Kabir thanks for the forward. Once again what a good commentary from Tajudeen Abdul Raheem. I disagree that nelliberalism is bad for our continent.Thabo Mbeki neoliberal ideal and Anti-Gadaffi have no linkage with the way forward Continental Unification. If Africa want to make an impact in global economy our leaders should put their act together for a union style of Government. It can be a form of treaty or constitution which should be filter to the grassroot for their involvement in a form of voting. Neoliberalism is not evil with emphaise on social justice, human development and poltical rights. Accumulation of private property is as old of the history of mankind but the state should also have the social responsibility to equally distribute the common goods such as land, water, energy etc. African Union should the led the fight towards such dynamic. We can only take our real position with the emerge of visionary leaders.
Kabir Njaay <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Pan-African Postcard
Death by committee
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/panafrican/42392
Tajudeen Abdul Raheem (2007-07-05)
African leaders have again squandered yet another opportunity, an historic
one, to lead decisively. Instead they have gone for the least common
denominator, the line of least resistance, by deciding not to decide. The
all-important issue of a Government of the Union that was billed as The
Grand Debate at the recently concluded AU summit, has been referred to yet
another committee that will report at the next summit in January in Addis
Ababa.
We are all familiar with the saying that the best way to kill an idea is to
form a committee about it. How many more committees do we need to make this
decision?
The so-called debate itself was the result of a study presented to the heads
of state that has taken almost two years to complete. All the arguments for
and against were contained in the report and the three options were clear.
One, immediate formation of a Union government. Two, a gradual process
leading to Union Government by consolidation of regional economic
communities and economic convergence. And last, the formation of a Union
Government that gives political authority to the AU in specified areas,
aligns national policies to continental policies, and rationalises the RECS
to become affective building blocs for the Union Government.
Wherever one stands on this debate, deciding on these issues is vital to
move forward. Too many decisions, agreements, protocols have been made,
agreed or signed at the continental level without any implementation at the
national level. The suggestion of a Union Government was meant to give an
effective legal and political framework to these agreements and a mandatory
enforcement mechanism.
Unfortunately, the huge ego, razzmatazz and showmanship of the
brother-leader, Muammar Gaddafi, the champion of the accelerated
Union-track, has beclouded the real issues feeding the prejudice of all
Gadaffi-phobic and Arab phobic and sub-Saharan obscurantists. President
Thabo Mbeki of South Africa who is leading the anti-Gaddafi and anti-Union
Government charge, liberally exploited these sentiments to actually subvert
the debate due to the interests of South African capital and its expansion
across this continent without any obligation towards our social commune.
The South African manoeuvre also tapped into the deep-seated alienation of
many Africans about our governments, their distrust of political leaders,
and cynicism that our leaders don't mean what they say or say what they
mean.
Unfortunately, Mbeki's neoliberal agenda was unwittingly aided and abetted
by the ambiguity displayed by Nigeria's new President, Umar Musa Yar' Adua.
Yar' Adua was obviously not properly briefed by his benefactor and the
Nigerian foreign policy elite about a third position championed by former
President Obasanjo, and supported by Uganda, Senegal and other leaders in
the Heads of State committee set up to look into the issue. They were
supposed to report to the Summit but with clear timelines and concrete steps
about what will be Union issues, further reforms of the charter,
strengthening of representational institutions like the Pan-African
Parliament and also taking a decision on the RECS.
But when Yar Adua spoke in his maiden Summit address, he sounded like all he
was interested in were the RECs, thereby strengthening the Mbeki supporters.
Obasanjo was too busy trying to get Yar' Adua to Aso Rock to update him on
Nigeria's position on African and global matters. The enemies of the Union
Government are not just neoliberal governments but also must be some of the
bureaucrats in the Union and NEPAD. The old OAU bureaucrats were afraid of
the Union and fought its restructuring before and after the extraordinary
summit in Shirte in 1999. Now they are fighting to defend the Union they
opposed because we now want to reform it further to create a viable
institution with political authority.
Many of them are incompetent and got their positions due to political barter
and horse-trading and want to maintain them at all costs. But all is not
lost yet. At least no one dares to argue against the Union and the Union
Government in principle any more. What they are arguing about is when and
how.
