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Tag: Africa

  • On ethics and leadership in Africa (I)

    On ethics and leadership in Africa (I)

    Last Thursday, June 27, a Kano based public relations company, Direct Contact Promotional Communications Ltd., made a public presentation of Kwankwasiyya, its newly published illustrated children’s bilingual biography of Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the Kano State governor. It had invited me to speak as guest of honour on the topic of leadership. The notice was short but I accepted the invitation because it provided me an opportunity to present a paper I had prepared on the topic two years ago for another occasion but which I never published. After re-reading it I thought it was even more relevant today than it was two years ago, considering the shameful spectacle of squabbling governors over the simple election of the chair of their forum alone with which they have been entertaining the public.

    In the end I could not present the paper in person because the publishers suddenly shifted the venue from Abuja to Kano. However my friend and professional colleague, Ujudud Sheriff, who was spending the week in Kano, his home state, accepted my request to stand in for me. The following is the first part of the paper:

     

    What is Ethics? One definition by the ENCARTA CONCISE ENGLISH DICTIONARY is that it is “the system of moral principles governing the appropriate conduct for an individual or group”. Another dictionary, the WEBSTER NEW TWENTIETH CENTURY DICTIONARY, defines it as “the system or code of morals of a particular philosopher, religion, group, profession, etc.”

    Ethics, in other words, is simply a set of rules about the dos and don’ts, virtues or vices, in a society. By universal consent, behaviours or actions like honesty, patience, loyalty, modesty, equity, justice, faith, etc, are virtues. Among vices are of course the opposite of all these.

    Probably the most concise articulation of these universal virtues are those famous Biblical Ten Commandments to mankind never to do certain things i.e. that Man should not kill, steal or lie, etc.

    Obviously any society in which vices outweigh virtues will not make progress. Instead it will degenerate and eventually collapse. This is pretty much obvious in the rise and fall of empires since Adam and Eve. Historically empires have collapsed more from internal decay than from external attack.

    Every society has custodians of its virtues. These, by definition, are its leaders. ENCARTA defines a leader variously as “somebody whom people follow” and as “somebody in charge of others”. WEBSTER defines a leader simply as “a person or thing that leads”.

    People acquire leadership status by virtue of their knowledge, experience, wealth or sheer personality or a combination of these. They may become leaders through the ballot box or the barrel of the gun.

    Logically any society that has a preponderance of good leaders would prosper and that which does not, won’t.

    Africa, it would seem, has had a preponderance of bad leaders at least since a little after the departure in the ‘60s of the Europeans that had colonised it for about a century. As Africa celebrated 50 years of its independence from colonial rule this year it remained the poorest region in the world and falling even further behind all the other regions.

    According to Martin Meredith, a British journalist who has written extensively on Africa, in his 2005 book The State of Africa, the continent’s average per capita income is one-third lower than that of the world’s second poorest region, South Asia. The per capital incomes of most of its countries, he says, has halved from those of 1980, or in some cases, from those of 1960. Half of its nearly 1 billion people live on less than a dollar a day. Its entire economic output is about $420 billion, which is 1.3% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product, “less than (that of) a country like Mexico,” which itself is among the poorest in the world.

    Africa, continues Meredith, is the only region where school enrolment and life expectancy are falling.

    The most glaring contrast in the development trajectory of Africa and Asia can be seen in the post-colonial histories of Nigeria, the continent’s most promising at independence, and Singapore, a tiny island state, which started out as part of Malaysia.

    With a population of at least 150 million, Nigeria is the most populous on the continent and the 10th largest in the world. It produces about 2 million barrels of oil a day, making it the fourth biggest producer in OPEC. Its arable land is one of the largest on the continent and it is also well-endowed with solid minerals that are in great demand world-wide.

    By contrast, Singapore has a population of 5 million and has no mineral resources. Its only natural endowment is its deep seaport. Fifty years ago Singapore, as part of Malaysia, was poorer than Nigeria. Its prospects looked bleak as it was forced to leave Malaysia due to ethnic and religious differences with the mainland.

    Today, Nigeria, with a Human Development Index of 46.6, according to a recent The Economist Pocket World in Figures, remains among the poorest in the world. In sharp contrast, Singapore, with an HDI of 90.2, has moved from its status as a poor Third World country to the rich First.

    The difference, it seems, has been in the leadership of the two countries. No one has put this better than Chinua Achebe, Africa’s finest novelist and essayist.

    “The trouble with Nigeria,” he said in a pamphlet of the same title he wrote over 27 years ago, “is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership”.

    In a lecture to the Nigerian chapter of Oxbridge Club he delivered at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs on March 17, 1989, former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, arguably Nigeria’s most influential leader since independence, seemed to agree completely with Achebe.

    At the time of his lecture he was already four years in office out of a tenure that eventually lasted eight years. In those eight years he changed the face of Nigeria’s political-economy, for better or worse, more than any leader before him or after.

