Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the Okyenhene, has stated that Western leaders and their economies cannot be absolved from the corruption that plagues Africa.

Speaking at a lecture themed “Sustainable Leadership in African Governance” at the University of Bradford’s School of Management, he argued that the actions and inactions of Western leaders contribute significantly to the corruption on the African continent.

According to the Okyenhene, many Western countries have become safe havens for corrupt African politicians who stash away their ill-gotten wealth without scrutiny.

He illustrated this point by comparing the stringent checks imposed on ordinary citizens when depositing money in banks, noting that African leaders are able to move vast sums into foreign accounts without being questioned.

“If I go to the bank with $15,000 today, the teller would immediately alert the manager to inquire about the source of the money. But African leaders can deposit far more in foreign banks without facing any probes. Why should this be the case?” he questioned.

Osagyefuo expressed concerns that many African leaders not only deposit vast amounts of money abroad, but also invest heavily in real estate in foreign countries without being asked about the origins of these funds.

He called on Western nations to hold African leaders accountable for such investments, insisting that global leadership must be bold in questioning these financial dealings.

He urged leaders to embody a servant leadership model, reminding them that true leadership is about service, not personal gain. “Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first must be a slave. That is what the Son of Man did: He came to serve, not to be served,” Okyenhene stated.

Okyenhene expressed disappointment in the lack of decisive action from world leaders to fight climate change.

He criticized the major nations that contribute the most to carbon emissions, accusing them of failing to take the necessary steps to combat the growing climate crisis.

“They sit around tables, sip tea, and laugh, yet no concrete solutions are provided to tackle climate change,” he lamented. Okyenhene warned that the world was fast approaching an environmental catastrophe, adding that humanity’s unrelenting pursuit of material wealth is exacerbating the crisis.

He referenced scientific data to illustrate the urgency of the situation, pointing out that carbon dioxide concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere have reached alarming levels, rising by 47.3% since the Industrial Age and an additional 11% since 2000.

“If the current rate of emissions continues, he cautioned, the air we breathe by 2040 will contain more than 50% carbon dioxide, making life on Earth increasingly difficult. This should terrify us all,” he said. “Our children may face far shorter lives than we do, and it cannot be business as usual,” he stressed.