Africans:
The Way The World Works; One Thousand Years And Counting!
By
Paul
Adujie
The
worst twin-evils of human history are slavery and colonialism, those who
committed or perpetrated slavery and colonialism were and are the first
terrorists, they committed the worst acts of terrorism, they were those
who snatched and enslaved Africans, those who killed, maimed and
brutalized Africans, those who branded Africans as if Africans were of
less value compared with farm Animals.
Who in the world has not heard of Africans tossed off slave ships so that,
ship attains equilibrium? Who has not heard of Africans being hung on tree
branches lynched and or burnt alive?
Those are the same people today, whose descendants pretend to be unaware
of how Africans and people of African descent got to be the way we are
today….
We have had these altruistic snakes, benevolent vipers and pythons with
false claims to good faiths, broke our knees, just as they challenge us to
a marathon, Marathon, for which we were unprepared, due to no fault of our
own; but what is worse? Those who broke our knees are constantly mocking
us, jeering at us, ridiculing our best efforts, with broken knees, psyche
and all….
Slavery destabilized Africa, broke families, culture, religions and
taboos, colonialism caused the extinction of languages, local brewing and
bastardized the definition of brotherhood and citizenship in colonized
societies, you are for example, either a British citizen born in England
or you are a British subject (something less) if you are born of native
peoples in the colonies and protectorates, and the offshoot of all of
these, in modern day Nigeria, these pejoratives of classifications so
inherited, becomes, indigene, settler or citizen in that conundrum sorts
of order
Slavery, colonialism with their attendant brutalities, indignities and
horror of terrors, demeaned Africans and peoples of African descent, and
the sad truth is, the concerted efforts at devaluing Africans and peoples
of Afri can descent have not ceased
The suffering of the people of Haiti is a case in point, for daring to
rise against the French and other foreign terrorists, Haiti was compelled
to pay billions of dollars in today’s terms in reparations to France, and
this wrecked the hitherto bounteous Haitian treasury and buoyant economy,
the crises in Haiti, the first independent peoples of African descent has
continued ever since, and it is not remarkably different from the
usurpation of the constitutional government of Haiti last February by a
bunch of outlaws and murderers, who were urged on, by foreign supporters
with unsavory utterances and pronouncements, coupled with strategic winks
and nods, and assistance with money and weapons for the criminal elements
in Haiti, which now spirals out of control as a failed state
Outside manipulations in the affairs of Haiti, is not in any significant
way different from the outside manipulations that were perpetrated against
Africans by inva ders who entrenched slavery, colonialism and
deprivations, our tormentors are studiously at work!
Outside manipulations have not really changed in matters of African
affairs, fifty years ago, purposeful African leaders such as Patrice
Lumuba of the Congo who was assassinated and replaced with a puppet called
Mobutu Sese Sekor, who then did the bidding of his manipulators, and he
was used and dumped by them!
In Ghana, the purposeful Kwame Nkrumah was eliminated after being
undermined, so was Murtala Mohammed of Nigeria, and so were our brethrens
in the United States, our sons, Dr. King and Malcolm X were cut down, for
daring to advocate freedom and equalities for our people
Revisionists now ask us, why, we do not have genuine purposeful
leadership? Why do they first break our knees and then proceed to
challenge us to Marathon races and then mock our best efforts? Why do they
denigrate us after wounding us so deeply, depriving us of healing, even as
our wounds, sor es fester and our scars remain? Why do they hate us so
much?
John Perkins who wrote “confessions of an economic hit-man” informed us,
through his book, that obsolescence were planned for Africans and most of
the developing world, planned by outside manipulators… loans are given,
but money in practical terms never really leaves the loan giver and
projects are never really executed.
Monies are looted from public treasuries, say in Africa, looted resources
are received and retained with the active connivances and collusions of
American and European governments and institutions, such as banks etc
The highest courts in these lands of America and Europe, may deliver
judgments, but such judgments are consciously disregarded by the Americans
and Europeans, all and sundry outside of Africa. For instance, the highest
court in Switzerland gave legal victory to Nigeria, but the Swiss
introduced ancillaries and extraneous elements, outside the laws of their
country and outside common sense, as the Swiss now gave Nigeria some new
grounds, as new conditions for obeying their own laws, even as interpreted
by the highest courts in their country! And the conditions is the
requirement that Nigeria cede Nigeria’s political independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity, by allowing the Swiss to monitor,
or read, to supervise, the expenditure of the recovered loot in the
coffers of Swiss Banks! Surprisingly, some Nigerians do not find this
Swiss proposition offensive, but instead support the idiocy!
