While Obama is right that Africa needs better government it is a bit much of him to say that he is specially entitled to say so because he has the "blood of Africa" in him. Yes, his Dad did come from Africa but the President is very American. I might suggest that Ireland needs better government (not that it does) but I'd hardly pitch that by saying the "blood of Ireland" runs through me.


Obama urges good governance in AfricaIn his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office in January, U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday encouraged people in Ghana and elsewhere on the continent to seize opportunities for peace, prosperity and good governance.

Obama deployed a riff on his presidential campaign slogan, saying "Yes, you can," as he urged young people to build a better society in a speech to Ghana's parliament.

"You have the power to make your leaders accountable and to build institutions that serve the people," he said. "You can serve in your communities and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world."

Obama said good governance is the "the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long."

"That is the change that can unlock Africa's potential," he said.

"We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to Africans," the U.S. president said. "I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world. I have the blood of Africa within me, and my family's own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story."