Africa won’t rise by prayer and fasting – Prof Lumumba

The liberation of Africa will not come by its religious exercises, a Kenyan pan-Africanist and human rights activist, Patrick Lumumba said on Monday.

Lumumba, who is a Founding Trustee of the African Institute for Leaders and Leadership, stated this in an address he delivered at the Platform, a non-political and non-denominational program, hosted by The Covenant Nation, Iganmu, Lagos.

According to the widely traveled erudite professor, to save Africa, conflict and the change of governance must be dealt with, because if the question of governance is left out, the continent’s progress will be stalled.

“Africa has become a continent where after every election, there is conflict because the pursuit of power is the cutthroat competition where our throats are actually cut, he said.

“We have a problem in that direction and the sooner we resolve that, the safer we will be. Africa can rise and Africa will rise, but it is not going to rise by prayer and fasting.

The former director of the defunct Kenya Anti-corruption Commission (KACC) pointed out that freedom will not be given to Africa on a silver platter, but that the continent must stand up and take responsibility for itself.

“We must pray and fast but it will not happen, because the last time I checked even those of you who are believers – when Abraham was taken from the Ur of the Chaldeans and given Canaan, it was not on a silver platter. He had to fight the Canaanites; he had to fight the Philistines.

“That is the nature of divine instruction, ‘Go ye and subdue the world by the sweat of thy brow’. The kitchen where they made manna was closed. Manna will no longer come, because you must now make your manna and it is our duty as Africans to begin to rethink,” he said.

Lumumba noted that the bold step the continent will take is an extension for a better future for the generations to come.

“The younger generations – (there is a saying in Tchi Malawi, more precious than our children than our children’s children) When we are doing these things we must remind ourselves that we are doing this for this generation and generation yet to be born,” Lumumba said.