|
Some African reaction to Bush, it is called
I–N-G-R-A-T-I-T-U-D-E
E. Ablorh-Odjidja, Ghanadot
February 20, 2008
You wouldn’t know there is such a word as
gratitude when you read some of the reactions President Bush’s
visit to Africa is engendering. Sure,
there have been some good ones, but I will like to dwell on the
most outrageous I have read so far.
Before that, it will help to put a perspective on
the visit.
President Bush landed in Africa with a bag of
goods. In Tanzania, he announced an MCA contract award of some I
billion dollars to this country.
In Ghana, he pledged another $350 million fund to
fight neglected tropical diseases like malaria. There has
already been an MCA award of some 547-million-dollar to Ghana,
the biggest grant in the country’s history, before this visit.
The largesse Bush brought to Africa was huge.
On the size of this gift alone, President Bush deserves
the right to make the trip, even if the purpose was only to bask
in the appreciation from those on whom he has showered so much
largesse.
The most recent visit by a US president to Africa
was by President Clinton. He was lauded on the continent like a
rock star. The problem to this day has been, he brought nothing.
And there is no record to date of any policy from his
administration that could have advanced the interest of Africa.
A comparison of the Bush administration’s deeds
for Africa to that of the Clinton administration would be like
associating seedlings on earth to that on the surface of the
moon. The seedlings on earth, of course, being that by Bush.
But if my knowledge of Africa is correct,
appreciation of both presidents’ records on Africa would soon be
fuzzy. Soon, who has helped Africa most would not matter. But
new narratives will soon be forged to make Bush look bad.
A reminder of some outrageous statements, made to
the BBC, about Bush’s visit is an example.
“Most Ghanaians think our country is too
submissive towards America. Ghana always supports whatever the
United States does and we never criticise them,” said a
Mckyntosh Aidoo of Accra, armed with the poetic license of not
knowing how to spell his borrowed first name.
“Oil has been now discovered in Ghana and I think
this is what George Bush is really coming for,” he continues.
And surprise!
The suspicion about America’s intention for any country
with oil potential never abates, as has been repeated ad
infinitum since Iraq.
But in another statement, Mr. Aidoo declares “The
whole world follows him (Bush) and watches his every move, so it
will also be an opportunity for the world to look at us and that
in turn should bring investment.”
I suppose oil should not be part of the investment
portfolio, since America has always a nefarious intent for any
resource within the category of the oil industry.
Next comes a notion that Bush himself disparaged –
the idea that the purpose of his visit was largely military.
“Mr. Bush said” reported the BBC, “the idea that
he was currently visiting Africa looking for sites for US bases
was "baloney".
He explains his purpose for wanting AFRICOM - to
help Africa by providing “African states with military training
and assistance so they could handle Africa's problems better.”
We should remember our own need for an Africa High
Military command and ask if we need such a structure.
This idea of Africa High Command has been on the
table since the days of Nkrumah.
Do we need such a structure?
And assuming we are to have the High Command, how
then will the continent handle the training; do we do it alone
or will we need assistance from a superpower nation like
America?
If an African High Command can be effectively
operational, without outside aid and assistance, then what is
holding us back in our efforts in Darfur?
And as if to remind us how much an effective
African force is needed, a listener calls in from Rwanda to the
BBC.
“I think President Bush should apologize on behalf
of the international community and the United Nations for not
intervening in the genocide in our country in 1994.”
Problem is, Bush was not the US president in 1994.
Clinton was. And I have often wondered the memory Rwanda has
about Clinton, after hearing and seeing him narrate part of the
commentary on a documentary film on Rwanda, produced by Andy
Young, the former US Ambassador to the UN.
Clinton is loved by Blacks in America and Andy
Young had made sure that his commentary on Rwanda added to the
positive perception the continent had of Clinton.
For George Bush, and despite the largesse, he has
so far spread in Africa, the view about him is not the same.
“George W. Bush's African visit is another
high-sounding nothing! Save for being the President of the
highly developed USA, the man has not been known to be a
harbinger of good things. His visit to Africa would mean much if
he was the right type of human being. He has been to my country,
Uganda, before but never did I feel that he meant much good!”
The above comes from a Ugandan sage based in
Sudan, Turyaheebwa Satu Johnmary, who is well-positioned amid
all the atrocities in Darfur and Southern Sudan to know the
“right type of human being.”
And last from Shahid Shahid, Chicago, USA, a
statement to sum it all for people in Africa who are not aware
that some in America have disdain for Africa:
“If it is a pleasure trip, it is just fine. He can
find many more friendly donkeys and elephants there than in the
USA. Anything beneficial
to come out for Africans from this trip by a lame-duck
president? I doubt it very much. It’s too late for that.”
Before becoming the lame duck, Bush had already
delivered the goods for Africa, But the gentleman would not
allow the knowledge.
The facts of Bush’s administration’s impressive deeds to date
would not matter.
Elsewhere, these utterances would be called
ignorant. But, welcome to the club of the ingrates, Mr. Bush.
Fortunate for some of us, Bush was accepted
graciously by President Kufuor.
He described Bush as a "friend of Africa in need, who has
shown particular understanding of the affairs of Africa and
Ghana." And that
should do for some of us.
E. Ablorh-Odjidja, Publisher www.ghanadot.com,
Washington, DC, February 20, 2008
Permission to publish:
Please feel free to publish or reproduce, with
credits, unedited.
If posted at a website, email a copy of the web
page to publisher@ghanadot.com. Or don't publish at all.
|
