It has long been debated by many that travelling in Africa these days is a nightmare, especially in our part of the continent.
We quite agree with this view, for the fact that most of us have been victims of this kind of problem, and it is our belief that unless African countries put their resources together, both human and material, this will continue to be a problem.
It is very sad to note that travelling from Africa to Europe or America is much easier than travelling within Africa.
This problem is largely due to so many reasons, including the lack of adequate infrastructure and so-called immigration regulations.
Travelling in Africa, either by air or land, is always difficult, and it is high time that African nations considered dismantling the many checkpoints for the sake of the free movement of the African people.
Frequent travellers within Africa have observed that there exists so much harassment at some immigration checkpoints. We wonder why such bad behavior.
This brings us to the important question of African unity.
How can we unite the continent if people treat each other like this? Our leaders must act now to address the numerous problems associated with travelling, if they are really serious about African unity.
When and how can we have a United States of Africa, when Africans treat each other very badly?
Why do we need a visa to enter each other’s country as Africans? This is a cause for concern, and if we really want unity, we must all act now.
It is vital for African lawmakers to engage our leaders so that they can consider removing all travel restrictions within Africa, for the free movement of goods and persons.
We should bear in mind that no nation can stand alone without depending on others, so there is a need to further strengthen our relations with the rest of the world.
In fact, we are part of the global village, and we cannot afford to be alone.
When nations work together in unison a lot can be achieved. We have said it many a time, and we reiterate that we need to take concrete action, if we want to see a united Africa.
As the saying goes, united we stand divided we fall!
Uniting this great continent of ours in key areas of trade, economy, security, etc. could be a starting point for the complete political unification of the continent.
When we pull our resources together, we can better the lot of our people.
As Africans, we must also stop the unnecessary wars and conflicts, which are some of the pinching factors responsible for our under-development.
This continent is blessed naturally with many mineral resources, yet many people in Africa live in abject poverty.
Integration is a prerequisite for Africa’s development. No nation can develop without the support of others. The support may not necessarily be financial; it could be technical assistance, but it is indispensable to Africa’s success as a continent.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”
Marcel Proust
