Accra: Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, a former Speaker of Ghana's Parliament, has urged African leaders to utilize the continent's rich natural resources to foster development. Speaking at the Second General Assembly of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (CoSPAL) in Accra, Prof. Oquaye emphasized the need for African countries to take ownership of their developmental challenges. According to Ghana News Agency, Prof. Oquaye pointed out that developmental issues in Africa have long been viewed as the sole responsibility of the executive branches of government. He called on legislators to play a more active role, particularly in addressing Africa's persistent indebtedness. The two-day conference in Accra focused on adopting a Draft Constitution prepared by the Interim Technical Working Group, a task initiated during the first General Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria, in May 2022. Prof. Oquaye highlighted the importance of African nations preparing for the mid-21st century by managing the ir economies using available resources such as gold, diamond, bauxite, manganese, timber, cocoa, and oil. He advocated for the harmonization of these resources to achieve sustainable development across the continent. In a similar vein, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Ghana's Parliament, encouraged his counterparts to intensify efforts against poverty in Africa. He emphasized the shared destiny and interconnectedness of African nations, underscoring the necessity of collective action to tackle common challenges like ignorance, poverty, and deprivation.
- November 4, 2026
