African leaders must show more commitment to regional integration – President Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday called on African leaders to show more commitment to attain the integration goal envisaged by our predecessors.
He said although the movement of raw materials and people had been made much easier over the years, the movement of finished goods on the other hand has been difficult and therefore needed more attention.
President Mahama said this when he inaugurated the Centre for Regional Integration in Africa on the theme: “Advancing Africa’s Development through accelerated integration(CRIA).
The Centre, which was established in March 2009 as an independent non-government, non-partisan and non-profit making continental centre for research, training, consultancy and advocacy services, would also provide institutionalized support at the policy, technical and intellectual levels.
It would also contribute to the achievement of the goals and objectives of integration schemes in Africa.
The CRIA is also envisaged to become a premier international, independent think-tank for the promotion of regionalism as a key element of the African development strategy and to serve as the focal point of research and analysis.
President Mahama regretted that most countries placed many impediments on the exportation of foodstuff and other commodities, making it difficult to draw the comparative advantage individual countries had over the others.
He said Africa was the fastest growing continent in terms of population and therefore needed a larger trade and commercial hub that would encourage and rope in other continents in their trade and commercial activities.
The President bemoaned the artificial barriers that were impeding the free movement of goods and services among West African countries over the years.
He recounted a survey that was recently conducted in the sub-region that highlighted that the numerous border controls in Ghana, Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Niger, hindered trade and led to bribery, corruption and delays.
He, therefore, advised CRIA to use its offices to educate and train officials from all the West African sub-region to appreciate the need to allow the free movement of goods and services.
President Mahama also commended CRIA for their efforts to foster integration and urged them to move into other countries to help them to actualize the vision for President Kwame Nkrumah.
“The movement of goods and services have over the years been hindered by bribery and corruption at our borders and to some extent human interference and this has frustrated business in the region.”
The President also expressed unhappiness with the lack of infrastructure such as good roads, good railways and aviation transport to move goods and services in the Economic Community for West African States.
Professor S. K. B. Asante, Executive Director of CRIA, said one of the reasons for the lack of integration in West Africa was due to the absence of human capacity that could propel the development in the region.
He wondered why the institute for EUROPA integration, Vienna Institute integration and integration of Latin American and Caribbean States were flourishing whiles ECOWAS which was established several years ago was still languishing in ‘darkness’.
The Executive Director called on the universities and tertiary institutions to step up their educational programmes on integration to provide the needed human resource to actualize that vision.
Dr Kwadwo Busia, Chairman of the Programme, called for concerted efforts that would conscientize African leaders to lend their support and remain committed to the full integration of the entire continent.
Source: GNA