Africa-Press – Gambia. President Adama Barrow has called for African nations to look inward and take charge of their own development.
“It is high time we look inwards in Africa, as this is the only way to move this continent forward,” he said.
The president was speaking at the opening of the 54th conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region, at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre.
After welcoming delegates from Commonwealth countries from all over Africa, the president urged African nations to stop blaming colonialists and instead focus on building a better future for their people.
The president also highlighted the challenges facing Africa, including conflicts, economic shocks and climate change. “We have witnessed with deep concern the presence of conflicts and the unfortunate re-emergence of unconstitutional governments in some parts of the continent. These incidents undermine peace, reverse hard-won development gains, and displace millions of people,” the president lamented.
Barrow emphasised the importance of democratic governance in addressing these challenges. “Democratic governance provides a legitimate framework to address complex and systematic challenges because it ensures that governments remain accountable to their people, policies are inclusive and decisions transparent,” he noted.
The Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia and president of CPA Africa, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, emphasised the critical role of parliaments in strengthening democratic governance and resilience in Africa.
Speaker Jatta noted that democratic governance must be resilient, inclusive and transformative and that parliaments must safeguard constitutionalism, accountability, and transparency.
Hon Jatta concluded by urging delegates to engage in robust and constructive deliberations on how to collectively address these challenges and strengthen democratic governance and resilience across the continent.
Hon Catherine Hara, chairperson of CPA Africa Region Executive Committee and Speaker of the Parliament of Malawi, emphasised the importance of the conference theme, noting that the theme on this year’s conference could not be more timely.
“Our continent continues to face multifaceted challenges that threaten the foundation of peace, economic stability, and sustainable development,” she said. She praised President Barrow for his visionary leadership and called for actionable strategies to transform parliaments into agents of resilience and democratic consolidation.
“The time for us to get solutions for our people is now. The time for us to stop waiting for others to come from other continents and sort out our problems is over. We need to have homegrown solutions for our continent,” Hon Hara stressed.
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