George Ayittey named top 100 thinkers by Foreign Policy Magazine

Washington, Dec 16, Ghanadot - On Foreign Policy (FP) magazine list of the 100 most influential thinkers of 2009 is Ghana's own Dr.  George Ayittey, professor at American University in Washington, D.C.

He is cited for being one of a few who contributed to the big ideas "that shaped our world in 2009."

FP says "Ayittey, a Ghanaian economist and head of the Free Africa Foundation, has spent his career trying to convince the world that Africans, not aid workers, will set Africa right. Enough already with the victim complex, he argues: Let's get to work. That philosophy has never been more relevant than in 2009, when the debate over international assistance kicked into high gear. If it were up to Ayittey, the world would go beyond reforming the distribution of aid and gradually do away with handouts altogether. Aside from charity's ineffectiveness, he notes, "[T]he presumption that Africans don't know what is good for them and that Americans or other foreigners know what is best for Africans is extremely offensive."

When approached by Ghanadot to give his response to the citation, his response was:

"I am sure Africa’s despots would sneer at this: 'Who is that Professor Ayittey? He ain’t got no brain; it has been eaten by insects.'

And said he could think of a few "who would gladly toss me over to some nasty Nile crocodiles."

Dr. Ayittey ranked 76th on the list.  On the same list were names like Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve Bank (USA), President Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Dick Cheney, the Pope, Gordon Brown and Paul Krugmann.

Ghanadot wishes him well for placing Ghana so high on list with some of the world's top luminaries.

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