Students from some African countries were at the University of Ibadan (UI) last weekend for the maiden conference of the African Students For Liberty (ASFL). It was organised to propagate development, liberty and wealth creation among youths. OLUWAFEMI OGUNJOBI (Language Arts) reports.What is the best economic model that would hasten Africas development' A model that encourages the rule of law and wealth creation is most suitable, said speakers at the maiden African Students For Liberty (ASFL) Conference held last weekend at the University of Ibadan (UI).The participants, who are mainly students, came from Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania, among others countries. They share the belief that Africa can be liberated from poverty.Trenchard Hall of the university was draped in ASFL banners and emblems to suit the mood of the occasion.ASFL is an offshoot of Students For Liberty (SFL), a non-profit organisation founded in the United States, aimed at empowering students to become leaders and change agents in their communities.Speakers at the event included the co-founder of SFL, Alexander McCobin; a social media entrepreneur, Japheth Omojuwa; a renowned writer, Dr WaleOkediran; Vice President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Ghana, Mr. Kofi Bentil, and a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Farouk Aliyu, among others.Okediran, who spoke on the Role of literature in sustainable democracy and good governance, said literature was vital to good governance. He noted that writers played the role of social critics and conscience of any nation.Okediran, a former House of Representatives member, said the literary works of the likes of Wole Soyinka, the late Chinua Achebe, Femi Osofisan, Prof Niyi Osundare and the late Festus Iyayi are a moral compass for the nation in search of good governance and development.He told the participants to uphold ideologies that could bring development and get themselves involved in politics.McCobin spoke on SFL and the global movement for liberty. He went down the memory lane, saying liberty had come a long way in the course of human history. If people want desired change, he said, they should espouse an economic model that can bring about prosperity within a short period.He condemned political systems that do not lead to social change but only respond to giving out handouts and incentives to lazy people.He said: I challenge you to rise as leaders in your countries and change the lives of the people through progressive ideas. You must know that leaders see the end as the most valuable; values define them more than temporary pleasures.Societies must not be subjected to the whims and caprices of individuals who are likely to manipulate social order to benefit their interests, Hon. Aliyu said.The ex-lawmaker, who spoke on Importance of rule of law to Nigerias development, said the society must be governed by a predetermined set of laws subscribed to by members through democratic processes.Does the rule of law rule work in Nigeria' Hon. Aliyu said decades of military rule in Nigeria saw the citizens suffer executive lawlessness, human rights abuses and violence, which, he said, were caused by disobedience to the rule of law.Under military rule, the rule of law was sent to the gallows, while the soldiers used decrees, which were followed arbitrarily by the ruling military elite and imposed on citizens, he said.He said without the rule of law, there could be no meaningful development in the country. The supremacy of the law, he said, is not a luxury that democracy offers but a platform on which democratic principles stand.Omojuwa, who spoke on Information and Communication Technology and liberty as catalysts for social change and wealth creation, said there was never an era in which humanity was blessed than in the age of social media.He told the students how social media had help improve the condition of living in developing countries. He said, despite bombs and bullets, the youth must embrace the opportunity to create wealth and achieve prosperity.Gone are the days when telecommunications were luxuries and access to home videos was the exclusive preserve of the rich. The advent of social media, he said, has broken economic barriers and generated unimaginable wealth for young people, who embraced the opportunity.Omojuwa said: Liberty has led to the advent of the internet and social media, which you must use to propagate ideas of liberty. Technological innovations across Africa must be embraced to take the continent out of poverty.Highlight of the event included panel discussion on how students could benefit from opportunities offered by liberty and free markets. There was also an activism panel, which comprised pro-liberty students across Africa and presentation by Frederick Roeder, SFLs Vice President of Marketing and Communications, and Peter Goetler, former Managing Director of Barclays Capital.]]>
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