In real terms, this means, that the Swiss who are significantly and
substantially liable and ought to be ashamed for being in connivances and
collusions with public treasury robbers and looters, the Swiss, whose feet
we ought to hold to the fire and furnace, are now seeking to play God and
overlord, over Nigeria, Nigeria whose property was stolen!
Switzerland is and has been the repository of stolen goods and the keeper
of stolen wealth, wit h full knowledge of the crime of the theft or loot,
Switzerland is as liable as the principal engaged in the direct thievery!
President Bush told the world after September 11, 2001 that those who
provide safe harbor for terrorists are themselves agents of terrorism,
just as I must say here, that those who provide respite, protection and
succor for looters of Nigeria’s resources, are as guilty as the direct
participants perpetrators themselves.
In the United States where I live, monetary transactions of ten thousand
dollars and above attracts attention of banks and government agencies,
including the internal revenue service; Banks and other financial
institutions in the US, therefore, routinely report lodgments of five to
ten thousand dollars at a time, to the relevant governmental authorities
or agencies, for them to cross check, to determine whether such monies are
connected with or to, terrorism, money laundering, drugs and narcotics
trafficking.
More particularly, monies and resources owned by individuals and
organizations, even with the most tenuous of connections with Muslims and
or terrors suspects, were summarily frozen and embargoed, until the
legality is established, (as guilt was presumed, until innocence is
proved) America and Europe acted arbitrarily, automatically and
spontaneously after September 11, 2001, and without recourse to due
process, fair hearing or the rule of law or any democratic pretense
Conversely, billions of dollars are allegedly looted by Nigeria’s and
Africa’s prodigal sons, and lodged in American and European banks and
institutions, these monies are not arbitrarily, automatically and
spontaneously frozen or embargoed!
The looters are not required to establish the sources of their lodgments
of these trillions of dollars, no enquiries are made to determined whether
these monies are profits from successful candle making factories or beer
breweries, no one in American and European governments and institutions,
banks etc, seem to care ever, about best business practices, when known
stolen and looted public treasury or national resources from Africa are
lodged in American and European financial institutions
And then, when these monies are discovered by reformists and reform minded
African governments, their efforts to retrieve these monies are fiercely
resisted and thwarted every step of the way! Case in point, Nigeria
successfully sued to retrieve looted funds from the Swiss banks, Nigeria
paid stiff and extraordinary legal fees, and at the end, the Swiss would
not adhere strictly to its own legal documents, legal system, due process
and the rule of law, they are still refusing to relinquish the death
defying hold, unto Nigeria’s rightful ownership of looted resources,
instead, the Swiss audaciously and arrogantly say, they want t o supervise
and monitor how we spend our money? And yet, America and Europe would
lecture us all, about corruption in Africa?
How many Nigerians feel insulted by these condescension, disrespect and
the indignities that Nigeria is being subjected to for our own properties,
when the Swiss, should be accountably ashamed for conniving and colluding
with the thieves in the first place! But instead, the Swiss with a
straight face want to disregard or abridge our political and economic
independence, our sovereignty and territorial integrity, just so they can
monitor/supervise how we incapably spend the recovered loots? This would
be hilarious, if it was not so screamingly insulting! And screamingly
obvious in its patronizing spat and affront it commits against Nigeria!
Sadly, some invertebrates or spineless Nigerians agree with the Swiss!
Nigerians and Africans should and must imbibe lessons of how the world
works!
We ought to demand a universal rule, method or procedure regarding anti
corruption crusade, we ought to demand specific agreement or protocol. We
ought to demand single method or procedure that will be made known to all,
for the fights against illicit or corrupt monies, whether such monies are
drugs or narcotics trade related, or money laundering or monies in
connection with graft and corruption, or monies derived or connected with
terrorism as well, all governments, all banking and financial institutions
worldwide, ought not make profits or look the other way, while retaining
monies gained by some individuals through illegal means. We ought to point
fingers at the thieves and their bankers, who provide safe haven despite
full knowledge of illegalities involved
The Swiss knowingly helped criminals to conceal our properties, doing
damage to us in the process, the pains and degradations which are still
visibly with us Nigeria has more reasons to invade Switzerland than
President Bush had for invading and occupying Iraq!
