EuroAfrica-Magazine Online

By Chris Ezeh - CEO EuroAfricaCentral Network & Publisher EACN Magazine Online
Obama´s speech in July 2009 in Ghana has sparked off much furore in the Diaspora and Africa. A lot has been said, written, and published on this visit. It is understandable that some countries in Africa like Oil-rich Nigeria, which has done a lot for stability in Liberia/Siere Leone and for the South African Liberation struggle, felt very disappointed and unacknowledged through Obama´s not visiting the country and the consequent exacerbation through the reprimanding speech.

EACN Magazine shares also the opinion that perhaps Obama should have visited a few key countries in Africa and the speech a bit more diplomatic constructed, after all to change the people or get them to accept new concepts or ideas begins with gaining their confidence and not destroying this before hand. Most of the reactions so far especially those from Mr. Paul I. Adujie is interesting, but unfortunately he mirrors the mentality that needs changing in Africa.

The truth of the matter is that someone has to say the truth about what is going on in Africa. Which reasons do we have to explain why we are still as backward as ever in both leadership and our expectations as followers? African politicians nick a piece of the national cake, our office holders are only content with ripping out the oven, baking pans and as the late great Nigerian musician -Fela Ransome Kuti puts it “ All we have in Africa is you chop I chop government ...the interest of the masses is never the pivot point”

The naked truth is always bitter - how, when and where this is said notwithstanding. Nigerian situation or that of any African country cannot be campared with the socio-economic situations in Russia or Saudi Arabia. There might be a few minuses in their democratic process; they might be guilty of a few "anti-democratic principals"but these countries are self-reliant  and a majority of their citizens are not in dare need of the simplest fundamental necessities of for living a meaningful life period. 

If you are an African or a Nigerian…If you use generator everyday, if you looked up to a great time after graduation only to remain at home for years, if you are out of the shores of Nigeria, gone through the Sahara Desert in order to board a boat to Europe  because of 'lootocrats' if your parents at home cannot get health care in the village, if you have passed through death traps called roads, passed through terrible public schools, if you have seen children die of hunger, if your business has failed for want of good economic environment.....If you have lost dear friends or relatives to armed bandits and kidnappers, if you have ever been beaten by a police man or paid same 20 naira and above, if you have spent hours trying to buy fuel, if you visited your country and had to wait for 8 hours in a traffic jam to get to the airport, if you have ever travelled with African Passports and experience the extra insulting searchings and treatments which always bring a moving queue to a halt at most western airports, if you have ever seen a ballot box carted away and results declared before the end of elections, if you hate the sound of siren when even a local government Chairman is passing, if you witnessed several men's quest to be live-presidents, if you know about Idi Amin Dada, Emperor Jean Bedel Bokassa, General Abacha, Mobutu of Congo, Robert Mugabe or about what happened in Kenya and Ruwanda, if you know who killed Dele Giwa, Kudirat, Bola Ige, if you remember Nigerian Biafran war, if you know the man who came out from prison and took Nigeria 50 years back...

Then Obama was right and said what must be said even when this hurts. Africans can no longer wait any longer. It’s time for the African leader to wake up!