Fourth African Students/Youth Summit And The 2014 Africa Education And Leadership Awards Successfully Ends In Accra, Ghana
From 28th July to 2nd August 2014, 230 participants from 25 African countries took part in the deliberations of the 4th African Students and Youth Summit convened by the All Africa Students Union (AASU) in Accra-Ghana under the theme: “Curbing Terrorism Insurgence in Africa- Students/Youth to the Rescue.”
The opening ceremony was chaired by the Minister of Youth and Sports of Ghana, Hon. Mahama Ayariga and the summit was declared duly opened by Her Excellency the High Commissioner of Zimbabwe to Ghana, Mrs. Pavelyn Tendai Musaka who delivered the keynote address; Other personalities who participated in that event included the Deputy Minister for Education in charge of High Education, Hon. Samuel Okudjato Ablakwa; the Municipal Chief Executive of Adenta Municipality (Accra, Ghana)- Hon. Benjamin Baroson Angenu ;the Secretary General of AASU- Mr. Awaah Fred from Ghana; the Deputy Secretary General of AASU- Mr. Richmond Orichos Neufville from Liberia; the Secretary for finance and administration of AASU- Mr. Edem Amou from Togo; a vice president of AASU for Eastern African Region- Mr. Isaac Semanyi from Uganda and a member of the Executive Committee of AASU for West African Region- Mr.Armel Fagnon from Benin.
The Summit was conducted in the forms of plenary sessions whereby presentations were made on the different facets of terrorism. In all 10 papers were presented by delegates followed by contributions, questions and answers. The participants, after in-depth deliberations on the subject, confirmed the fact that Africa and in particular the Sahel region has become a safe sanctuary where the terrorists are trained, armed and unleashed on the innocent people by killing, maiming and kidnapping them.
They noted that Libya has become the main harbor of terrorists in Africa where they get their sophisticated armaments and operate freely in the sub-region. Though no country is safe from terrorist attacks, the main active terrorist groups in Africa are the Boko Haram in Nigeria, now operating in many other countries like Cameroun, Niger and Chad, and the Al Shaabab in Somalia that is causing terror in other countries like Kenya. The participants believe that terrorism is by nature political because it involves the acquisition and use of power for the purpose of forcing others to submit or agree to terrorist demands. In this endeavour terrorists deliberately create and exploit fear by using violence for bringing about political change.
However the participants noted that due to the despairs and disillusionment among the youth, Africa has become the ideal place for terrorist groups to spring because they recruit mainly their members from the penniless and the idle ones in society. They observed that the root causes of terrorism emanate from bad governance, the inequalities, exclusion, poverty, lack of education and joblessness among others. Therefore they called on African leaders for more equitable distributions of national wealth and to fight corruption, cronyism and nepotism.
On their part the participants committed themselves to raise awareness among the African students and youth on the dangers of terrorism on one hand and on the other to mobilize and organize them to participate in all efforts aimed at curbing it. During their stay the participants paid, also, a day visit to the Cape Coast Castle to see the slave site; they, equally, took part in sporting activities.
The Summit ended with an award/diner night where individuals, institutions and organizations that have contributed, in the estimation of AASU, to the advancement of education, democracy, African culture, human rights etc. in Africa, were given awards in different categories. In the end the following institutions, individuals and organizations were the 2014 Africa Education and Leadership Awardees:
African Statesman of the Decade:
1) H.E Olusegun Obasanjo
Africa's Student Activists of The Year:
2) Farai Mteliso (Zimbabwe)
3) Varney Jersey(Liberia)
Africa's Most Enterprising Student Leaders:
4) Female - Irene Kendi (Kenya)
5) Male - Edem Agbana (Ghana)
Africa President of the Year
6) H.E Uhuru Kenyatta
Africa's Fastest Growing University:
7) University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Ghana
Africa Supportive Government of the Year:
8) Government of Ghana
AASU Alumni of the Year:
9) Kwame Ross (Liberia)
Africa Educational Research Organization of the Year:
10) Institute for African Culture and International Understanding (IACIU), Nigeria
Africa National Students Union of the Year:
11) Fédération des Associations Générales des Etudiants du Rwanda (FAGER), Rwanda
Honorary Awards
12) African Diplomatic Corps;
13) H.E Dr. Kodzo Alabo;
14) Prince-Derek Adjei and
15) Mr. Kwasi Bosompem Kwaning
Africa must unite!
One continent! One people! One destiny!
AWAAH FRED
(Secretary General)
[email protected]/ [email protected]/ mobile: 00233 (0)243101626