On-africa-vs-china-african-leaders-with-due-respect-to-them-are-africa-curse
September 7, 2020 | News
ON AFRICA VS CHINA – AFRICAN LEADERS, WITH DUE RESPECT TO THEM, ARE AFRICA’S CURSE
When we consider how African leaders, particularly those in Nigeria, have been handling and managing the Coronavirus pandemic, especially in cushioning the effects, pains, hardships caused by the pandemic on its citizens; and then compare that with what we see in developed countries of US, Europe, and Asia – we would then realize how we urgently need a divine intervention of some sort, to help Africans from this eminent threat to our existence. This is simply because our political leaders have not done what is expected of them as custodians of State’s resources, especially in the times that we are in. It is no news that the African continent has been massively exploited for as far as many can remember. While some have linked Africa’s underdevelopment to the exploitation suffered in the hands of capitalist Europe and North America, which is still very much alive today but in different dimensions of imperialism and neo-colonialism, others like me however, are of the view that the destiny and future of any nation or continent, squally rests on the hands of its people. This includes both the political leaders and the masses. Regardless of a continent’s or nation’s past/unfortunate bad experiences, what matters is how the people of that continent/nation are able to UNITE and rise above such bad experiences to become what they ought to be amongst the league of nations.
Sadly, because of the gross deficiencies, dereliction of statutory roles and irresponsibility amongst African political leaders, other nations like China and the rest, are taking advantage of this situation in Africa to continually exploit and do with the continent as they see please. One of the most renowned African anti-corruption crusaders of our time, Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno (PLO) Lumumba, in another of his well circulated video when delivering a speech, noted some of the things I am trying to portray here. In his words:
“As I talk about Africa’s Unity, China refuses to get out of my mind. And I hope that I am wrong. But the Chinese know that we are disunited. And they know that in our disunited state we can be manipulated. And they are in the process of manipulating us… There is not a single African country in which the Chinese have not built a Stadium. They think we love stadia. There is not a single African country in which they are not building roads. The Chinese are capable of delivering Three Types Of Qualities of things they do. Quality number One they take to the United States of America and Europe. Quality number Two they take to their fellow Asian countries, including India. Quality number Three, which is at the very bottom, they take and dump in Africa. And the Africans consume them willfully. And it is because of our disunity, we are incapable of speaking with one voice.
“Many times, when I look at Ghana, the Ghanaian President, whom I respect, is invited to Beijing to negotiate with the Beijing Government. As indeed the Kenyan President, the Burundi President. All to negotiate with the Beijing Government on bilateral basis. And when they invite the African leaders, they honour them complete 21-gun shots. So that they will think they are equal. But the Ghanaian GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is possibly One-third of the GDP of Beijing. The Burundi economy is only $2Billion, which is the same amount an American boxer earns in one year. The economy of Republic of Benin is smaller than Coca-cola’s advertising budget for one year. In other words, African economies are micky-mouse economies which cannot compete. And because we are disunited, we are incapable of moving as one unit.
“The European Union wants to have what they call ‘bilateral negotiations with Benin republic. The European Union combined economies, perhaps, the largest market in the world today, is something in the neighborhood of $14Trillion… And you have bilateral negotiations with Benin republic that is smaller than third of Standard Chartered Bank. In other words, the President of Standard Chartered Bank could very well be the one negotiating with Benin republic, if we are to be realistic. But that is because we are disunited. And I am submitting that the only antidote is our unity. I know that I said that there are already efforts to move Africa in the direction of Unity and economic front. But the suspicions in Africa are too great. The African politicians, are perhaps, with due respect to them, Africa’s curse.”
While he also noted how Africa has remained attractive to the rest of the developed world, Prof. Patrick Lumumba said that: “Africa is so attractive that the Chinese leaders call African leaders to Beijing every year. The 54 of them. They call them to Beijing and they say this is how China is going to work for the benefit of Africa. But I refuse to believe them. It must be that there is something that is being done for the benefit of Beijing because if I was a Chinese, I will do that which is in my best interest, not the best interest of Africans…”
The truth is, Africa has not been able to develop as she ought to because majority of its past and present political leaders have refused to/or they do not see the need/or they do not understand the importance of; investing in its people to have “a collective contribution” towards economic growth and development. Political leaders and Governance failures are what have been driving Africa backwards. Are the ‘Asian Tigers’ endowed with the sort of rich minerals we have in some countries in Africa? How about countries like Taiwan? How did the United Arab Emirates (UAE) convert desert lands to tourist destinations of the world? How did they do it? If African political leaders are serious, whatever these countries have done to be where they are today, is what they should be emulating. Sadly, that is not what many African countries are doing.
