There is the urgent need for political authorities on the continent to take immediate and concrete steps to roll back the frontiers of poverty which was threatening the survival of economies and quality of life of the masses.
The Vice-President, Mr.Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur who made these remarks said budgets of governments was unable to meet and address the rising expectations of the masses in the areas of job opportunities and the provision of the needed infrastructure to facilitate economic growth.
According to him, current events on the continent such as the migration of thousands of Africans across the Mediterranean Sea into Europe was a foremost indication of the growing poverty levels amongst the people in African countries.
He was contributing to a panel discussion at the opening ceremony of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the African Development Bank in Abidjan, the capital of Cote d Ivoire.
The Vice-President said African leaders were accountable to the masses who voted them into power and for that matter owed them the sacred duty of working hard to enable them lead decent and dignified lives.
He said African leaders cannot live in comfort whilst the electorate who offered them the opportunity to manage their countries suffer grinding poverty.
The Vice-President said governments had to fulfill the social contract they entered into with the masses by instituting good and sound policies which would provide them with the basic necessities of life.
Mr Amissah-Arthur mentioned that as part of measures to improve African economies governments should do well to provide the necessary impetus which would guarantee agricultural, industry and manufacturing especially in the private sector the ability to produce at their maximum capacities.
This, he said , would enable the private sector to expand their operations, employ more people and always pay required taxes for the development of economies in the various countries on the continent.
He was however quick to admit that there were so many factors which were militating against the growth of African economies which he described as neo-colonial.
The Vice-President said although African countries had increased production especially in the agriculture and mining sectors, they were recording low receipts from exports.
He explained that African countries do not determine the prices of export commodities which were fixed largely by monopolies on the International markets.
The Vice -President advocated that one of the surest way of arresting this anomaly which had worked against African economies since their independence from colonial rule was for them to integrate their economies to achieve strong bargaining powers to fight for better prices for their export commodities.
"We must swim or sink together in our quest to integrate our economies since there is no other option to achieve that" he said.
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