Observers are worried, and I am one of them. I am worried that 48 hours after his nomination by Ghana for the job of Africa’s topmost civil servant, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas of Ghana unilaterally withdrew in favour of Chad’s nominee, Moussa Faki Mahamat.

Dr Chambas is a diplomat, one of Africa’s most consummate in that art and science. Meaning, that he speaks diplomatic language, which is like proverbs to Chinua Achebe - “the palm oil with which (undiplomatic) words are eaten”.

He is quoted as saying that his pull-out was “after consultation with Chad”. Why would anybody accept a job from government of Ghana, obviously with thanks, turn round to “consult” Ghana’s competitor in the race and announce to the world that he had stepped aside to let Chad pass - all in a matter of 48 hours?

When he was nominated by Ghana, he was head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).

His job was secure. If, for that reason he did not need the AU job, all he should have done was to whisper his regrets into the ears of the President of Ghana before going public with the announcement that he had other plans.

When statesmen, at his level of international diplomacy, go “consulting”, it’s often a synonym for a quid pro quo.

But was Government of Ghana really taken by surprise? I smell a dead and rotting rat. As people in diplomatic circles highly suspect, all this circus was towards one and only one goal: to put paid to whatever hopes remained in the heart of Ambassador Kwesi Quartey, Ghanaian Deputy Chairman of the AU who had done great job since December 17, 2017, so great that the Coalition of Supporters Unions of Africa (COSUA), with membership in 55 countries in Africa, had tipped him for the top job and sought audience with government of Ghana to push this choice.

To permanently dash all hopes for a Quartey ticket, Nana Akufo Addo has submitted the name of Mrs Martha Ama Kyaa Pobee, Ghana’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations, for the position of Deputy Chairman of the AU Commission, the job of Kwesi Quartey.

Did Kwesi Quartey sin? Even his worst enemies credit him with an ‘A’. Could it be that politically he was in the wrong boat – having been Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister in the government of John Mahama from 2013 through 2017?

From what I know, that couldn’t have been the case because he worked well for Nana Addo; was instrumental in securing for Ghana the hosting of the headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Elsewhere on the continent, former AU Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao, has expressed interest in the AU Commission Chairmanship job and has said so to the Zimbabwe President.

Word is that pressure groups in Zimbabwe are whispering her credentials in the right ears throughout Africa.

But her chances are in the balance, for even as Zimbabwe government dragged its feet and as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) remained undecided who should be the nominee from the sub-regional economic grouping, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and current chair of AU, was said to be considering recommending to SADC to endorse Faki Mahamat, the Chad candidate, to run unopposed.

Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao has the support of the Coalition of Supporters Unions of Africa (COSUA), which describes itself as an African Union (AU) civil society partner, with membership in 50 African countries, but it is doubtful how far their word travels; indications are that Faki Mohammad has been doing some traveling himself, globe-trotting throughout the continent to meet up one on one with African Presidents.

Unconfirmed reports say he was in Ghana.
Meanwhile, controversial anti-corruption crusader, Kenya’s Professor P.L.O. Lumumba has filed to contest for Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission.

The talking point in African diplomatic circles is a letter the AU Commission wrote to Dr. Chihombori on October 7, 2019 terminating her appointment as AU's ambassador to the United States.

Faki Mohammad, incumbent AU Commission chairman, insists that her recall was in line with the terms and conditions governing her appointment but many a pan Africanist feels strongly that the move was to silence the outspoken diplomat and medical doctor.

Some within the AU have not been not happy with Chihombori-Quao's "bold but honest" stance on Pan African issues.
But the African Union faced a backlash.

Particularly furious was the African Diaspora Congress, a civil society think tank which sees her as “an Ambassador for Africa's economic liberation”.

Insisting she was fired because of the "influence and pressure exerted on African leaders by the former colonial powers of Europe," the group, in an online petition demanding her reinstatement, garnered 37,000 signatures within 48 hours of her sack.

In one week, 58,371 people had signed the petition.

Ghana's former President Jerry John Rawlings was among those who have condemned the African Union's decision, saying her termination was coming from "French-controlled colonized minds."

Catch a sound-bite of Ambassador Chihombori-Quao. She sounds like Kwame Nkrumah come back as a woman.

Preaching African empowerment through resource mobilization, she wants Africans and Diaspora Africans in the United States, Caribbean, South America, Europe and elsewhere to break the neo-colonial domination by pooling their financial, economic and intellectual capital.

Fellow Africans, imagine this lady diplomatic firebrand pairing with P.L.O. at the AU Commission! Many are praying for this ticket. Africa needs a revolution. I think this ticket will provide the spark.