African leaders, especially those in Nigeria, must realize that these developed countries do not really want us to go beyond where we are as a people. The truth is, if Africa gets to attain a full development status to be reckoned with across the globe, who will the developed super-power nations like China, UK, US, France, etc., ‘exploit’ for their own continuous growth? As hard as this may sound, that is the bitter truth. Why did the slave trade era succeed? Amongst other factors, it is ‘primarily’ because these foreigners are parasites, they really do not have anything concrete in terms of natural endowment like we do have here in Nigeria, and other parts of Africa. These developed nations are nothing but parasites, who live on the blood and sweat of their host. Why do we think all the politically-exposed persons who have, one time or the other, stolen public funds from Nigeria are usually left to starch their loot in the banks of these foreign countries, and even allowed to roam and walk free? They only raise an eyebrow and pretend to be helping us recover/repatriate some of the stolen funds, after they must have used such funds in their banks for the benefit of their economy.
Africans and its political leaders should open their eyes and realize that this is “international politics” – where every nation for itself first, in seeking for its ‘interests’ before any other thing. So, they really do not care about Africa’s development as they claim to portray. It is all ‘pretence’. Nigerians for instance, should not be under any illusion that these foreigners from China and the rest want us to succeed as a nation. No, they do not want us to succeed because if we succeed who are they going to exploit? This is international politics. So, we should not trust these foreigners because they really do not like us, they do not want us to settle. This is why we have been very skeptical about the President Muhammadu Buhari’s move to import Chinese Doctors into the country to help fight the Coronavirus. The Chinese Doctors imported by his administration should not have been here in the first place. Nigeria has the best brains in the medical profession worldwide. Nigeria has the best medical doctors and our pharmacists are the best in amongst other developed nations. What Nigeria lacks is good health infrastructure. The government has not invested enough in the health sector. Nigeria has not invested in pharmaceutical companies and functional public hospitals and not only teaching hospitals. The nation has the manpower, so bringing in Chinese doctors was a dangerous move.
There is no better time other than now, for Africans to wise up and start making the necessary changes they urgently need to turn things around for good in their various countries. We really do not have the luxury of time on our hands to think that the world would wait for us to wake up whenever we like. Even in the face of this Coronavirus pandemic, every nation is speeding up ahead and overtaking those they can, in the race of development and economic domination, prominence and recognition. We have reiterated the fact that no foreign country can, and will develop Nigeria and Africa for us. That onerous task, can only be achieved by Nigerians and all Africans. The earlier we realize this fact, the better for us and the continent.
Zik Gbemre.
April 15, 2020.
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
ON AFRICA VS CHINA – AFRICAN LEADERS, WITH DUE RESPECT TO THEM, ARE AFRICA’S CURSE
When we consider how African leaders, particularly those in Nigeria, have been handling and managing the Coronavirus pandemic, especially in cushioning the effects, pains, hardships caused by the pandemic on its citizens; and then compare that with what we see in developed countries of US, Europe, and Asia – we would then realize how we urgently need a divine intervention of some sort, to help Africans from this eminent threat to our existence. This is simply because our political leaders have not done what is expected of them as custodians of State’s resources, especially in the times that we are in. It is no news that the African continent has been massively exploited for as far as many can remember. While some have linked Africa’s underdevelopment to the exploitation suffered in the hands of capitalist Europe and North America, which is still very much alive today but in different dimensions of imperialism and neo-colonialism, others like me however, are of the view that the destiny and future of any nation or continent, squally rests on the hands of its people. This includes both the political leaders and the masses. Regardless of a continent’s or nation’s past/unfortunate bad experiences, what matters is how the people of that continent/nation are able to UNITE and rise above such bad experiences to become what they ought to be amongst the league of nations.
Sadly, because of the gross deficiencies, dereliction of statutory roles and irresponsibility amongst African political leaders, other nations like China and the rest, are taking advantage of this situation in Africa to continually exploit and do with the continent as they see please. One of the most renowned African anti-corruption crusaders of our time, Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno (PLO) Lumumba, in another of his well circulated video when delivering a speech, noted some of the things I am trying to portray here. In his words:
“As I talk about Africa’s Unity, China refuses to get out of my mind. And I hope that I am wrong. But the Chinese know that we are disunited. And they know that in our disunited state we can be manipulated. And they are in the process of manipulating us… There is not a single African country in which the Chinese have not built a Stadium. They think we love stadia. There is not a single African country in which they are not building roads. The Chinese are capable of delivering Three Types Of Qualities of things they do. Quality number One they take to the United States of America and Europe. Quality number Two they take to their fellow Asian countries, including India. Quality number Three, which is at the very bottom, they take and dump in Africa. And the Africans consume them willfully. And it is because of our disunity, we are incapable of speaking with one voice.
