A REASON FOR PRIDE

“Congratulations Malawians!” The Africa’s academic icon and world-towering economist Professor Adebayo Adedeji last night awed Malawians for their hard work, wonders in economic performance and food production. He was speaking at dinner hosted last night in his honour by President Bingu wa Mutharika at the New State House in Lilongwe.

That night, 14 December 2008, the mood was eloquent and arresting as the world sat down to listen. The flavor of the room was sweet, the background music soft, but the message was rich, loud and clear. “This country has virtually beaten everybody on the African continent in food production,” said Professor Adebayo Adedeji.

Earlier, the hosting Malawi leader had proudly described Malawi as “probably the best managed economy in the sub-Saharan Africa.” This is not a vain boast but a fact. “Malawi is a miracle economy,” but Mutharika hasted to openly add, “This is not my coinage but these are the words of World Bank and IMF.”

In the final analysis of his address, Professor Adebayo Adedeji came to witness and to agree that “Malawi is a miracle economy.” This academic colossus has compared Malawi’s historic phenomenal growth rate at 8% as equal to that of China arguing that “Malawi is certainly on its way to progress”. The Professor challenged that not even the African largest economy of South Africa growing at 3% compares with the rate at which Malawi rising. Europe was growing at the rate of 2.5% rate when it was undergoing a revolution of development, he observed.

Professor Adebayo Adedeji is well-thought-of in economic scholarship and leadership. He is an authority who has served as United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary to the United Nations Commission for Africa. He is the Chairman of African Peer Review Mechanism. His visit and choice of Malawi are symbolic.
Tonight, he had this to confess with admiration, “I have been closely following the developments [in Malawi] particularly since my brother Bingu wa Mutharika took over the leadership.”

The African academic icon said he was “attracted” to visit Malawi which he and the Governor of the Ogun State Otheba Benga Daniel coincidentally found Malawi “worthy visiting” for lessons and forging partnership after describing Malawi as a benchmark for others.

The elderly Professor Adebayo Adedeji spoke with well-humoured humility, wisdom, perceptive hindsight and deep insight. He said Malawi’s record progress is that of the people and not Mutharika alone. “Nobody can claim 100% perfection. But society has the right to seek perfection in a leader who provides inspiration. I hope you will continue to support him,” Adedeji said.

Mutharika has himself attributed Malawi’s progress and the world-wide recognition that come home in medals, torches and titles to all Malawians. Professor Adebayo Adedeji did not just thank us for the dinner, he said, “Congratulations to you all.”

We may not agree with Mutharika in our right to fault-finding, in our political and analytical biases, but we cannot disagree with the independent congratulations, recognition and honours that come to us – we the people of Malawi.

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