By Joseph Lutta

INTRODUCTION

More than fifty four years have passed since the first African country, Ghana (then known as Gold Coast), gained independence from the British. But, it need not be proven that there is little to show about the independence we got and even if there is any to show, the benefits do not trickle down to the common African man or woman. For example, Lagos is a stone throw away from the largest oil refineries in Africa, yet blackouts are the order of the day. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea are rich in minerals with fertile soils, yet majority of their population consider it a privilege to get basic food and clean water. Kenya is an Agro-economic powerhouse, yet year in year out it is on the international headlines launching food appeals for its starving population. Johannesburg, the largest business center in Africa, is overrun with unemployment among the majority black population resulting in poverty, high crime rate and xenophobic attacks on the foreign black nationalities whom they accuse of ‘stealing their jobs’.

The question that arises is, ‘as a continent, where did the rain start beating us?’ This is because there are other former colonies in the World that have improved themselves from poor nations to middle income economies into the Group of 20 Nations. Take the case of Asian Tigers, particularly Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. In 1963, they trailed Kenya and Zimbabwe politically, economically and intellectually.

Today, they have taken their place in lucrative economic sectors such as Heavy industry, Software, Information Communication and Technology (ICT), energy, transport and finance with outstanding multinational corporations such as LG, Samsung, Daewoo, KIA, POSCO, FILA, Ssang Yong and Hyundai while Africa still relies on commercial agriculture (which is mainly carried out by foreign companies) as the main source of income. The IMF GDP Report as at 2010 ranked Singapore at Number 15 with a GDP $43,117, South Korea at number 33 with $20,951, Taiwan at number 38 with $18,288, Malaysia at number 65 with $8432 and compare this with Africa nations such as Nigeria at number 132 with $1,389, Kenya at 152 with $ 809 and Zimbabwe at 163 with $ 594.

Intellectually, their education system is bolstered with a well updated syllabus accompanied with the best strategy of innovation and nurturing of talent and well funded schools for technology, engineering and finance. In Africa higher education is mostly accessible to the few rich and the syllabuses are so outdated that the skills produced cannot compete with those from other parts of the World. There is the lack of a system for tapping talent and less funding for scholarships, pay, research and venture capitalism, resulting in brain drain.

Politically these nations have evolved to developed democracies while Africa is notorious for coups and counter coups, bloody elections, rigging and big men who do not want to abandon power when their time comes.

From my point of view the answer is neo-colonialism. This is because it combines both foreign factors such as economic interests, global political competition, Cold War and the ‘War on Terror’ and internal interests such as corruption, tribalism, greed, jealousy and ignorance. This is because after granting the flag of independence to African nations, colonialism underwent a reincarnation. The old, illiterate native chiefs who were their hatchet men were substituted by the so called ‘democratically elected Presidents’. The neo-colonialists who include United States, Britain, Belgium, France, Portugal, and Spain who are now joined by the Chinese and Indians, have in place a five-point strategy to ensure they call the shots.

First, they give the people the heroes they yearn for. They pump millions of dollars and Euros into the campaign kitty of the most popular candidates who masquerade as populists fighting for the rights of their people but once they enter office they show their true colours. When Field Marshall Idd Amin Dada overthrew the Government of President Milton Obote in 1971, it came to no surprise when Britain through its Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath became the first nation to recognize Amin who pledged to restore democracy and respect of human rights. In Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja and other major Ugandan centers, people came out to celebrate Amin who they saw as their savior from the brutal regime of Milton Obote. Well, six years down the line, he killed more than three hundred civilian Ugandans, evicted Asian Ugandans and run down the economy and it took the Tanzanian Army to kick him out of power.

In Senegal, Abdulaye Wade a veteran opposition activist and lawyer who had been jailed by previous regimes came to power in 2000 promising change in a country where 70% of the population lives below the poverty line. Last year, he used $27 million to build the Bronze statue of African Renaissance in which he is entitled to 85% of total revenue it generates. Today, he is lobbying for the constitutional amendment that would allow him to run for a third term yet food and power riots are the day to day activities in Dakar while his government is rampant in corruption, nepotism, suppression of human rights and recruiting mercenaries from Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia to harass and kidnap opposition leaders.

Read More: Neocolonialism Re branded – How Foreign Powers Keep Africa on Its Knees 

Joseph Lutta
Email:joelutta@gmail.com