By Austin Ogwuda
Distinguished Senator Ned Nwoko, (PDP, Delta North) and the Chairman of the newly established Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriation has canvassed the need for an African Currency and a common language to unify the continent.
He stated this on Friday night while speaking at a Power Room Session, ‘The Africa We See’ hosted by Elevate Africa at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Reflecting on Africa’s colonial history, Senator Nwoko made it clear that for the African dream to be actualised there must be strong leadership.
His words, “We need political leaders who are willing to put Africa first, leaders who are truly passionate about building a new Africa.
“We have seen the effects of colonialism with languages like English, French and German imposed on us, but we have rich indigenous languages like Swahili, Hausa, Yoruba, and Arabic.
“Therefore, adopting one of these languages as a pan-African language will strengthen unity and cultural identity.
“We don’t need the Dollar, we don’t need Euros. What we need is an African Currency that will enable us to trade among ourselves.
“A single African Currency would make trade more efficient and empower the continent to stand stronger on the global stage”, Senator Nwoko, pointing out that relying on Foreign Currencies continues to limit Africa’s economic potential and stifles trade between African nations.
The event was part of Elevate Africa’s ongoing series of discussions focused on shaping a vision for a more united and prosperous Africa.
…. Visits Minister of Niger Delta
In a related development, Senator Nwoko, on Thursday, visited the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Engr. Abubakar Momoh to discuss ongoing infrastructure developments across Nigeria with a particular focus on his constituency – Delta North.
The visit to the Works Minister was in line with previous discussions with the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and Engineer Chukwuemeka Agbasi, Managing Director of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
In these recent meetings, Senator Nwoko expressed pressing concerns regarding the deteriorating condition of the Lagos-Asaba Expressway, especially the hazardous section between Alifekide and Asaba Bridge End, where road conditions have led to numerous accidents and fatalities.
Happily, these strategic engagements have started to yield fruits as rehabilitation works have commenced in affected areas of concern he raised.
