President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Tony Blair  P.courtesy

Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s bold position during a joint interview with Tony Blair, founder of the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) and pro-gay activist articulated the clash of value systems in Africa.  Sirleaf joins Malawi, Gambia, Ghana, Uganda and Nigeria to oppose the West for allegedly overstepping their developmental mandate and  imposing foreign cultural values on Africans in the name of promoting human rights, governance and development.

In African culture, marriage is sacred. Children are not only the adornment of the home, but an investment, especially in old age. The African male and female are consequently called upon by the ancestors to be a chain in the transmission of life.

However, due to economic pressure and the quest to align territories to the global system, the family fabric in Africa has been compromised. It is not uncommon to see African leaders arming  their cronies to point guns at their own people. The number of street children and orphanages is  on the increase.

It is imperative that Africans front and defend their interest when forging socio-economic and political partnerships. A clash in value systems ought to be approached in a sober and balanced manner to avoid violent conflict. When all is said and done, there can be no Africa without the people of Africa. The interests of the latter ought to be paramount.