A Nigerian senator, Shehu Sani, has slammed the President of the Republic of Ghana following Nana Akufo-Addo’s remarks about African leaders’ “begging” syndrome.
The President, during the Opening of the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington DC on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, urged his neighbours on the continent to be self-reliant in order to attract the deserved respect.
He said, “If we stop being beggars and spend African money inside the continent, Africa will not need to ask for respect from anyone, we will get the respect we deserve. If we make it prosperous as it should be, respect will follow.”
Nana Akufo-Addo observed that “Africans are more resilient outside the continent than inside” and therefore reminded them that “we must bear in mind that to the outside world, [there’s] nothing like Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya, we are simply Africans” adding that “our destiny as people depends on each other”.
However, the comment of the president came a day after his government led by the Minster of Finance Ken Ofori Atta concluded negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a USD3 billion facility to help recover the economy from its downturn.
This was deemed ridiculous by some watchers across the internet including Senator Shehu Sani of the federal republic of Nigeria.
He said: “Ghana’s President is collecting IMF loan with the right hand and using the left hand to warn African Governments against begging the West for money”.
