One of the founding fathers of the African liberation movement, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana

On this auspicious day of reflection, regrets and reaffirmation, the Gambians 4 Gambia joins the entire Africa in wishing the African a blessed 56th African Liberation Day. This journey started when most of us were not born; groups of Pan-Africans put their lives on the line to bring liberation for generations yet unborn.

So today we stand on their legacy to bring hope from all corners of the globe; to reaffirm the younger generation that Africa has suffered enough; to tell the African man that Africa can only stand when all Africans take ownership of our collective progress.

From centuries of slavery, oppression, self-inferiority, imprisonments etc. our forefathers strived so we can have today to celebrate, to recall the pass and prepare for tomorrow.

We understand that the passed oppressions were inhuman but, today the African has no time for blame games. Today we ask ourselves the questions: Why is Africa the poorest even on the 56th African Liberation Day? Why is there so much political instability in the continent? Why are our children starving even with all the rich agricultural lands? Why are our youths dying in high seas to get to the West? Why is Africa still fragmented? Why is Africa still being looked down on? If the African is surely ready to find solutions to this question, then we can sit to lay plans for our development.  

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s dream was not for the African man to cook his best food, wear his African gowns, bring his best music and dance to the village square just to celebrate the liberation day when Africa has not much to show for it rather he would have wanted us to unite as brothers with common goals powered by the spirit of Pan-Africanism which was dotted in our veins by the liberators.

He would want the African man to man-up to bring about economic emancipation, political stability, brotherhood, and the spirit of Ubuntu in the continent.

Our diverse people and cultures should not be used as a weapon to break us apart but as glue that stick us together in times of hardship and ecstasy. When we gather in our bantabas and market places, we should spread that love firing in us, discuss productive issues, and extend kind regards as we work towards attaining Africa’s dream.

The journey might the hectic and lonely, but the African is not a coward who abandons his duty when things get though; we stick to our motherland through dying times.

Mwalimu Julius Nyerere once said: “My generation led Africa to political freedom. The current generation of leaders and peoples of Africa must pick up the flickering torch of African Freedom, refuel it with their enthusiasm and determination, and carry it forward.”

To our leaders, Africa had dreamt and we are now done dreaming progress is all that we looking for so play your parts well and when you are done please step aside let others continue from where you stop remember there is a lot to be done. Our hopes are on you please do not disappoint us; we have had enough disappointments already.

The journey continues, the mission remains to be the total economic, political, and geographical liberation of Africa. I say to all Africans ‘’nothing is done until when it’s all done’’ so let us all put our efforts together to get it all done.

As Nelson Mandela once said, “It is time for new hands to lift the burdens”. Once again on behalf of Gambians 4 Gambia, I wish every African a brainstorming 56th African Liberation Day.

By Omar Kanyi

President Gambians 4 Gambia

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