When I say I'm going to say nothing, it means I will say less than I will normally say. Let me begin by thanking the speakers, yesterday and today, not only for coming to join me in celebrating me but for speaking so brilliantly about important matters which have for so long been left undiscussed. And I'm old enough now thanks to Nana, to speak my mind freely and to say that, having listened to the public discourse in this country for the past ten, twelve, fifteen but especially the last four, five, six years, you wonder where were these people? Why have we had to suffer for so long? Why do we still suffer for so long? People parading as experts and talking such rubbish day after day after day. So let me say Lhal I have e11juyell Lhese lasl Lwu llays fur many reasons, but especially for this hearing of people who are speaking to what they know about, and addressing key questions that ought to concern all of us.

But, Madam Chair, I could not take this celebration simply as celebrating me. How can that have been of importance? I take it as celebrating my generation and my comrades. The things we believed in, the things we tried to do, that I think is what worth celebrating. Nana, you and I and a whole lot of other people here, Mrs. Chinery-Hesse is here with us, are old enough to say we're the lucky generation. Lucky because we grew up in the independence years. A time in our history, in Ghana but also in Africa where we had pride in ourselves, confidence in what we can do and hope for the future. A time when most of us in that generation had the confidence that Africa can make it. We have been through ups and downs in our history but some of us have kept the faith, not because we are silly, but because we believe that it is in that commitment that the pendulum will swing back and forth and still take us forward. We are lucky but also, shall we say slightly unlucky if that is possible, because we have lived to see our hopes dashed, our expectations dampened.
Not just in Ghana, but across the continent, so in that sense, there's a real danger of our generation giving up. Bul I am glall Lu say Lhal fur ma11y of us Lhal is nul our option. Hearing the comments made yesterday and today, dragging the spirit of the occasion, reinforces our belief that it is still possible for us to make it because the new generation, not you, but your students and their students, the new generation, show signs already of possibilities. We're not there yet but hearing what I have heard over the last two days has given me new hope of what can be done by us.

Let me say very briefly thatthe events in South Africa are very significant. This is because they contain lessons, which we should take seriously and is linked to what has been discussed the last two days. Many blame the people who went through these attacks, many want to retaliate, all manner of things. I understand that but I think for me, the important points that come out of this event are not at all unique as you know. It is that it reflects two very important things, which have been of concern to us forever.

One, it reflects the failure of the state in South Africa, to provide adequately for all its people, and the reason is linked to the point made by Charles Abugri just now, about the nature of our economies and how they are being managed; the gaps that are created between the top, small number who get all the benefits and everybody else. It is that gap, combined with the failure to explain to the ones who are down, that your enemy is not your neighbour or the chap from across the border. The enemy is the system and those who prevent you from coming up. It is the failure to resolve that problem that explains why people who are properly frustrated, what do they hate, their neighbour? So if we don't see it that way, we blame them for being violent which is true and leave it at that. It is a reflection of the failure of the economies which we all run. That's one.

They don't take their frustrations out on the White bosses or the Chinese or the Indians, they take it out on other Africans. That again is another of the failures we are talking about. The failure to appreciate the commonness of our Africaness. They don't see the Zimbabwean, the Ghanaian, the Nigerian as a brother as they should. That again is a failure of our quest for pan-Africanism, African unity and all of that. So when we are looking at the top and the leaders are talking a lot and carrying on, they are not generating that spirit amongst our people. So I thought these lectures have been such a wonderful but brief exposition about this problem.

If I had more time, I could go on for days on this but let me stop there and say that I see signs that we are very much still able to do the job. Question are who will lead? who will work? what it will take? That's a whole different matter but there is hope.

Let me conclude by saying how overwhelmed I am personally, to hear all these cock and bull stories about me and everything else. It has brought back memories, it has highlighted elements of my life, which I took for, granted and I thank the speakers, all those who have been intervening from the floor but particularly, the organisers. You have no idea about the amount of work put in by my young friends.

Beginning early in the year and I kept away from it, work, imagination, innovation, fantastic! The names are in the book, I will only mention those that are not here. We had mentioned them yesterday; Horace Campbell, Willie Mutunga who were very much involved in the initial idea but the work done by those from the initiators Yao, Takyiwaa, Akunu and by the young people who did the photographs, Amarkine Amarteifio, Benjy Kent who did the film and Akunu's group who kept it going. Honestly, this is more than anybody could expect or hope for and it's something for which you cannot pay. So I thank all of you. Thank you very much.