Ghana's President John Mahama told global leaders on Wednesday they should learn a thing or two from the King of Pop Michael Jackson and finally turn his song "Heal the World" into reality.
Mahama, who is to seek re-election later this year, touched on some of the more serious issues affecting his continent ranging from the plight of African migrants to growing xenophobia across the world and regional leaders clinging to power.
But having been born the same year as the deceased Jackson, in 1957, Mahama could not resist a lyrical appeal to the annual gathering of world leaders who have spent the week shuffling from one crisis to the next.
"The words of his 1991 hit song 'Heal the World' continue to echo from his grave. It is my wish that history will record our time here in this hall as one that gave reality to Michael Jackson's song, heal the world, make the world a better place for you and me, and the entire human race."
Reminding the world that the fall of the Berlin Wall had opened a new era of globalisation, trade and interaction, Mahama bemoaned that refugees trying to make a better life for themselves were being made the scapegoats.
He described the harrowing trip for young West Africans seeking a better life after taking the "trek of death" across the deserts and war zones of the continent and embarking on overloaded boats to Europe only to be held in detention centres.
"Hate speech is becoming common. People complain of being tired of being politically correct. In many places xenophobia has taken over rational thinking.
"It's a paradox of our world that nearly 30 years after (President Ronald) Reagan called for the Berlin Wall to be torn down, new walls are springing up everywhere."
Ghana is one of Africa's most stable democracies and voters have twice turfed the government of the day out of power at elections.
Mahama said it was too easy for bigger powers to proselytize democracy, but that some of the continent's older leaders could work to convince those clinging to power to step down to avoid new conflicts.
"A properly functioning peer system can avoid some of the meltdowns we are experiencing in some African countries due to the desire to remain in office interminably," he said.
Source: Reuters
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Massa; this Jon Dubai Mahama is a real comedian and could easily have got a job with the the jaguar jokers on TV ; so this full of a northner goes out with a begging bowl to the IMF borrows cash comes home and shares it with his party members then the full goes before the same countries who collectively lent him the cash through the IMf and tells them a 'a load of BULL..........S ; throws faeces in the faces and blow toxic fla.... tu..... lence at the UN and thinks everybody is well pleased with him because he has fulled them and taken their cash and wants to convince them to bring more cash ; does this full Jon Dubai Mahama from the north think these leaders are EDIOTIC FULLS and do not know the mess been created by by Jon Mahama .
Your paty People love you because of sycophancy and bootlicking attitude which are the ultimate hallmarks of the NDC Party politics today.At the end of the day incompetence and non-performing Government becomes the order of today's NDC-ruling Party of which Mahama is the commander in Chief. I ask myself, from what does NDC derive its confidence of winning the next election.From rigging? That would be a deadly fault and yet greed and corruption have taken the place of politcal expediency. Mahama should have, indeed, said this to the United Nation.
the prez is just making himself look fooooooolish to the world leaders who have serious issues to deal with/ you beg IMF for coins to chop, and here you are singing songs. If you are not stuppppppid, then what are you? Mtcheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew
this shows that Mahama is a joker. The people at UNGA are pragmatic people who have serious issues to deal with. You, a habitual IMF beggar president makes us Ghanaians look bad and stuuuupiddd when you go there singing songs when the main issues are grave. THis all means that it is not enough to vote out Mahama in December, he has to by literallly booooted out!!!!
Stupppid request from nobody but a blokheaded peez. He sounds like a fulll wrongly invited to a conference of power brokers
That was a brilliant speech Mr. President. To the writer, I say shame, go and revise your English notes. Wuntumi npellia mentwere
If you no go make your paddy count 9, forget sef, you too no go count 10. Good job Mr. President!!!
Great job Mr. President. May the spirit of the Ancient Ones continue to inspire and guide your thoughts and meditations. Omanye!
Well said Mr President, keep working hard.
The whole world will know how ***barred word*** you are. The UN will dance azonto and not Michael Jackson. ''***barred word***'' president of our time.