Some Members of Parliament (MPs) on Thursday urged African leaders to work towards the early unification of the continent to harness its full potential for the development and advancement of its people.
They were of the view that it would be difficult for the continent to develop fast if they remain fragmented without a united front.
The parliamentarians were reacting to a statement read on the floor of the House by the Member of Parliament for Weija, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey to mark the AU Day and ECOWAS Days, which fell on May 25 and 28 respectively.
Mr. Inusah Fuseine, MP for Tamale Central said Africa must unite very quickly to solve the numerous problems it currently facing, since time was not on their side.
He said it was about time Africans utilized the huge deposits of natural resources by harnessing them for the benefit of the people.
"It is true that some of the problems are not our making but through some of the policies of the Western world, but we have the resources and potential to turn things around."
He urged the various regional economic blocks to work towards the unification of Africa and also link up the people of the continent through the construction of rail lines and an international road network to facilitate the integration of the people.
Professor Mike Oquaye, MP for Dome Kwabenya noted that one of the major problems bedeviling Africa was that of ethnicity, which normally shows up during elections.
He said elections in Africa has sparked a lot of conflicts between ethnic groupings and cited the elections held in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria as typical examples of the problems.
Prof Oquaye called for the formation of regional electoral commissions made up of eminent lawyers who would formulate realistic policies to govern elections on the continent.
He said Africa would also need the support of her development partners in this area to help control the problems of ethnicity and elections.
Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, MP for New Juaben North said the benefit of a united Africa would be enormous and urged the people "to pursue that goal and vision for their benefit."
He said Africa should collectively work towards unity and ensure that they celebrate the AU Day with that vision in mind, adding that, the press should join the crusade and educate the people about the celebration.
"The press must tell the people of the vision of our founding fathers and the relevance of the AU Day celebration and that if Europeans have been able to unite through the EU why can't Africans also do so through the AU."
Ms Cecilia Dapaah, MP for Bantama said Africa is overwhelmed with the problems of wars, diseases, poverty and hunger despite the huge natural resources that abound on the continent.
She said it was about time Africa eradicate all these setbacks and problems and work towards the prosperity of its people.
She urged African leaders to protect and preserve the rivers, lakes and forests from depletion for the benefit of future generations.