EMERGENCE OF BARACK OBAMA AS THE 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA --- LESSONS FOR AFRICA.

er''.....Do not judge me by the colour of my skin, but judge me by the content of my character.''

----Martin Luther King Jr.

I've always believed that our world is a world of possibilities. Whatever we set our minds to do is achievable. It may take time, the road may be difficult and resources may be lean, but if we can will it, we can also do it. God willing.

And that is the story of the American people.

November 4, 2008, would remain an historic day in the annals of history of the United States. A watershed. The American people united to speak with one voice in a popular vote for CHANGE, which is epitomized in one man---BARACK OBAMA [ An American with African descent. ]

Senator Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States of America in what has been described as a landslide victory, making him the first African American to head for the White House. The 2008 election was the 56th consecutive quadrennial United States presidential election to select the President and the Vice-President of the United States.

It is a wind of CHANGE blowing in the U.S right now, and the rest of the world is feeling the coolness of that soft wind---- Stock markets around the globe immediately posted positive results after Barack Obama was announced winner of the U.S election, and this is coming after several months of deep global financial crises that has crippled business activities everywhere and driven government technocrats and bureaucrats into sleepless nights. Also, the Dollar within hours of the announcement of the U.S election results appreciated impressively against major currencies such as the Euro, and oil price has fallen to all time low in several months.

No doubt the emergence of Senator Barack Obama as President-Elect of the United States is a sign of good things to come.

Well, I've keenly followed the entire process that led to OBAMA's victory, right from his rigorous campaign to obtain the nomination ticket of the Democratic Party, to fly the Party's flag at the presidential polls at the expense of the CLINTONS---- the main opposition Obama had within the Party. It was interesting to watch how the drama unfolded as Obama ideologically challenged the 'powers' that be in his Party, and successfully moved popular votes in his favour.

On obtaining his Party's nomination ticket, Obama had Senator John McCain to contend with at the main presidential polls. McCain rode easily to obtain the Republican Party nomination ticket at a time when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were busy 'fighting' vehemently to obtain their Party's nomination ticket. McCaain is a respected war veteran and a very experienced politician, however Obama is much younger, more charismatic, more ideological, more daring and is seen as a symbol of the new America.

Both Obama and McCain knew that the road to the White House would require much more than they did to obtain their Parties' nomination tickets. So, they went to work.

Obama picked Senator Joe Biden as his running mate. It is widely believed that Joe Biden would provide the necessary expertise and fill the gap in Obama's foreign policy agenda, which is a very crucial issue in the race for the presidency. McCain on the other hand picked Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. It is widely believed that Sarah Palin would be the leveraging force to reach the working class women in America in order to sell the McCain candidacy for the White House to these women whose votes can make a lot of difference at the presidential polls.

All these played out excellently. Long months of campaigns and debates finally came to an end as the American electorates came out in large numbers on November 4, 2008, to decide who succeeds George W. Bush as President and Commander-In-Chief.

Thanks to technology, I was able to monitor live the U.S election. I watched the American electorates wait patiently on long queues to cast their votes, because they know their votes would definitely count.

Undoubtably, America is a model democracy, and that is not to say it has attained perfection.

There are issues --- age long issues --- that this year's election has thrown up in America. One of the fundamental issues now resolved is that American women can aspire for the highest office in their country. Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin have demonstrated that. A more fundamental issue now resolved is that Americans of other racial descent can explore all the rights, privileges and opportunities that America offers its citizens at all times--- and that ofcourse includes running for the White House with an expectation to win.

The people of the United States have spoken, and the rest of us in other climes have heard loud and clear, that democracy is all about freedom, shared values, respect for one another, and respect for the rule of law. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

''Yes, we can'' sums up the first post election speech of the U.S President-Elect, BARACK OBAMA, who in his speech eulogized the courage of the American people to decide the future for themselves, their children and their country.

And one thing I believe Barack Obama would be saying to his kith and kin in Africa right now is that: ''Don't just look at America, you folks in Africa can also do the same. Yes, you can, if only you and your governments are decisive to move your continent forward democratically, and be ready to do the right thing the right way. Your political climate must change too.''

And on that note, I also say ''Yes, we can''.

Yes, Africa would develop if we stop the senseless civil wars and bitterness that tears us apart. If we reconcile our differences and unite with a common purpose, Africa would achieve a great lot in terms of socio-economic and socio-political growth in a short time.If we think of the things that unite us, rather than those that divide us, we would be better for it. If we shun dissent and division that only leads to doom, we would be better for it.

Yes, Africa would overcome the diseases and poverty that is killing her sons and daughters if governments on the continent decides to provide the nesessary leadership, policy frameworks and effective implementation mechanism to tackle the problems without looking back.

Yes, Africa can be free from neo-colonialism if the African people and their governments decides to be self-reliant, develop their entrepreneural capabilities to create and add value in the production and distribution chain, and transform themselves from being exporters of mineral resources to exporters of value added goods and services.

Yes, Africa can become a true democratic society if we allow sovereignty to return to the people, abolish the godfatherism syndrome, put up and enforce legislations that checks the activities of political money-bags and establish a sound electoral system that throws up credible men and women with ideologies and values for elective offices. Also, we must build, empower and allow our institutions to function, and the confidence of the electorates must be assured that their votes would henceforth count in all elections. Without the electorates there can be no democracy.

I want to hope that the politicians in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, and other parts of the black continent would imbibe the politics of tolerance, ideologies and respect for the people, and shun the politics of mediocrity and violence. It is not enough to roll out the drums and declare public holidays to celebrate the rise, and rise of one of our own to the White House. We must soberly reflect on the credibility of the American system that threw up Barack Obama, and find ways to replicate the same in Africa. If Obama had no faith in American system, he may not have presented himself for the biggest and hardest job in the world. Our children in Africa must be given enough confidence to believe in Africa and work for its development. This is one task all governments in Africa must accomplish without further delay.

I disagree with those who argue that it would take Africa another century to achieve what America is today in terms of democracy, since it took the same America more than two centuries to get here. That argument is no more tenable. All we need in Africa is the WILL to change and move on. We have examples to learn from that the Americans didn't have in their early days.

While I use this medium to congratulate the President-Elect of the U.S, Senator Barack Obama, for his victory at the polls, I equally congratulate Senator John McCain who fought a good gight and galantly lost, and went ahead to gracefully concede defeat, without any attempt to cry foul and mobilise people for post election violence, which has been the order of the day in Africa.

Congratulations to the American people. You have made history. Your resilience and courage would take you through the days to come.

And may Africa learn from this and rise from the woods.

And why not?

I believe we can. ''Yes, we can''.

Adedayo Adetoye

Tel: +234 805 191 2385

e-MAIL: adetoyeadedayo@googlemail.com