Rev. Aniedi Okure, OP, Executive Director of the Africa Faith & Justice Network gave remarks at the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference plenary 2016 on the theme “Reconciliation with God, Humanity and Nature in the Year of Mercy”. Rev. Aniedi called on the gathered bishops and leaders of justice and peace offices from different dioceses of Ghana to make land grabbing a pastoral priority. Below is an excerpt from his remarks which he delivered in two parts:
“Permit me to wonder off a little so as to put this issue in a wider context, in the context of an epidemic that grips Africa, namely, the problem of governance. Governments across this continent [Africa], entrusted with the fundamental moral duty of working for the common good, protecting the rights and dignity of their people, guarding the principles of subsidiarity and ensuring equitable distribution of the resources that God has blessed this continent with, have failed to do so.
Africa is literally swimming in wealth yet impoverished by this wealth due to bad management, selfishness, lack of vision, a let-them-tell-us mentality, let them-help us mentality and the them being the West. We see this all around even in academics. Why do we think the West is so interested in Africa? It is precisely because Africa is loaded with riches. If it were not, there would be no sustained interest in promoting Africa’s “need for help”.
Unfortunately, African leaders compromise the common good and the future of the men, women and children entrusted to their care, and collaborate with the exploiters for immediate monetary gains, for quick fixes, and trample on the rights and dignity of their people with impunity.” Click here to read the entire briefing  
Also, read the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference pastoral 2016 letter here