What is the population of Switzerland, compared with Anambra or Bauchi
states?
They break our knees and challenge us to Marathons just as they pr oceed
to mock our best efforts at such race? If you thought the above references
to slavery and colonialism, Nkrumah, Muritala Mohammed, Patrice Lumumba
and Haiti were ancient history? How about Mark Thatcher? Son of Margaret
Thatcher, erstwhile Prime Minister of Britain, Mark Thatcher who planned
and took significant and substantial steps to accomplish the commission of
treasonable felony, to wit; violently overthrow the dejure/defacto, hence
legitimate government of an African country of Equitorial Guinea for that
African country’s oil? He was tried in a lackadaisical manner was given a
slap on the wrist upbraiding and allowed to jet to freedom to his wife in
America! Just imagine for one moment, if Mark Thatcher was a Nigerian,
African or an Arab man who treasonably tried to violently and
undemocratically overthrow American, European government? Such African or
Arab will receive trial as a formality, with penalty that will be possibly
worse than the death sentence! As such Nigeria n, African or Arab will be
summarily castigated as a terrorist in today speak; What precisely is Mark
Thatcher, if he is not a terrorist?
They interfere in Africa or Haiti or Grenada or Panama or Iraq and they go
scot-free! They create chaos and anarchies, just so they will collect our
resources petroleum oil, our diamond or uranium for free and we are not
angry, but instead, we actually seem to participate in their illogic and
revisionisms.
As they proceed to inform us that we have no contributions to human
history and economic or cultural development, even as they strip us of
such opportunities and resources, they sprightly inform us that we are
incapable of sustainable developments and some us shout amen! They inform
us, that we are the cause of our own deprivations, pains and sufferings,
our plights and predicaments, and sadly enough, some us are complicit
gullibly agree to these erroneous assessments
America ostentatiously, eloquently and repeatedly de scribes the
challenges of poverty, disease and underdevelopments in Africa and among
peoples of African descent, even as America and Europe continue to send
their assistance, their support elsewhere.
Recently, the veritable newspaper, The New York Times, published an
editorial by way of a research finding, which indicated demonstrably well,
how governments in America and Europe, particularly in America, are apt to
make loud pronouncements in connections with financial help for Africa,
this spin doctoring, have in turn led to the false and erroneous
conclusions by most members of the public to conclude that the bulk of
foreign aid goes to Africans, but The New York Times pointed out how less
than a tenth of a percent of what is believed is actually the aid amount
in real dollar terms!
About two years ago, President Bush promised fifteen billion American
dollars in financial assistance to Africa and the Caribbean but none of
these billions have been released by the Ameri can government, but in the
public mind, so much has already been done for Africans some two years
ago, to thunderous applause, including bipartisan support, and this is
why, there is aid and donor fatigue…. This is why some may have the
impression of intractability of African crises or challenges.
What is loudly proclaimed by president Bush for instance, have not been
met with concrete actions, they were words, and still remain mere words,
words that have not live up to their promises by way of actions! This is
how also we must see debt cancellation controversies for Africa and other
debtor nations.
Africans and other well meaning people must commend Prime Minister Blair
of Britain, U2’s Bono, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown of
England, and public spirited persons such as Professor Jeffrey Sachs of
Columbia University in New York with a recent excellent book on how to end
world poverty, the selfless efforts of individuals such as Bob Geldorf and
George Sor os to name a few, are admirable.
But their efforts are quickly dwarfed and paled by the obscurantist
declarations of President Bush, against debt cancellation for Nigeria and
others, as he introduced standards and expectations of accountability that
his administration in America is unwilling to meet in America or the
American colony of Iraq. Bush is setting standards and expectations that
Halliburton is unwilling and have repeatedly refused to meet as it does
business that are infused and imbued with egregious conflict of interest
issues in Iraq, Nigeria and America and Halliburton has unfettered access
to the Bush’s White House, which former vice president Al Gore famously
called the Halliburton administration!
President Bush has demonstrated a pattern of conscious disregard and
disrespect for Africa and people of African descent he is the first
American president in about 100 years who has refused to meet with or
attend or participate in activities or events by Nat ional Association for
Advancement of Colored Peoples or the NAACP, a premier American Civil
Right organizations which is operated and headed by African Americans. Mr.