    “I venture to suggest”, he said in the Oxbridge lecture, one of his most controversial, “that it is the nature of the competition among us, the so-called elite… which have been at the root of our national problem.”

    “Who are the elite in our national context?”, he asked rhetorically and quickly answered himself. These, he said, are “a few of us, numbering a few thousands out of a population of more than 100 million (who) find ourselves in positions of leadership and influence in the professions and academic, the armed forces, the bureaucracy, industry, agriculture and commerce, in the media houses, in the courts and councils of our traditional and political associates,”

    “You will perhaps agree,” he said, “that the worst attitude of the Nigerian elite over the last three decades or more have included factionalism, disruptive competition, extreme greed and selfishness, indolence and abandonment of the pursuit of excellence.” These vices, he said, also included indecisiveness and inconsistency in policy making occasioned by self-interest.

    Having diagnosed the crisis of leadership he said the country was suffering from, he proceeded to offer a solution which he said was indeed THE only solution.

    The Structural Adjustment Programme his administration had introduced in 1987, he said, was “the only possible answer” which should be embraced in all its ramifications by anyone who considered himself a patriot. It had its pains, he admitted, but its liberalisation and the deregulation of the economy unleashed the spirit of enterprise among Nigerians. The “good results” of SAP, he predicted, should be evident “from the middle of the next decade onwards,” i.e. 1995.

    Four years after Babangida’s prediction, The Economist published a survey on Nigeria entitled “Anybody seen a giant?” The survey, in the magazine’s edition of August 21, 1993, entered a verdict that contradicted Babangida’s prediction.

    “Nigerians” said, the survey’s author, Sophie Pedder, “are forever being told, and forever telling visitors, that they are the giants of Africa. If Africa is ever going to produce a South Korea, they say, it will happen in Nigeria. Yet each time the country has the chance to turn itself into a prosperous model for still poor Africa, it blows it.” Babangida, the author concluded in not so many words, was yet another disappointment. And whoever succeeds him from August 27 1993, she said, was unlikely to be any different.

     

  • Africa should say no to terrorism – Obama

    Africa should say no to terrorism – Obama

    Despite the alarming rate of violence being perpetrated by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, US President Barack Obama has stated that America is tired of fighting wars and may not intervene directly.

    He said this during a Town Hall meeting with young African students and leaders in Soweto, South Africa. It was part of activities lined up for his three-nation African visit.

    Reacting to a question from a Nigerian via satellite bordering on a US intervention in the Boko Haram crisis, Obama said the US was going to be less direct in its involvement in global conflicts. He said, “There are some extremist groups that would not compromise or work through a democratic process. And we have to also be realistic about that and what we want to do is partner with African countries to figure out how we can help.”

    On that score, Obama said, “We can provide advice and training and in some cases, equipment, but, we would love nothing more than for Africa to collectively say no to extremism, say no to terrorism, to say no to sectarianism, which in the case of Boko Haram, for example, is an example for essentially a religious rationale for this kind of violence.”

    Debunking a notion of America’s eagerness to expand its military reach, Obama who expressed weariness over the death of American soldiers said, “Every week, I’m writing letters to the families of fallen soldiers. Sometimes, I go to Arlington National Cemetery where our heroes are buried and I hug those families and feel their sobs on my shoulders.

    “This idea that we want to get more involved militarily around the world is simply not true. First of all, it costs a lot of money. And the United States, just like every country around the world, has to think about its budget. And where we intervene often times, it’s not always very effective because unless you’ve got a local population that is standing up against terrorism, we end up being viewed as interlopers and intruders. So, on the African contest, what we want to do is to build African capacity. We want the African Union and other regional organisations to build up that capacity to send in peace-keepers, to be able to nip terrorist cells that may be forming before they start and gain spring.”

    He, however, said the US would confront attacks on its embassies and citizens. “What we won’t do,” Obama said, “is just stand by if our embassy is being attacked or our people are in vulnerable situations. And we expect countries to work with us to try to deal with some of these threats. This is a global issue.”

    Obama also urged the youths to take charge of their future, especially the economics. He said; “I want to make sure that as countries come to Africa, they are benefiting Africa. If somebody’s building a road in Africa, make sure they’re hiring some Africans. If there’s going to be manufacturing taking place of raw materials, locate some of those plants here in Africa. So, I do want to make sure that as you enter into government or business, whoever you’re dealing with, make sure you get a good deal that will benefit the people here and can help to spur on broad-based development. And hopefully, that’s the kind of relationship you’ll be able to develop with the United States of America.”

    The US President also harped on the need for African entrepreneurs to strive to operate on a global scale, saying that six of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world were in Africa.

    “We’re in a global economy with a global chain,” Obama said. “And I don’t want Africa to continually be at the bottom of the supply chain. You produce the raw material so cheap and then all the way up the chain somebody else is making all the money and creating the jobs and the value. So, part of your generation’s challenge will be making sure that first of all, you have a transparent, accountable, non-corrupt, open government because economic development is not going to happen in the absence of that kind of certainty.”

