Already, there are existing instruments including the provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance that urge member states to adhere to free and fair election, fight corruption, human and people’s rights, good governance as well as the rule of law.

Complying with these and initiating steps towards transforming the educational sector, to the needs of industries, would not only spur development but would reduce the frequent regular and irregular migration of the youth to the West.

These views were expressed by panellists at the Ghana, Morocco Old Student Associations’ (GHAMOSA) end of year meeting in Accra. Organised with support from the Moroccan Embassy, the gathering, which was under the theme, “Marching Africa towards Economic Freedom,” also afforded the past students the opportunity to share ideas on how the African continent could develop.

Mr Mohammed Farahat, Moroccan Ambassador to Ghana, paid tribute to African torchbearers, including Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President and King Hassan II, King of Morocco, who fought for the political liberation of the continent.

He said it was the responsibility of the current crop of leaders to carry on the good works initiated by the torchbearers by making the right political, governance and economic decisions to stimulate the growth of the continent.

He commended King Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, for finding new ways of seeking peace with its nearby states and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his transformational agenda, especially the Free Senior High School programme.

Giving an update on Morocco’s application to join the African Union (AU), he stated that, the country was waiting to receive a formal communication from the AU. “Let me say that even as we have not received formal notification, we are already trading and bonding with many countries…what is left is to cement the relationship officially,” he said.

Ambassador Farahat, announced that the city of Marrakech, Morocco will from December, 10th – 11th, 2018, host the United Nations (UN) maiden Conference on Migration. The Inter-governmental Conference is being convened under the auspices of the General Assembly of the UN and held pursuant to the “New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants”, would adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

Mr Kwabena Adu Koranteng, Business Editor of New Crusading Guide Newspaper, posited that, the African continent could see the needed development if countries put in place pragmatic and stringent measures to mobilse domestic revenue, eschew corruption, and ensure transparency and accountability.

He suggested that governments’, as a matter of urgency, needed to take steps to process the raw materials to create employment for the teeming youth and enable the continent to amass wealth. 

Dr Fatima El-Hassani Alabo, a Moroccan scholar, who moderated the session, intimated that there were many countries with little or no natural resources but had develop compared to some African country.

She observed that there was no unity on the continent as some countries despised each other, saying, “If we want to develop and transform our economics and build a formidable bloc there is the need to trade within, be our brothers’ keepers and look within for support instead of turning to the West.”

Dr Alabo called for a renewal of mind of Africans and replace it with the can do spirit such as the Ghana Beyond Aid being championed by Ghana and that the continent had more than enough to succeed.