AFRICAN LEADERS MUST NOT RELY ON CASH FOR DEVELOPMENT, THEY MUST LEARN TO CREATE MONEY- UGE
African leaders have been charged to depend on other forms of money, not cash, in the quest to develop their countries. This position was canvassed by Governor Udom Emmanuel while delivering a keynote lecture at the 17th Africa Security Watch Conference at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center, Banjul.
According to Governor Emmanuel, “cash is limited but money is limitless and it can be created. In starting Ibom Air, my state government did not use cash, we used money. We couldn’t have started the airline with cash, because we didn’t have such, but we created money and today, many years running, we are the only sub-national in the continent with a commercial airline, which is doing very well. Even the government of The Gambia has approached us to create a route to Banjul. So African leaders must use money, not cash, as the basis of development. Until development is achieved, insecurity cannot be quashed.”
He made this assertion as a part of his paper on the topic: SUSTAINING SECURITY IN AFRICA THROUGH GOOD GOVERNANCE: A PANACEA FOR INSECURITY.
In his welcome remarks, the President Chief Executive Officer of Security Watch Africa Initiatives Mr. Patrick Agbambu, said the conference invited Governor Emmanuel to share his development strategy which has not only made his state peaceful, but has attracted huge Foreign Direct Investments there at a time when investors are divesting from Nigeria. He said the the organization has been monitoring the steady improvement of the state on all areas of development. He also commended the Nigerian Navy and their counterparts in all the nations along the Gulf of Guinea, for frontally combating piracy and making the waterways safer for economic activities.
The event which was attended by the military top brass across Africa, diplomats, Senior Security operatives, ECOWAS representatives, Senior Civil Servants among others, is the one of the continent’s most prized security conferences, where key decision makers converge to X-ray the state of security of the continent. The Conference was declared open by His Excellency, Adama Barrow, President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the republic of The Gambia.
The Governor was accompanied by Comrade Ini Ememobong, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ekerete Udoh, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Duke Fubara, Honourary Special Adviser to the Governor on Security matters and Mr. Aniefiok Thomas, Director of Special Services Department .
Here are other quotable quotes from the Governor’s speech at the event :
Africa cannot achieve the growth we desire through investment, until we fix the problem of insecurity, because money is a coward.
I agree with the postulation that a country cannot be free without her people being free.
Followership must take ownership of governance and offer the requisite support for the leadership to move on.
African countries need to stop adapting exogenous constitutions , we need a home grown democratic style that reflects our environment and culture. Until that is done, democracy cannot sustainably thrive here.
I believe that when criminals become tough, leaders must become tougher and smarter. Until leaders outsmart and overpower criminal elements, security will not be achieved .
Economic security is the best foundation for human security. The best way to stop crime is to beef up the economy, where people can make a decent living from honest means.
Hopelessness is the highest causative factor for crime.