    Earlier in his address to the youths, Obama said, “no matter how old you grow, I say to you today. “Don’t lose those qualities of youth – your imagination, your optimism, your idealism, because the future of this continent is in your hands. And if you keep your head pointed towards the sun, if you keep your feet moving forward, I promise you will have no better friend and partner than the United States of America.”

    Obama also spoke on the need to tackle food insecurity and environmental challenges like global warming across the continent. The Town Hall meeting which was organised by the Young African Leadership Initiatives had contributions from youth leaders across the African continent.

  • Two men of Africa

    Two men of Africa

    Heroes come too rarely yet pass so quickly

    If only the plow fields of human endeavor obeyed the rules governing physical objects. The sun rises and sets. Day turns to night to return to day once more. We literally set our clocks by this constant rhythm. Such is not the case in the affairs of man. The passage of a person of greatness does not guarantee another shall rise in his stead. The only certainty accompanying the passage man is that the man shall be forever gone. Who may fill the vacuum is a matter of hope and conjecture, not of certitude. Sometimes light is replaced by light, sometime by darkness. Sometimes it is replaced by nothing at all.

    Nelson Mandela lies in the hospital. He has been in this position many times in recent years. Although eventually discharged, each convalescence weakened him, meaning the next visit would come quicker than the one it followed. Slowly, the decline has brought us to the current point. This time something seems different. Something funereal lingers.

    The media pictures the situation as Mandela clinging to life. This is false. It is not Mandela holding to life. It is us desperately clinging to Mandela. We refuse to let him go. We are too frightened to allow him to be mortal even at this frail point in his life. We have turned him into a monument and seek to once more confine him in this edifice we have created of him. He is more legend than human; we subconsciously hope the greatness of his past will somehow redeem our future missteps.

    Debate whether the family should allow him to pass quietly or deploy the finest medical practitioners to keep him alive, even in a reduced state, misses the point. You don’t allow this rare individual to pass quietly into history. The family is emotionally and morally obligated to fight like soldiers to keep him with us as long as possible. As painful as this slow walk to the exit may seem, they have no other alternative. They must fight for him as he had fought for all of us. To some, this struggle is futile because no one cheats Death. Yet, for that very reason they must struggle against the impossible. In so doing, they give a fitting tribute to their beloved.

    No public figure in the past fifty years has ever personified the best aspirations of a nation and mankind than Mandela. Usually, when the world proclaims a man “the father of his nation,” we sheepishly glance about because we the statement to be hyperbole. When that term is applied to Mandela, it is not an exaggeration. It is an understatement.

    History records that Nelson Mandela became president of the South Africa on 1994. This is factually true but inaccurate. In a more profound way, Madiba was destined to become president of non-apartheid, democratic South Africa the moment he was sentenced to Robben Island. On that isolated rock, Mandela found his better self. Thrust into a predicament that would have embittered most personalities and warped many minds, Mandela managed to groom himself for the great task at hand. He is that rare figure who can have a daily encounter with inhumanity yet emerge the better for it.

    His foes sent Mandela to prison so that they might be rid of him. Instead, they had enrolled him in a unique school of governance and tolerance. Being that school’s valedictorian, Mandela would be the only plausible choice to lead South Africa from a cruel, rigid night into a hopeful but uncertain dawn. As such, his captives were more complicit in dismantling their racist state than they care to admit. Time and time again, upon the submerged stones of condign irony, human progress traverses the waters and tides of backwardness to reach a safer place on a more placid shore.

    Not since President Lincoln steered America through its moment of truth, the Civil War, has a single person carried a nation on his back as had Nelson Mandela when he ferried South Africa from racial cataclysm to a better, if still imperfect, future. For America, an assassin’s bullet took Lincoln from the scene as the nation turned from war to the tasks of reconciliation and reconstruction. Because of Lincoln’s absence, reconstruction did not take place as it should have. After Lincoln’s interment, no hero arose to continue in his footsteps. At a critical juncture, the nation was placed in the custody of leaders of lesser mettle and more selfish interests. Post-war reconstruction and the integration of former slaves into society were impaired. It took another century of pain and struggle for Blacks to attain a status unfettered by legalized racial discrimination.

    Mandela’s historic task was as steep as Lincoln’s, in some ways similar, in some ways different. The latter had to prevent a divided nation from splintering apart over the issue of race. He had to begin integrating the newly freed minority into a wounded but healing nation. On the other hand, Mandela had to keep a tense nation from sliding into violent insurrection. Presiding over the transfer of political power from a brutal minority regime, he had to assure this powerful minority that its legitimate interests would be protected. He also had to assure the suppressed majority that a new reality had truly been set forth. Yet he asked this majority to exercise patience in not pressing too hard, too fast for radical socio-economic change.

    His primary task was to keep intact the new architecture of power. He had to prove Black leadership was sufficiently disciplined and sane to effectively govern the nation without grounding its relatively sophisticated, if grossly unequal, political economy. Keeping the nation intact and creating a political culture of tolerance and compromise are the obelisks marking the accomplishments of this man.

    It would have been too much to ask even this remarkable man to have overseen the needed reconfiguration of South Africa’s political economy. The black majority still wallows in depravation and cut itself on poverty. Many townships are nothing but aliases for ghettoes; they teem with the young, wretched and disenfranchised. If the current situation persists, the previous racial apartheid will transform into a socio-economic apartheid, pitting white and black elites against the pedestrian bulk. On the surface, things have changed because racial discrimination has been restrained. However, it will still be apartheid. As such, it will blight the nation and the people will eventually reject its imposition. Whether this is done with reason and in peace or with the rush and sweep of a violent, desperate hand depends on the political leadership. Thus far, those who have come after Mandela look much smaller than the work fate has given them.

    To his credit, Mandel laid the foundation for this difficult work. The impending tragedy of South Africa is that it was not Mandela’s historic mission to do this work yet he might be the only one at present who could. This is one reason the people cling to his life as if it is their own. While the reformative task is rarely discussed in public because it disturbs the myth of racial harmony, most South Africans realize they must soon confront this truth lest it confront them at a moment and in conditions less benign than what now exist.

    However, they are unsure they can do the difficult job in a way that will not undo the good work already achieved. They hold to Mandela in the futile hope that as long as he lives, things can remain peacefully as they are. As long as he is here, they feel the nation will not have to confront this historic imperative or that somehow he will guide them pass the rough thicket as he has done before. One cannot blame them for this belief. Any people in their position would reason the same way even if it amounts to reasoning against reason itself.

    Against this backdrop, President Obama begins his visit to three African nations. That President Obama, America’s first Black president, now visits South Africa as its first Black president begins to fade is a poignant moment. Some hope it is more than coincidence. Like the physical world’s abhorrence of a vacuum, somehow Mandela may pass the mantle of greatness to Obama. This would be nice for it has the ingredients of epic legend. Even though their precise histories and cultures differ greatly, the two nations are kindred in that both grappled with long-standing white-against-black legalized discrimination.

    In becoming the first Black American president, Obama’s rise was more meteoric and much less taxing than what Mandela endured. Compared to Mandela harsh odyssey, Obama waltzed into the White House. Yet, in some ways, Obama’s task was tougher. He was a minority candidate in a nation where the majority still gazes in suspicion at dark skin. In the end, Mandela had numbers supporting him. Obama had good fortune and the political dexterity of a masterful campaigner. Yet, campaigning is different than governance. Excellent campaigning elevates a man to a position of responsibility. Ability, character and statesmanship will determine whether he becomes a hero or a cipher.

    As Africa prepares itself for the departure of a genuine hero, it welcomes a Black leader who must decide whether he works for posterity or for the interests of the powerful. At the beginning of his presidency, I predicted President Obama would change American policy toward Africa, giving it a more enlightened hue. I was half right. He changed American policy. It got smaller, except for the one aspect that did not need to expand. America’s military presence in Africa has grown under this President while its humanitarian and diplomatic engagement has atrophied.

    His approach to Africa does not suffer an intellectual deficient. His problem remains psychological. Toward all things Black, he maintains a public indifference. That he is Black is no secret. It is part of his calling card and appeal. Yet, because he recoils from the thought of being accused of racial favoritism by conservative political elements in America, he purposely shortchanges those who support him the most. It is a strange phenomenon. In his defense, some will say he copies Mandela by assuring American Whites a Black man can manage the nation efficiently. Superficially, there is similarity but the vast differences of both nations make the comparison a thin one. In South Africa, the bulk of the political system was given in one fell swoop to a Black majority. The question then became would the majority push their once brutal overlords into the sea in an eruption of harsh justice and retribution. Mandela answered “no.” The masses endorsed him.

    With decent future leadership, he knew demographics favored the people over the long term. He did not need to push things. Time and prudence would do what political rashness could not.

    Obama is still a minority political figure. Although President, he does not control the political system. It controls him. Black Americans are as peripheral as ever; their plight worsens by the year. Time works against them. There is no real possibility of them supplanting the preferred position of the White population. Black America does not need time. It needs emergency help of the fist order. Those Whites who warn of a Black uprising know their warning to be counterfeit. Their reward is notoriety, and access to that ready and large constituency of racists. These antics fit into the tradition of America’s racial politics. They are also intended to frighten Obama. Thus far, they have been more successful at scaring the man than progressives, black and white, have been in emboldening him.

    As America’s first Black president, Obama has to be concerned with the dynamics of stupid racism; however, he errors in elevating those dynamics to the position of high policy. These are base sentiments that he must treat as real but also as the base things they are. In effect, he must seek a better balance between assuaging the unfounded but deep fears of racism with meeting the legitimate, suppressed aspirations of minority America and with Africa.

    He did not strike this balance in this current Africa trip. The visit has a travelogue quality about it. He is not visiting Africa as a policy imperative as much as he is going to popular tourist destinations.

    Had he wanted a truly landmark Africa visit ushering in a breakthrough American policy, there are other nations he could have visited. Libya was not on the itinerary. America warred to oust the strongman, claiming the fight was to liberate the people. Now, the place is a maelstrom. Democracy and prosperity are not readily had. It seems western concern stopped at removing Qaddafi and has not continued toward the welfare of the people. Day by day, more Libyans reminisce about Qaddafi. If things continue as they are, some people will disinter the man’s bones, figuring his ghost will be a better leader than the current group hoisted upon them.

    The President could have focused on the Congo. This nation is vital to the true development of the continent. But many interests converge to keep it the prostrate, sick man of Africa. UN military deployments in the country are too small to end the anomie. Congo’s smaller neighbors are close American allies. These nations fear becoming Congo’s satellites should the nation rise from the pit. Thus, they keep it submerged. To control this large nation, they must keep it poor and fractured. In exchange for maintaining this negative political power, these American allies forfeit the economic well-being of the entire region.

    Without the Congo as the driving force, the regional economy cannot grow beyond its smaller self. However, this does not stop these nations from conniving with western corporations to confiscate the Congo’s immense mineral wealth for a pittance, again leaving the nation poor and supine. Thus, the peace arrangement sponsored by America which effectively leaves these neighbors in control of the eastern Congo’s fate is artifice. They will continue to bleed the nation. Still, what is good for these smaller states is inimical for Africa as a whole.

    Due to the lack of courage and statesmanship, the smaller game takes precedent over the large objective. President Obama also could have visited the continent’s most populous nation, Nigeria, with its myriad potential and challenges. But the nation is too complex for the superficiality that describes this tour.

    In the end, it is good President Obama came to Africa at this time when all eyes are focused South Africa and its father, Nelson Mandela. Somewhere deep in his soul there must part of this son of Africa that would like to learn the deeper lessons of Mandela’s greatness and not just finish his presidency as an establishment, mainstream American politician in chocolate face. The great gift of Mandela was to convince the majority not to exert itself against a minority that had wronged it. Will Obama attempt to convince the American majority to treat more equitably the minority it has aggrieved? Will he actually lead the western world to give a better economic deal to the African continent the West has brusquely exploited? If he can muster the courage, he may still be the hero all hoped for. If not, then we must hang on to Mandela as long as possible because we will surely miss him when his time to depart eventually falls due.

    08060340285 (sms only)

     

  • When will Africa’s time come? (2)

    Sometimes, I wonder what kind of spirit drives some people who claim to be ‘leaders’ of their communities and societies to be so heartless to the same people they claim to lead. It must be an evil spirit indeed. We know every leader cannot be like Nelson Mandela, one of the most selfless and venerated leaders the world has ever seen. But a little bit of human feeling and empathy for the people should not come amiss.

    That is something the 21st century Africa expects, no, demands from those who are leading it or aspire to. Some of our forefathers of old who connived with the white slave traders centuries ago to sell off our people who were in their prime, could be excused for their ignorance and misplaced greed. The same cannot be said of the so-called ‘big men’ of today; especially those in political positions whose decisions impact on the lives of millions. The stakes are much higher now than before as the continent continues to lag behind the rest of the world, wearing its ‘basket case tag’ like a trophy.

    We need to ask ourselves why beautiful Africa, the most resource rich continent in the world is so helpless and deprived and relies on hand-outs from the West to survive. This question is more apt today as a new world order is emerging. This order is seeing economic power shifting from the Western world that had been enjoying economic boom and world dominance for centuries, to a different zone: the South particularly Asian countries.

    These countries and other emerging markets have acquired Western technology (either by buying, stealing or other means) and are now producers rather than consumers of Western products. The West, hitherto the world’s supplier of goods, hardly produces anything anymore. I remember as a child that most of the gadgets and personal items like electronics, clothes even imported tinned foods we used at home, were either made in England, Germany or the U.S. But go to the U.K today and visit any of their shops. Nearly all the products there are either made in China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia or other Asian countries.

    Any surprise then that many Western, so-called developed countries are stone broke? The U.S is indebted to the tune of about 16 trillion dollars and the U.K over a trillion pounds. Many E.U countries such as Ireland, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus have had to be bailed out to avoid economic collapse. In Greece, families there are having to put their children into orphanages because they can’t afford to feed them. It’s that bad.

    The Asians have wised up and are beating the West at their own game. So where is Africa in this new world order, that is seeing a power shift from the West to other parts of the world? No where to be found except when it comes to corruption, wars and disease!

