Francis Appiah

i am a friend of modern africa because ...

I am a Friend of Modern Africa because Africa changes for the better. We are moving away from the days of dictatorship, from the days of bad administration, from the days when our leaders were after a life long office. I've come to believe in the modern Africa because I've seen people and leaders embracing the African Peer Review Mechanism. That is a mechanism that respects that Africa must reroute to democracy and good governance, that the norm of human rights, of respect of the rights of individuals, that freedom and liberty must now reign over Africa. The days when people were tortured, the days when people could not express their views, those days are thrown over board. I've become an Apostle of the African Peer Review Mechanism because I'm seeing that Africa is increasingly denouncing corruption, denouncing policies that lead to impoverishment. I've seen that thanks to the African Peer Review leaders are beginning to adopt sound economic governance and policies. I've seen that they are embracing the private sector, I've seen that they are taking education serious as well as sanitation, water, health care and basic amenities for their people.

To me, the critical element of the African Peer review Mechanism is that there is a new seed. And if we can water the seed, provide a good nourishment, Africa will move into the right direction. The image of bad governance, of corruption, of malnutrition, of wars and crises will be a phenomenon of the past. And I'm going to devote all my time to ensure that this seed grows and that it becomes a great plant that gives growth, development, freedom and liberty to the people of Africa.