“Many times, when I look at Ghana, the Ghanaian President, whom I respect, is invited to Beijing to negotiate with the Beijing Government. As indeed the Kenyan President, the Burundi President. All to negotiate with the Beijing Government on bilateral basis. And when they invite the African leaders, they honour them complete 21-gun shots. So that they will think they are equal. But the Ghanaian GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is possibly One-third of the GDP of Beijing. The Burundi economy is only $2Billion, which is the same amount an American boxer earns in one year. The economy of Republic of Benin is smaller than Coca-cola’s advertising budget for one year. In other words, African economies are micky-mouse economies which cannot compete. And because we are disunited, we are incapable of moving as one unit.
“The European Union wants to have what they call ‘bilateral negotiations with Benin republic. The European Union combined economies, perhaps, the largest market in the world today, is something in the neighborhood of $14Trillion… And you have bilateral negotiations with Benin republic that is smaller than third of Standard Chartered Bank. In other words, the President of Standard Chartered Bank could very well be the one negotiating with Benin republic, if we are to be realistic. But that is because we are disunited. And I am submitting that the only antidote is our unity. I know that I said that there are already efforts to move Africa in the direction of Unity and economic front. But the suspicions in Africa are too great. The African politicians, are perhaps, with due respect to them, Africa’s curse.”
While he also noted how Africa has remained attractive to the rest of the developed world, Prof. Patrick Lumumba said that: “Africa is so attractive that the Chinese leaders call African leaders to Beijing every year. The 54 of them. They call them to Beijing and they say this is how China is going to work for the benefit of Africa. But I refuse to believe them. It must be that there is something that is being done for the benefit of Beijing because if I was a Chinese, I will do that which is in my best interest, not the best interest of Africans…”
The truth is, Africa has not been able to develop as she ought to because majority of its past and present political leaders have refused to/or they do not see the need/or they do not understand the importance of; investing in its people to have “a collective contribution” towards economic growth and development. Political leaders and Governance failures are what have been driving Africa backwards. Are the ‘Asian Tigers’ endowed with the sort of rich minerals we have in some countries in Africa? How about countries like Taiwan? How did the United Arab Emirates (UAE) convert desert lands to tourist destinations of the world? How did they do it? If African political leaders are serious, whatever these countries have done to be where they are today, is what they should be emulating. Sadly, that is not what many African countries are doing.
African leaders, especially those in Nigeria, must realize that these developed countries do not really want us to go beyond where we are as a people. The truth is, if Africa gets to attain a full development status to be reckoned with across the globe, who will the developed super-power nations like China, UK, US, France, etc., ‘exploit’ for their own continuous growth? As hard as this may sound, that is the bitter truth. Why did the slave trade era succeed? Amongst other factors, it is ‘primarily’ because these foreigners are parasites, they really do not have anything concrete in terms of natural endowment like we do have here in Nigeria, and other parts of Africa. These developed nations are nothing but parasites, who live on the blood and sweat of their host. Why do we think all the politically-exposed persons who have, one time or the other, stolen public funds from Nigeria are usually left to starch their loot in the banks of these foreign countries, and even allowed to roam and walk free? They only raise an eyebrow and pretend to be helping us recover/repatriate some of the stolen funds, after they must have used such funds in their banks for the benefit of their economy.
Africans and its political leaders should open their eyes and realize that this is “international politics” – where every nation for itself first, in seeking for its ‘interests’ before any other thing. So, they really do not care about Africa’s development as they claim to portray. It is all ‘pretence’. Nigerians for instance, should not be under any illusion that these foreigners from China and the rest want us to succeed as a nation. No, they do not want us to succeed because if we succeed who are they going to exploit? This is international politics. So, we should not trust these foreigners because they really do not like us, they do not want us to settle. This is why we have been very skeptical about the President Muhammadu Buhari’s move to import Chinese Doctors into the country to help fight the Coronavirus. The Chinese Doctors imported by his administration should not have been here in the first place. Nigeria has the best brains in the medical profession worldwide. Nigeria has the best medical doctors and our pharmacists are the best in amongst other developed nations. What Nigeria lacks is good health infrastructure. The government has not invested enough in the health sector. Nigeria has not invested in pharmaceutical companies and functional public hospitals and not only teaching hospitals. The nation has the manpower, so bringing in Chinese doctors was a dangerous move.
There is no better time other than now, for Africans to wise up and start making the necessary changes they urgently need to turn things around for good in their various countries. We really do not have the luxury of time on our hands to think that the world would wait for us to wake up whenever we like. Even in the face of this Coronavirus pandemic, every nation is speeding up ahead and overtaking those they can, in the race of development and economic domination, prominence and recognition. We have reiterated the fact that no foreign country can, and will develop Nigeria and Africa for us. That onerous task, can only be achieved by Nigerians and all Africans. The earlier we realize this fact, the better for us and the continent.
Zik Gbemre.
April 15, 2020.
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes