Rice intervention in Motherland
Some two centuries ago, a group of religious pilgrims came to Africa from Europe and claimed they were on a peace mission to bring their kind of christian religion to the continent. They followed the heels of such early explorers as the David Livingston, Mongo Park and all others.They had the Bible on one hand and then, strong spirits. In line with the traditions, Africans welcome them with open hearts, allowing them unchecked movement within communities. It was a matter of time for these missionaries to begin to unleash their true color. They persuaded the natives from their traditional God, calling them "idol worshipping," and made them accept the "christian God." Then, they began to change their languages, and taught them foreign tongues, ranging from English to French and Latin. Before they knew it, the natives were persuaded to drop their traditional names for Christian names. In this process, they had systematically prepared Africans for an era of colonization, exploitation and the slavery that followed. The rest is history.
This
story is relevant to what what the United States Secretary, Dr. Cordolezza
Rice plans to do in Africa. Not long ago, she summoned all African-American
pastors to Washington and asked them to craft a new role for US churches
in Africa that could combat the spread of HIV and provide help for tens
of millions of children orphaned by the epidemic across the continent. Rice's
main concern, seemingly was not that the care of the sick and the needy
in Africa but her far that these orphans could be susceptible to recruitment
by Islamic extremists unless they could be exposed to the christian churches.
Some pastors believed she had other political motives. She was scheming
to win over the ministers politically to improve the success made by the
Republican Party to reaching out to the Black pastors in Ohio State, and
boosting the minority votes that elevated Bush last November.
The African assignment therefore serves as a bait. Seven months in office,
Rice surprised many people that she opted to tackle African problems with
bible in her hand. Though as a daughter of a Black preacher from segregated
south, she believes that the best way to make a difference could be through
a faith-based initiatives. This approach represented a major departure from
the past US policy in Africa. During President Bush's first term, for instance,
former State Secretary, Collin Powel had pursued vigorous policy of conflict
resolutions in Congo, Angola, Liberia and Sierra Leone, promoting democratization
and economic development in the continent. He took time to invite African
leaders to discuss and have their input to issues.
In addition, he made a complete visit to the continent to have first hand
assessment of situations. Africa has in the past few years experienced dramatic
transformations with resolutions of many conflicts, construction of new
infrastructure and massive spread of democratic elections with leaders now
willing to deal with neighbors who size power illegally. The economy is
growing at the rate of 5% annually. Rice's failure to recognize these changes
and fashion out how aids could be delivered to the people has become her
problem. She still sees Africa in image of starving children and sick people
in dire need of salvation and medicines. And these have reflected in the
quality of guidance she has so far given to her boss, Bush. Since she assumed
office, US approach to African affairs has taken a nose dive.There seems
to be more double-talks and hypocrisy on African issues. Most recently,
President Bush professed to have tripled aid to Africa, but backed off from
supporting the centerpiece plan by the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair
to bail Africa out of poverty. Blair wanted Bush as a close ally to support
his plan to double foreign aids to Africa to about $80billion a year by
2010, grant a 100% debt relief to poor African countries plus, end agricultural
subsidy that affect African produce. "Stronger nations," he pleaded "are
sometimes duty-bound to intervene to protect the weak." But Bush's response
to the appeal embarrassed his listeners and was a shame on all those involved
in his policy formulations. By citing poor budgetary constrains as an excuse
to brush aside Blair's appeal, he not only ridiculed his so called 'compassionate
policy' but opened himself to serious questioning.
The President has not been sincere in speaking about financial aids to African
nations. He claims to have helped aids to sub-sahara Africa to $3.2bn since
in office. And just a week ahead of the G-8 nation meeting early July in
Scotland, he said he would double aids to Africa from $4.3bn last year to
$8.6bn by 2010, which would be the largest aid increase over shortest period
of time. The fact, of course, is that much of the increases were in form
of emergency food donation, as pointed out by the former Assistant Secretary
of States for African Affairs, Susan Rice, and that is not the kind of aid
that Blair and other G-8 members want from Bush. Even the so-called financial
aids are hardly used for the purpose for which they are granted. "The total
US aids for Africa," wrote Dr. Jeffrey Sach of Columbia University, "is
about $3bn. About $1bn pays emergency food aids of which half is for transport.
About $1.5bn goes t technical cooperation, essentially salaries of US consultants.
Only about $500m a year, (less than $1 per African) finances clinics, schools, food production, roads, power, safe-drinking water, family planning and fight against malaria, AIDS and other diseases." Dr Sach is an experienced economist, also serving as special advisor to UN Secretary-General, Kofi Anan. He is familiar with these aids. It has in fact been an open secret that billion dollars in loans, aids and grants made to African nation had always found their ways back to the pocket of those donors. After years of unfulfilled promises, the G-8 nations have turned full circle to agree on debt forgiveness to poor African nations, but not without a catch. These poor countries would have to maintain good governance and also open their markets to the west. Approving huge financial assistance to African has become an annual ritual to all G-8 meeting from $15bn aid endorsement in Italy to $18bn okayed in Canada meeting. Now, it goes up to $25bn in Scotland. Yet non has seen the light of the day. Perhaps the difference this time is that Blair has taken up responsibility to deliver the goods. Hopefully he remains a gentleman on the promise. o Nwokedi, former Public Affairs manager of National Oil has been in energy journalism for more than 30 years.
o Nwokedi, former Public Affairs manager of National Oil has been in energy journalism for more than 30 years.