    While the Asians especially the Chinese, who have become the ‘factory of the world’, are using their new technological prowess to advance their economies, develop their infrastructure and improve the quality of life of their people, many African leaders and others in decision-making positions (who have replaced the white slave masters of old and their black collaborators) behave as if there’s nothing at stake. They continue to loot their people’s resources which they cart abroad, leaving the people in poverty.

    Here’s a word for these treasury looters: stealing your people’s money and siphoning same abroad is so ‘old school and 19th century mentality’, you are beginning to look like buffoons before the rest of the world. It’s time to wake up and join the rest of the world in this century. Remember, the same thing happened to the people of Europe and America in the past, where their wealthy and ruling class woke up one day and realized that they could not sleep well at night or enjoy their wealth in peace when the teeming poor around them were kept awake at night by hunger and deprivation. It was then they conceived policies that would turn around their societies to become the ‘advanced’, developed places they are today.

    The Asians, having realised that change within their societies can only come about through their own efforts, have woken up and ‘smelt the coffee.’

    It’s Africa’s time to do the same. Our ‘basket case’ days have lasted too long.

    •Concluded

  • How Africa can overcome poverty

    How Africa can overcome poverty

    How can Africans combat the challenges of democracy and improve their living conditions? It is by adding an African flavour and momentum to their endeavour, says a United States based scholar, Prof AbdulKarim Bangura.

    He said such position is part of the cultural heritage of Africans, that must be revitalised in the hearts and minds of some Africans.

    He noted that African countries do not need a Eurocentric approach to democratic development because ‘we have the answers in Africa, all what we need is the context and environment to make it work.’

    He spoke as a guest lecturer at this year’s Centre For Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC) Distinguished Public Lecture titled: The democratic project and the human condition across the African continent, which held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). It was organised in collaboration with the Department of Sociology.

    The Howard University lecturer also charged Nigeria to take up the leadership position of Africa, adding that it has the resources to do so. He said failure to do so, South Africa might overtake her in the leadership race on the continent. “Nigeria gave the world Prof Wole Soyinka, the late Chinua Achebe and Toyin Falola, among other distinguished scholars in various fields of human endeavours,” he said.

    Bangura pointed out that for Africans politics defines duties and responsibilities alongside obligations and rights. All these, he said, relate to the various activities that have to do with survival. He added that the survival concept is continuing, dynamic and dialectical.

    “The fundamental principle that is at the basis of this concept is a moral one. Moreover, the African moral order never defined rigid frontiers of good and evil. Good and evil exist in the same continuum. Whatever is good, by the very nature of its goodness, harbours a grain of evil.

    This is a guarantee against any exaggerated sense of moral superiority which goodness by itself mail entail. The notion of perfection, therefore, is alien to African thought. Perfection in itself constitutes a temptation to danger, an invitation to arrogance and self-glorification. The principle of balance defines the relationship between good and evil. As life operates in a dialectics of struggle, so also does good balance evil vice versa,”

    he added.

    According to him, the essence of an African-centred approach is that it is imperative and urgent for Africans to be concerned about broader development as well as approaches to development that are undergirded by humanity or fellow feeling toward others. He stressed that when African-centredness is considered along with the idea of socialisation effects of developmental environments and the possibilities of a reinforcement of these notions and contexts, the implications for an African development process appear vital.

    Continuing, he said: “African-centredness gives a distinctly African meaning to, and a reason or motivation for, a positive attitude towards the other. In the light of the calls for an African Renaissance, African-centredness urges Africans to betrue to their promotion of good governance, democracy, peaceful relations and conflict resolution, educational and other developmental aspirations.

    “We ought never to falsify the cultural reality which is the goal of African-centredness. Thus, we would have to oppose all sorts of simplified or supposedly simplified approaches and stress instead the methods which will achieve the best possible access to real life, language and philosophy.”

    Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, who was represented by the Deputy Director in the ministry, Ms Grace Gekpe, said disturbing images have emerged from the African, citing the UNDP Human Development Index report that paints a gory picture of the continent. He said, according to the report, Africa’s share on the world market and the values of its exports can be compared to that of Hong Kong. “In terms of GNP, the continent is comparable to an average European country and the budget of an average African country is equivalent to the budget of an average European city,: he said.

    He, however, noted that Nigeria like other African countries, is confronted with the challenges of poverty, disease, unemployment, illiteracy, terrorism and many other ills. He assured that as an administration, ‘we have made efforts to confront these challenges headlong in the areas of agriculture, education, healthcare delivery and employment generation.’

    Director-General, CBAAC, Prof. Tunde Babawale, observed that democracy has been experiencing perturbations, adding that despite the expectations from democratic governance, the rules of democracy have been sidetracked or disregarded.This, he said, has made dividends of democracy to remain a dissolving mirage in many African countries such that a majority of the people lives below one dollar a day.

     

  • Nigeria, others lose $300bn to oil theft, illegal fishing

    Nigeria, others lose $300bn to oil theft, illegal fishing

    African countries have lost about $300 billion to oil theft and illegal fishing in the continent, the Chairperson of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has said.

