P. L. O. Lumumba calls for African leaders to prioritize service over corruption

Pan-Africanist scholar Professor P. L. O. Lumumba has issued a critique of contemporary African leadership, stating that many current officials treat public office as a means for personal wealth rather than a position of service. Speaking during the NkrumahFest celebrations in Nkroful, Ghana, Lumumba contrasted modern governance with the era of Africa's founding leaders, whom he described as holding power “in trust” for the people.

Lumumba characterized the current trend of corruption as “theft on an industrial scale” and urged leaders who have amassed wealth through illicit means to have the courage to surrender it. He emphasized that leadership should be defined by sacrifice and service rather than “primitive accumulation.”

The remarks were made at an event honoring the legacy of Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Lumumba noted that despite Africa's vast natural resources, the continent remains politically divided and economically colonized, which he described as a betrayal of Nkrumah’s vision for a united and dignified Africa. He called for a return to the principles of African unity to protect the continent's political independence.