Introduction
Many African countries have struggled for many years in search of independence. Independence hardly comes without massive bloodshed and sacrifice. However, in such a time like this when the struggle is over and the mantle of leadership is handed over to the people of the country, many questions are asked about the future. The battle has been won but this marks the beginning of a long struggle and sacrifice to put pieces together and build the nation. I am deeply honored to give this speech that addresses the roadmap to a great future at this momentous day in our history.
The Problems we inherited
Fellow countrymen, I thank the almighty God for granting us the courage to fight for our independence and grant into our hands the leadership of our wonderful homeland. It is undeniable that we have inherited a tattered country. We have inherited a country without food reserves, little or no jobs left for our strong and willing hands. It is true that the economy of our country currently ranks among the poorest of the countries.
The rate of growth of the economy lags behind every other country in our region. The road infrastructure and the transport systems cannot meet our needs as a country ready to develop. It doesn’t thus come out by surprise that the primary objective of the government is to spur the structures of economic growth. The most disheartening part is that the colonialists have left a country that has been deeply divided along the lines of ethnicity.
Seriousness of Ethnicity
Fellow countrymen, I congratulate every one of you, both young and old for having taken part in securing the freedom of this great nation. However, we all agree that the colonialists believed in the “divide and rule” technique and thus played a significant role in dividing this country. Ethnicity currently stands out as our greatest enemy which must be eliminated not only in our country but also in other African countries as well. We cannot team up together as one family bound together in love towards a common objective while we still cling to our ethnic origins. We have seen what ethnicity can do to a country such as the infamous Rwandan genocide.
Ethnicity brings about division of people, disunity, hatred, corruption, and in extreme cases war and genocide. We belong to one country and we need to work together as one people. We are making the foundation of a great prosperous nation that will compete internationally with developed countries. We cannot gain freedom from colonialism and throw it to ethnicity. We have massive energy, food, and mineral resources which need to be harnessed. This cannot be done when we are busy fighting with other ethnic communities.
Addressing the Issue of Ethnicity
We have a very young country in our hands, a country without a good constitution and a government structure. To address the issues left behind by the colonialists especially ethnicity, we will have a strong central government. Generating and implementation policies, laws, and regulations will be done at a central location, and decisions made passed on through lower levels of leadership. We have all fought this battle and that is why we should entrust the leadership to a strong central government. As a young country in the third world region, a central government suits us the best (Gordon and Donald 77). It will be quick to make policies and implement them fast for the best interest of the nation. It will also be easier to implement policies such as zero tolerance to ethnicity.
Best Type of leadership
You all know me as a fighter who has the people’s interest at heart. I love this great nation and I strongly believe that for the best interest of a young, weak, third-world country, an authoritarian government is the best. We shall have a central government with rules, laws, and leadership coming from one centralized location through lower hierarchies to the lowest levels of leadership. I am well aware of the dangers of authoritarian type of leadership which include dictatorship, corruption, election rigging, denial of civil liberties, and ages of leadership among others. Those people who think we are headed in this direction are mistaken. We should admit that this type of rule has its fair share of advantages which cannot be sidelined.
When the right people are in leadership, authoritarian rule is indeed the best, especially for our case. This is the same type of rule that has been adopted by many other nations during the time of independence. I will respect the rule of the law and the rule will only endeavor to develop the nation in all aspects. This should not be mistaken for a dictatorship that aims at oppressing the citizens.
Why Authoritarian Rule
After careful thought and wide consultations, I have come to appreciate the advantages of the authoritarian type of leadership about the current needs of our country. As a young country, we need to make very many policies and decisions within constraints of time. This will only be possible through an authoritative type of leadership. The country has not yet developed deep-rooted structures of democracy and as such authoritarian rule will be the best as we wait for such structures to develop.
We all agree that this country has been divided along ethnic lines. This issue can only be overcome by an authoritarian rule which has the unity of purpose at heart. I do understand that this type of leadership cannot last forever but it will only be used for a short period. As the country grows in terms of economy, democracy, leadership, population, and all other aspects, this type of leadership will slowly become obsolete. It will in turn be replaced with other forms of leadership which will suit the need of those times. Fellow countrymen, I can only promise you great things ahead if you all agree to work together. No one is above this country and together we can achieve the greatest of dreams.
Conclusion
As we celebrate this momentous day in our history, I thank you for your fight for independence and most importantly your promise to shun ethnicity and work together in unity. We may have inherited a tattered country with a dilapidated economy, few jobs, and merger food reserves. As a growing third-world African country ethnicity is our greatest enemy which must be avoided at all costs. However, we are on the right track.
A strong centralized government will make it possible to handle such problems quickly and efficiently. The authoritarian type of leadership that we have chosen as a country will enable us to move fast in implementing government policies. We have hope that we will develop together as a nation and change everything as the need arises. God bless you and God bless our great nation.
Works Cited
Gordon, April and Donald Gordon. Understanding Contemporary Africa. New York: Lynne Rienner, 2006.