    She spoke yesterday at the opening ceremony of the first summit of Heads of States and Governments of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC),in Yaounde, the Cameroon.

    According to her, the continent has lost $200 billion in five decades to illegal fishing and $100 billion to illegal bunkering since 2003.

    “We cannot allow this incursion of resources to continue”. She warned

    President Goodluck Jonathan was among the 25 African leaders that were at the opening ceremony of the summit, which focuses on maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea.

    The leaders gathered under the UN Resolution 2039 of February 2012, for the Gulf of Guinea region where 200 million people are living under threat of piracy, transnational maritime crimes.

    The summit is to provide a coordinated regional and international response to the scourges of piracy, drug trafficking, armed robbery and other illegal maritime activities in the Gulf of Guinea.

    At the summit, the leaders will review and adopt a series of measures that were previously reviewed at the March 2013 inter-ministerial conference held in Cotonou (Benin).

    The Nigerian Navy disclosed that the country records between 10 to 15 attacks monthly on its stretch of the Gulf of Guinea.

    According to statistics released at the summit, in the year 2012, 45 per cent of the crimes were committed on Nigeria’s borders, Togo 25 per cent, Ghana three per cent, DRC three per cent, Cameroon five per cent, Sierra Leone two per cent, Benin three per cent and Cote d’ Ivoire two per cent.

    The International Maritime Organization (IMO) also broke down the attacks recorded to 58 in 2011, 45 in 2012, 34 of which occurred between January and September of the same year as against 30 in 2011 during the same period.

    The attacks have resulted to insecurity, threats to economic growth and political stability in neighbouring countries.

    The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon in his message delivered by Abou Moussa, commended the leaders of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC).

    The summit, he said, is the best option available to save citizens of the affected countries from poverty since crime diminishes their economic power.

    The host, President Paul Biya, called on his colleagues to make sacrifices to reverse the negative trend.

  • … Going green in Africa

    Green Afrique Network, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation and The Rock Foundation is organising an African Action Summit in honour of World Environment Day to exploit Africa’s natural resources for sustainable economic development; adoption of best practices for human hygiene and waste management; identify and protect endangered species of African Flora and Fauna and to develop a platform for the promotion of clear and impactful projects throughout Africa.
    The summit, which is billed to take place June 28, in Lagos, Nigeria will feature a Green Lecture, a high -level lunch, and an Elite Gala dinner.  Some of the speakers expected at the summit include Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gbenga Ashiru, The Guardian Newspapers, Mrs Maiden Ibru, Nigeria’s foremost Green Activists – Dr Newton Jibunoh; Senator Remi Tinubu and Prof Wole Soyinka among others.
    In a statement by Green Afrique Network, with the clear understanding that the future belongs to the youth, the summit will allow for youths participation via the iRave Nigeria- TAN Ultra Violet RAVE!  Featuring Nigeria’s ‘hottest Dj’s’ and selected artists.
    The summit will also engage vibrant use of popular social media platforms to popularise the message: “Green Nigeria, Green Africa, Green World”.
    It has also provided a platform through its website www.greenafrique.com to RSVP for the event and also interact through Twitter #greenafrique and Green Afrique on facebook.
    According to the convener, “The earth has suffered unprecedented abuse. Sometimes, this abuse goes undocumented and some of the effects may remain unknown for generations to come. Humans have exploited the land for its mineral resources, dumped toxic waste in the seas and oceans, and hunted some of the fauna and flora to near or complete extinction. They have not cared enough to consider that Mother Earth is dying and in dire need of advocates. Like a maiden in distress, the land is in search of true heroes.”
    “The expectation is that participants will begin to carry a torch for the environment and protect it dearly. they will understand creative ways to manage trash; earn additional ‘green’ income from tree planting and agriculture; and green efficiency even in the home, will ring out loud and proud. Caring for the environment is critical! The time for AFRICAN Environmental ACTION is Now!”

  • Obama should speak on witch hunts in Africa tour

    Obama should speak on witch hunts in Africa tour

    SIR: Later in the month, President Barack Obama arrives Africa for a three-nation tour. Obama will visit Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. He will use the opportunity to strengthen ties and promote issues of mutual interests. I hope President Obama will, during his trip, speak out against witchcraft related killings and abuses in Africa.

    Belief in witchcraft and magic is strong and pervasive in Africa including Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. Witchcraft accusation is widespread, and related abuses are rampant. Witch hunt presents a major human rights, humanitarian and development challenge to the continent. In fact belief in malevolent magic and other occult powers presents the greatest obstacle to African renaissance and enlightenment.

    Most Africans take belief in witchcraft seriously. The term witchcraft evokes fear, panic and apprehension in the hearts and minds of people. Witchcraft accusations corrupt and poison fellow feeling and family relationships.

