As a student from 1957 when we all under Dr. Kwame Nkrumah tried to bring to the fore the fact that Africa needed to unite for its own survival -- So I just want to make a special appeal that if we are having bumps and not a smooth ride, what is important is that, as a people, we have a vision, we have a goal and we must pursue it.
Madam Speaker, it is not for nothing that the past Parliament approved 25th of May as AU Day and a holiday. The whole idea, Madam Speaker, was to make sure that we lead the people who are the basic building blocs of any integrational process, that they understand the need for us to work collectively -- just as we do for Christmas and just as we do for the Muslim holidays. Indeed, until we made the Muslim celebration, the Eid a holiday, people did not even know, they thought it was only a very special occasion for muslims alone.
So the idea of us celebrating Africa Day, of having a holiday, is not yet another frivolous attempt to throw away productivity. Indeed, if one looks at the scale -- the number of countries globally, not only African countries -- and I have done this work myself, Ghana is not full of holidays. Indeed, we came very, very down the line as one of the countries where holidays are not as many as they are.
So there is a purpose and I would urge the press, those who are prepared to educate us, to be on board and show that at the end of the day, no matter what they think, our collective destiny is important. The countervailing power that we are able to put together by coming together is enormous.
If one goes to negotiate for a project -- and one is talking about Ghana, one
is talking about 21 to 22 million people -- But if we say that, we have the free treaty and the borderless ECOWAS which eventually put together, we are talking about 250 million people and not 22 million. And this is what we need to understand.
I would urge very especially those who are in the Press, with the utmost of respect, to give us support rather than sometimes make it look as if it is a very frivolous attempt by politicians. After all, we as Parliament must be leading the process because if one goes to the ECOWAS Parliament, for the time being, it is our parliamentarians who represent the people at the ECOWAS Parliament. If one goes to the AU Parliament, it is the same.
The ultimate is eventually to have universal adult suffrage so that we shall vote just like the Europeans have their European elections. But in the interim, we the representatives of the people -- and we are all representing the people here, then must lead the process and give due emphasis and attention to the programmes.
I believe that there is a lot to be gained from an integrated Africa. Never mind the setbacks, never mind a few idiosyncrasies of some of our leaders. That is an aloof, that is life, we cannot all behave the same way. But at the end of the day, there is no shadow of doubt in my mind that a collective and united Africa -- West Africa, Southern Africa and all of the others will inure to our benefit.
That is why I am very happy that Ghana took the lead and Ghana is maintaining that lead and come the 25th of May again, I would urge the radio station presenters and the newspapers not to begin to ridicule it. I was very sad. And I know what I am talking about because I tried to call in and I could not get through.
So Madam Speaker, I would like to
support this Statement and to say that we have a long way to go but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step. We are going gradually, we shall get through the bumps in the processes and eventually, we shall be there just as the Europeans have done it.
If they have done it, why not us? Colour is not a barrier to making sure that we are each others keeper, we integrate -- whether it is the West African Power Pool or whatever it is, we should begin to put it in place because it will economically push us forward into the first grade country that we hope for.
Madam Speaker, thank you very much.