Therefore, the debate in the next six months in all our countries should
shift to the streets, seminar halls, parliaments, county halls and at all
levels to challenge our leaders and democratise the discussion so that by
the January Summit there is a clear and unambiguous message that we are
ready for a Union Government with a clear timetable. South Africa is happy
for its businesses to be free to exploit the rest of the continent. Their
attitude is like that of Britain towards Europe. However, British reluctance
did not stop the Germans and the French and other Europeans to move forward.
Those countries that are willing and ready should begin to take the
necessary steps that will make unity concrete for our peoples and not wait
until everybody agrees.
* Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem is the Deputy Director for the UN Millennium
Campaign in Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He writes this article in his
personal capacity as a concerned Pan-Africanist.
* Please send comments to [log in to unmask] or comment online at
http://www.pambazuka.org/
We are all familiar with the saying that the best way to kill an idea is to
form a committee about it. How many more committees do we need to make this
decision?
The so-called debate itself was the result of a study presented to the Heads
of State that has taken almost two years to complete. All the arguments for
and against were contained in the report and the three options were clear.
One, immediate formation of a Union government. Two, a gradual process
leading to Union Government by consolidation of regional economic
communities and economic convergence. And last, the formation of a Union
Government that gives political authority to the AU in specified areas,
aligns national policies to continental policies, and rationalises the RECS
to become affective building blocs for the Union Government.
Wherever one stands on this debate, deciding on these issues is vital to
move forward. Too many decisions, agreements, protocols have been made,
agreed or signed at the continental level without any implementation at the
national level. The suggestion of a Union Government was meant to give an
effective legal and political framework to these agreements and a mandatory
enforcement mechanism.
Unfortunately, the huge ego, razzmatazz and showmanship of the
brother-leader, Muammar Gaddafi, the champion of the accelerated
Union-track, has beclouded the real issues feeding the prejudice of all
Gadaffi-phobic and Arab phobic and sub-Saharan obscurantists. President
Thabo Mbeki of South Africa who is leading the anti-Gaddafi and anti-Union
Government charge, liberally exploited these sentiments to actually subvert
the debate due to the interests of South African capital and its expansion
across this continent without any obligation towards our social commune.
The South African manoeuvre also tapped into the deep-seated alienation of
many Africans about our governments, their distrust of political leaders,
and cynicism that our leaders don't mean what they say or say what they
mean.
Unfortunately, Mbeki's neo- liberal agenda was unwittingly aided and abetted
by the ambiguity displayed by Nigeria's new President, Umar Musa Yar' Adua.
Yar' Adua was obviously not properly briefed by his benefactor and the
Nigerian foreign policy elite about a third position championed by former
President Obasanjo, and supported by Uganda, Senegal and other leaders in
the Heads of State committee set up to look into the issue. They were
supposed to report to the Summit but with clear timelines and concrete steps
about what will be Union issues, further reforms of the charter,
strengthening of representational institutions like the Pan-African
Parliament and also taking a decision on the RECS.
But when Yar Adua spoke in his maiden Summit address, he sounded like all he
was interested in were the RECs, thereby strengthening the Mbeki supporters.
Obasanjo was too busy trying to get Yar' Adua to Aso Rock to update him on
Nigeria's position on African and global matters. The enemies of the Union
Government are not just neo-liberal governments but also must be some of the
bureaucrats in the Union and NEPAD. The old OAU bureaucrats were afraid of
the Union and fought its restructuring before and after the extraordinary
summit in Shirte in 1999. Now they are fighting to defend the Union they
opposed because we now want to reform it further to create a viable
institution with political authority.
Many of them are incompetent and got their positions due to political barter
and horse-trading and want to maintain them at all costs. But all is not
lost yet. At least no one dares to argue against the Union and the Union
Government in principle any more. What they are arguing about is when and
how.
Therefore, the debate in the next six months in all our countries should
shift to the streets, seminar halls, parliaments, county halls and at all
levels to challenge our leaders and democratise the discussion so that by
the January Summit there is a clear and unambiguous message that we are
ready for a Union Government with a clear timetable. South Africa is happy
for its businesses to be free to exploit the rest of the continent. Their
attitude is like that of Britain towards Europe. However, British reluctance
did not stop the Germans and the French and other Europeans to move forward.
Those countries that are willing and ready should begin to take the
necessary steps that will make unity concrete for our peoples and not wait
until everybody agrees.
* Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem is the Deputy Director for the UN Millennium
Campaign in Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He writes this article in his
personal capacity as a concerned Pan-Africanist.
* Please send comments to [log in to unmask] or comment online at
http://www.pambazuka.org/
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