    In Ghana, suspected witches are banished to ‘make shift camps’ in the North of the country. In Congo DRC and Nigeria, children accused of witchcraft are abandoned and forced to live on the streets. They are subjected by pastors to torture, inhumane and degrading treatment in the name of exorcism. In Uganda, old women are often branded witches and children are killed for ritual purposes. In Kenya, witch burning is rampant particularly in Kisii region. In Malawi, elderly women were until recently jailed for witchcraft. In Cameroun and Central African Republic, witchcraft is recognized by law and suspected witches are tried in state courts. In Nigeria, witchcraft accusation is illegal but accusations continue to take place across the country with impunity. Witchcraft related murders often go unpunished.

    In one of the countries Obama will be visiting- Tanzania- albinos are targeted and killed for ritual purposes. The body parts of albinos are harvested, sold and used for ritual potions which many people believe will bring good luck, power and wealth. Some people mistakenly identify witchcraft as ‘African science’ and witch hunting as part of African culture. Many people fear to speak out against witchcraft related abuse because they believe witches exist, and witchcraft is real.

    President Obama should, during his visit, help raise the profile of the campaign against witch hunt and related killings and abuses and help bring an end to this dark age phenomenon. He should pressure African leaders to take pro active measures against these horrific abuses- to decriminalize witchcraft, enforce the laws against witch hunting and support victims of accusation.

    He should help rally international support for victims of witchcraft accusations and those internally displaced due to witchcraft –those who are languishing in camps in Ghana and Burkina Faso, and accused children living on the streets of Congo Kinshasha, and in Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers states in Nigeria.

    The American president should Obama should not miss the opportunity of using his upcoming trip to Africa to make a clear and categorical case against witch hunt, witchcraft related killings and abuses.

     

    • Leo Igwe,

    University of Bayreuth, Germany

  • African Global DJ Awards set for debut

    TALENTS in the entertainment industry have been appreciated overtime by the emergence of award ceremonies to cater for the different facets of the industry with no credit to the Disc Jockeys (DJs). Organizers of the African Global DJ Awards (AGDA), describe themselves as individuals poised with the believe in what DJs do for the entertainment industry, therefore partnering to create a forum through which they would be honoured and appreciated by setting up a non-governmental organization aimed at giving due credit to DJs worldwide. The debut edition of the awards is billed for 13 July, at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos.

    “We want to recognize and celebrate the talent of the greatest DJ’s, the individuals that play at various gatherings, allowing the music to be heard in Africa and Diaspora. The fundamental philosophy of the DJ awards is not that of a competition, as we are dealing with an art form whose merits are purely subjective and therefore, there is no best, rather, referencing the creative elements, focusing on the celebration of all genre of African music, seeking to let the world know that the art of DJ’ing is a respected craft with world-wide impact.” Mr. Mohammed stated.

    Talking about the idea behind the whole event and what they hope to achieve, Tope Esan, an executive member of the AGDA team commented; “Coming from the entertainment end, awards precisely, and one of the things that we had been hearing from most people was to create a DJ Awards Ceremony because of the impact they have in entertainment. So we came together after crafting the idea for two years and finally activated it January 2013. It’s a combination of us having experience in award production and listening to what the fans will like to see as a new concept and project. As time goes on we hope to rotate it around different countries, we kick off in Nigeria 13 July and then it will be in other continents for future editions. Sponsors almost always determine where you have an event. It’s the first edition and we hope that people buy into the idea.”

    African Global DJ Awards is a maiden African concept, born in Nigeria to make certain that the good works of Nigerian, African and DJs worldwide are duly appreciated and celebrated. Amongst the DJs nominated are Nigerian DJ Xclusive, DJ Caise, DJ Kaywise and a few others.

  • Africa Fashion Week London holds in August

    The 2013 edition of Africa Fashion Week London, the third in the series, will take place from August 1 to 3 at Old Truman Brewery at the capital’s hip and happening district, Shoreditch.

    Fashion designers all over the world are fast preparing for their moments on the runway in front of thousands of fashionable Londoners and guests coming in from across the world and all over Africa as well as celebrities, dignitaries and VIP guests, including this year’s patrons, Abuja-based businesswoman and architect, Mrs. Fifi Ejindu, and London-based Nigerian artist, Yinka Shonibare MBE.

    Amongst the African and African-inspired designers from across the globe signed up to showcase on this international runway are also three ladies getting ready to dazzle a thousand-strong audience: Meg Alabi of Alabi Couture, Toyin Lawani of Elegante by Tiannahstyling and Asake Agoro of Asake Oke who has recently relocated to Lagos from London. Having participated in some way in last year’s Africa Fashion Week London, they are no strangers to the event, and it was perhaps last year’s success that inspired them to hit the runway in their stylish strides this year.

    Meg Alabi of Alabi Couture, who exhibited her designs at AFWL 2012, says, “AFWL is a great avenue to reach a targeted clientele and a great platform whereby we showcase our ready-to-wear collection with a twist.”