Bush has established a pattern, demonstrably so a pattern of antagonizing
everything to encompasses African and African American interests, such as
Affirmative Action, Debt Cancellations and more and there is a clear
connection and pattern, of mistreatments reserved for Africans and people
of African descent, it all smacks of smudges of racism, and you do not
have to be a fool or communist to see these links!
On January 15, 2003 he indicated his support for a pending private
litigation a case that attacked African American efforts to redress
historical injustices to people of African descent in America, Mr. Bush
has been consistently hostile to our people, in America and outside of it.
Would Mr. Bush or anyone similarly have attacked or antagonize the Jews
openly without the fear of repercussions or consequenc es? Most American
politicians always try to me more Jew than Jews, for their political
benefit, but will be quick to sneer and jeer at Africans and peoples of
African descent, including of course, African Americans.
Nigeria and the rest of Africa is always scandalized and maligned in world
public opinion, as Nigerian-African abject poverty or HIV epidemic are
loudly discussed, without concrete step being taken or intended by the
loud discussants, whereas, five billion America foreign aid dollars goes
to Israel annually, and whereas, Israel is not scandalized, maligned and
ridiculed as a poor, helpless desperate country needing foreign aid, five
billion dollars goes to the five million people of Israel yearly from
America
Israel has on occasion spied on America, with this betrayal and all,
Israel receives financial aid yearly without fail from America, Israel
also received more than ten billion dollars loan guarantees, without
having to go to IMF and World Bank for the growth-stunting stifling
conditionalities that are usually reserved for Africans, neither America
or Europe seeks to monitor or supervise or interfere in the domestic or
foreign policies of Israel, even as Israel spends its foreign aid monies
on weapons or the constructions of an Apartheid style segregation wall of
a thousand miles! To separate Israel from Palestinians, and Israel has
recently promised to pull out of some Palestinian territories, Israel
states that it will demolish buildings vacated by Jewish settlers, instead
of letting Palestinians inherit these properties as Israelis themselves
inherited properties of Arabs in the 1940s, before, during and after
Israel was created on Palestine lands in 1948, the world looks on,
askance? As Israel plan to demolish and then leave craters of debris for
Palestinians to clean up!
Israel continues its policy of “strategic ambiguity” or more precisely
deception and defiance of the UN and the so-called international commun
ity? Regarding its possession atomic nuclear weapons or its capabilities;
As it fools IAEA and El Baradei who seem to have special preference for
pestering Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and North Korea for atomic and nuclear
weapons!
Whereas Nigeria and Africa is frequently portrayed in the most despicable,
indigent, abject, desperately neediest of all the world, so agreed by all,
so repeatedly described by all, unfortunately, the 880 million indigent,
abjectly poor (agreed, to be so by common agreement or consensus) Africans
never receive five billion dollars at once, from America on a yearly
basis.
All through history, it is as if, they keep breaking our knees, they keep
undermining us, as they are then quick to challenge us to grueling
marathons, then they proceed to laugh at our heroic efforts, they mock our
best efforts just as they neglect to account for the wounds, the festered
sores and they remain happily oblivious of glaring scars, revisionist
amongst them, revisi onists amongst us, devalue and demean our losses
through slavery, through colonialism and modern day continued
manipulations, when they pretend and insist that we should forget the old
because, the old is ancient history, or that we should under estimate the
impact of current manipulations and intermeddling, which they say, are
inconsequential? Our artworks pillaged by them, still reside in their
museums! Our cousins snatched in kidnappings of slavery and dispersed
worldwide are the evident peoples of African descent in Australia, Brazil,
Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti etc
It is time for those who broke our knees to pay reparations, so that we
can heal our wounds, cure our festered sores and cover our enduring scars,
we will rehabilitate ourselves and compete with their best in the toughest
of marathons, we will excel despite their mocking jests and jeers.
They broke our knees, they continue to interfere with our treatment and
rehabilitation efforts, as it were, and they procee d to challenge us and
mock, ridicule and lampoon our best efforts, in the face of all the
obstacles and impediments or odds created and put in our paths. They broke
our knees; they deprive us of healing opportunities.
Let us heal ourselves, but even as we do so, we must never forget or
overlook the details and glaring pervasive consequences of being
challenged to Marathons with our broken and unhealed knees. They broke our
knees!
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