At the 14th extraordinary session of the Africa Union, Liberia, a founding member of the Organization of African Unity (AOU), now called AU, was shown the beam after she was elected as the third Vice Chair of the organization.The summit of heads of state and governments of Africa recently ended in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It convened under the theme: “Information and Communication Technologies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for development”.
Liberia’s delegation to the summit was headed by Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, comprising a small number of government officials including Foreign Minister Olubanke King-Akerele and George Wisner, Assistant Minister for Afro-Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Liberia Ambassador to Ethiopia and AU, Dr. Edward Clinton was also part of the delegation.
As only female head of state at the summit,. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf welcomed the election of Liberia to the post and told Journalists in the Ethiopian capital that Liberia was now receiving the light on the continent after a devastating civil war that took the lives of scores of Liberians and destroyed millions of dollars worth of properties.
The Liberian leader stated that Liberia took the back seat of Africa for to long and said she is glad that the country is now getting back on her feet once again.
The Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic is an unprecedented attempt to collect comprehensive data on the infrastructure sectors in Africa—covering power, transport, irrigation, water and sanitation, and information and communication technology (ICT)—and to provide an integrated analysis of the challenges they face.
Based on extensive fieldwork across Africa, the following main findings have emerged: Infrastructure has been responsible for more than half of Africa’s recent improved growth performance and has the potential to contribute even more in the future; Africa’s infrastructure networks increasingly lag behind those of other developing countries and are characterized by missing regional links and stagnant household access; Africa’s difficult economic geography presents a particular challenge for the region’s infrastructure development; Africa’s infrastructure services are twice as expensive as elsewhere, reflecting both diseconomies of scale in production and high profit margins caused by lack of competition.
The Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic says power is by far Africa’s largest infrastructure challenge, with 30 countries facing regular power shortages and many paying high premiums for emergency power.
The cost of addressing Africa’s infrastructure needs is around US$93 billion a year, about one-third of which is for maintenance—more than twice the Commission for Africa’s (2005) estimate.
The infrastructure challenge varies greatly by country type—fragile states face an impossible burden and resource-rich countries lag despite their wealth.
A large share of Africa’s infrastructure is domestically financed, with the central government budget being the main driver of infrastructure investment. Even if major potential efficiency gains are captured, Africa would still face an infrastructure funding gap of US$31 billion a year, mainly in power.
The report added that Africa’s institutional, regulatory, and administrative reforms are only halfway along, but they are already proving their effect on operational efficiency.
Liberia is amongst countries mentioned in this report. Complicated by a prolong war, and bad economic growth, Liberia infrastructures are amongst the poorest on the continent.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has admitted to this and told a press conference in Addis Ababa that Liberia was just waking up from her shamble. President Sirleaf said she met the country in a state of mess and as a means of addressing most of these difficulties she was holding talks with governments and institutions.
The Liberian President attended several bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sideline of the AU summit- meeting with officials from the State Department of the United States of America, the President of the World Bank, NEPAD, the President of Uganda, etc.
Even though the meetings were held behind closed doors, President Sirleaf told this paper in Addis Ababa that the discussions were centered on the infrastructure development of the country. The Liberian leader reiterated her intention to improve the infrastructures of Liberia and put the country back on the international scene. She spoke of the rehabilitation of the streets in the city, medical and educational institutions, amongst others.
Telecommunication as a major theme of the just ended AU conference, President Sirleaf admitted Liberia was also lagging behind in communication technologies but pledged to ensure the country join the race in telecommunication development. She told newsmen that this not an easy development but added that it can be accomplished.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf during the summit moderated a session of the conference on the appointment of members of the Peace and Security Council, with specific reference on consideration on the report on the Peace and Security Council, its activities and state of peace and security in Africa and report of the commission on unconstitutional changes of governments on the continent.
President Sirleaf played a pivotal role in stabilizing the conference when leaders could not agree on the issue of a second term for the former AU Chair, Libyan leader Mohamed Khadafi. When the Libyan President attempted forcing the second term issue on the Agenda of the meeting of heads of state, those who disagreed staged a walk-out, but it took the wisdom of the Liberian leader to bring back her colleagues to discussion.
This paper was informed that AU leaders appealed to Madam Sirleaf to persuade President Khadafi to abandon his quest for a second term which is against the rules of the organization. And it took long hours of the night to convince the Libyan leader to abandon his second term quest.
