Amos Wekesa: Succession failure in Africa expose our folly and backwardness

Succession

I struggle daily on topics to write about because i generally encounter lots of stuff which if i write about people would probably enjoy reading.

I have been thinking about Africa and us Africans in relation to the above topic especially after watching a video of dead bodies of Africans trying to cross to Europe on Mediterranean and also following Zimbabwe with their President Mr. MUGABE. Africans are being sold at usd 4000 each as slaves. At 93yrs how can one fight to remain President? Its unbelievable.

Succession is something we Africans take very lightly and yet could play a very key role in our growth as people if we took it seriously.

How many of us think succession in our homes? What about in our businesses? Why dont w write WILLS? How many top bank managers think about who will replace them? How many people running government or public entities who are concerned at who will replace them? Why we think leaders just emerge?

Africa with about 15% of the worlds population only controls about 2.5% of the worlds wealth. Africa has about 60% of the worlds arable land yet imports food worth over usd 36 billions per year!!! Think about the wealth below our soils? Should we be struggling to go to the west for opportunities?

Without asking ourselves the above questions we shall make great strides foward and yes many steps backwards. Look at Uganda. Entebbe was once Africas biggest airport and what went wrong? Crested towers was once Africas highest building? Uganda was once East Africas biggest tourism destination….what went wrong?

Due to lack succession plans, when leaders die, they die with their achievements and the next generation start afresh with no direction and misery follows….people work hard to build and because they haven’t planned for their succession, the next generation wallows in challenges.

People who plan for succession are those who appreciate the fact that they are simply humans and will someday die but want to set a good foundation for those that will follow…….

As a businessman, Great Lakes safaris and Uganda lodges ltd can run 80% without me and its because I know I am human. When I clock 50 God willing everything must be able to run without me. I am already eyeing successor and that people is getting to understand what I do.