pageantry to make citizens love their own memories. It is for the sake of the African child that I herein appeal to the world media to give due attention to the occasion as it is their human right for African children and youth to be taught to love their own memories.
Lest we forget, 5 December 2008 will also mark the 50th anniversary of the epochal All-African People’s Conference held in Accra, Ghana, where a permanent secretariat was established for the global Pan-African movement with George Padmore as the first secretary-general. It was Dr. Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) government that purposefully linked the independence of Ghana to the cause of total liberation of Africa under a union government. These epochal stories of Africa and their impact must be retold to hold the attention of and sparkle the genius in the African child both at home and abroad.