In a message dated 6/30/2002 10:23:42 AM Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
>
> While I feel a bit disappointed about the lack lustre treatment of the
> abject poverty of Africans, I cannot but put the blame squarely at the feet
> of our leaders and so-called intellectuals. It is only in very few
> countries
> that you find a straight leader and an honest following. In most cases,
> people are just downright greedy and corrupt; not caring for anybody else
> but themselves.
>
Gassa,
This is a refreshing statement coming from you, and I put it to you that that
same corruption and lack of caring on the part of our leaders is also very
alive and well in our own country, The Gambia, and it is what is of concern
to those of us to are constantly belabouring this very fact. The UNDP report
that was just posted to the L being another disgraceful piece of evidence.
Our very own President Yaya Jammeh is a millionaire today, and could he
really have amassed millions from his salary? To make millions, one has ot
have capital to invest, and so the question is which capital was used and did
the returns go to benefit those to whom the invested capital rightfully
belongs?
Today in The Gambia, despite the gloss being presented for our consumption,
mothers are pretending to be cooking until their hungry children go to sleep
on empty stomachs accordign to this UNDP report, and our President is a
millionaire. The same picture is repeatedly seen on the African continent,
but this same leadership unashamedly hightails it to these international
begging sessions to beg for Africa, and the World infact is also wise to the
fact that what is given hardly goes to those it is intended for.
The big question here indeed is not what will others do for Africa, but what,
for the love of God Almighty will Africans do for themselves for a change,
instead of relegating ourselves to a collection of beggar nations that occupy
some of the most natural resource rich continent on earth? If only Africa's
leaders will cease seeing power as a stepping stone to riches at the expense
of the people, and cooperation among African countries as a threat to their
"monarchy cum democracy that they see leadership as being, and start a
dialogue towards economic cooperation , we will be running to big brother to
solve our problems forever, and without any results, and rightly so.
Also, another point is that most of what Africa consumes comes from the very
nations we are constantly begging for assistance like incompetent and
helpless little children, and to assume that these same nations will cut off
their own very lucrative buiness of supplying everything to Africa is at
worse naive. Are we to believe that we in Africa are incapable of producing
what we consume, from food to other goods? I think it is also a case of some
very effective indoctrination that has left us believing this, coupled with
corruption in our leadership who is ever willing to cooperate with those who
stand only to exploit Africa's natural resources which is made easy by the
present chaos, confusion, poverty and lack of dedication to truely
representing the people on the part of our leadership. Capital to enable the
average African to start a business is something that only a select few can
ever hope for, so how is a person to survive in such a hopeless situation?
Therefore, going to these same sources to alleviate our problems is a waste
of time and certainly does not earn us any respect. These same nations we run
to for help like little boys and girls have long fanned the fires of
discord, helped prop up corrupt leaders or looked the other way because a
confused and helpless Africa rife with corrupt leaders who care only for
themselves makes the job of using Africa as a hunting ground for those who
have no qualms to exploit their fellow man an ideal situation
Poverty, deprivation, diseases and other terrible burdens on the human
condition in Africa will eventually make Africans extinct if things continue
as they are now, and then those who scramble for Africa, and who we
constantly go to for help will have a field day. Maybe then they can divide
up the loot with the corrupt leaders and live happily ever after.
Unless and until African countries start to talk to each other and formulate
a way to produce what we consume and trade with each other as well as protect
each others' interest, which in turn will make us a force to reckon with, we
will be forever beggars.
Unless we do this, we will never be in a position to put systems into place
that will protect the interest of the average African.
However, that has to start from a base of caring for the welfare of the human
condition in Africa, and we have leaders who simply care only for themselves,
and much of the general populace spends much of their time too busy
undermining each other to think about organizing anything that will benefit
all of us. Instead, we consider any attempts by those of us who care as
really a passport for that person to gain something, and we better stop them
before that happens. It is an amazing phenomenon that we have to address, but
perhaps because our experience has been of leadership that cares only for
themselves has left it's mark.
I always say that the best thing that happened to China was that they closed
up their doors and were thus able to not only preserve their culture, but
also to work and develop industries without being dependent on anyone.
On the other hand, in Africa, not only did we let our culture be overrun, but
we have come to the point where other people's culture is seen to be far more
superior and much more desirable than ours. The leadership we have does not
work to utilize the meager resources we have to help implement programs to
alleviate poverty, create jobs and foster an atmosphere that will encourage
the sons and daughters of Africa who are wondering around the World to come
home and embark in ventures to further enhance the economy. Instead the ysee
most of these people as threats because they are likely to vocalize what
these corrupt leaders are doing wrong
The tragedy of the lack of cooperation between African leaders is made even
more so by the fact that all of our leaders are fortune hunters who are
afraid that if they cooperate with the next African leader, this may perhaps
jeopadise their quest for a life long hold on power in their own "banana
republic". They rather like the idea of anyone who may challenge them being
as far away as possible, while they set up a mafia-like system of government
to exploit those who are helpless and being rendered even more so on a daily
basis.
The prospects for Africa's people is indeed grim, and the blame as you said,
rests squarely on the shoulders of our leaders. We have no one to blame but
our leadership and ourselves, and unless and until we do something about it,
our situation will forever worsen. It is time to stop running to other
countries to help us, only we can help ourselves.It is time for corrupt
leadership in Africa to realize that they are the perpitrators of our
horrible condition.
Jabou Joh
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