“THE FAILINGS OF THE AFRICAN UNION” PART 2.

I spotted him in his back-yard garden. He was watering his vegetables crops, while whistling some old hymns heartily to his own pleasure.

From the other side of the palm-frond fence, I greeted old Uncle Tom.

“Aaah! There you are, my son. Welcome to the philosopher’s garden. Here in this garden I commune with nature and I learn surpassing and valuable lessons than your formal education can ever teach you,” Uncle Tom said with a smile as he welcome me to his garden.

“In this garden, there is harmonious integration and symbiotic relationships. There are also pests and parasites. My task here is to strive to achieve set goals, while discouraging negative tendencies and relationships that would not work in the ultimate interest. Whether this small garden yields food for me or not, depends on my commitment, skill and thorough understanding of what the challenges are and how to surmount them. Got it?

“The United States has been described as a ‘melting pot’ because, many years ago, for the sake of national integration and cohesion, all kinds of people of different racial, ethnic and tribal backgrounds were accepted into the mainstream America, dominated by Anglo-Saxon culture. That is one of the unique things about the United States. Why are we as Africans-at least Sub-Saharan Africans-not able to integrate culturally, socially, economically etc.?” Uncle Tom asked rhetorically, pointing at me as if I had the answer he needed.

At this juncture I came in. I told Uncle Tom it was the Europeans states who divided Africa among themselves at the Berlin Conference, thereby erecting artificial barriers that defined boundaries we now call countries.

“Barriers, boundaries…whatever! Pull them down. Stop blaming the European and take responsibility for the future of this continent and its peoples and resources.

“Look, in 1950, The then French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman proposed the integration of the steel and coal industries of Western Europe. This was not just a wishful thinking nor was it a political piece of communication. The proposal did not go down the drain with the sip of whisky at some extravagant conference. Rather, it was followed through and this proposal was what led to the Treaty of Paris which gave birth to the European Coal & Steel Community (E.C.S.C.) in 1951, with just six countries- Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany. It was the same six countries that signed the Treaties of Rome, creating the European Economic Community (E. E. C.) and the European Atomic Energy Community. They began by removing trade barriers among them and moving towards a ‘common market’ in 1957.

“Until recently, Ghana was not a member of the oil producing countries but had a great potential for producing about a third of the salt that Nigeria needed in processing crude oil. What was the volume of trade that the two countries were involved in, with respect to salt? Find out and you would be amazed. Our leaders talk too much and they love the heat of the cameras being turned on them. But very little is achieved in terms of concrete objectives that would move the continent forward. They love to dine and wine, and then issue communiqués which are just routine, mandatory closing activities, after such extravagant conferences and summits.

“The AU has less than 4% of the world’s international trade. The irony is that the AU’s 3% or so actually makes up the bulk of real commodity traded worldwide, including about 70% of the world’s strategic minerals such as gold and aluminium. The saddest thing is that the AU is a large market for European, American and Chinese industries. Of late, the AU has become a ‘dumping ground’ for all kinds of inferior products from China, including plastic ware, textiles…even tooth-pick! 

“Ironically, our governments have always been the first to sign all kinds of protocols, conventions and treaties. But when it comes to implementing those that serve the interests of the citizenry, they are the last to do so; unless such implementation has been attached, as a conditionality, to a World Bank or IMF loan facility. 

“Another irony is this: while he was pushing for the declaration of a United States of Africa, his government arrested, jailed and even killed Sub-Saharan Africans who trudged the desert into his country in such of greener pastures. This tells you the principles and objectives they espouse are not at heart. It is a serious thing when the efficacy of a balm is lost due to the blunder of those who are to apply it. 

“I tell you my son; 2023 will arrive and the AU is still grappling with the same foundational issues and we will have no single currency, no central bank, no single market, no customs union, no free trade area and maybe no AU,” Uncle Tom opined, pausing for my reaction, having been doing all the talking for a while now.

“You sounded like a prophet of doom, Old Tom,” I teased him. “Why would you think that the AU would ever become defunct?”

“No am not saying that. The AU will exist, but only as a nomenclature- I mean as a name among names of such unions,” Uncle Tom said scornfully.

“So Uncle Tom, what ought they to be doing which they are not doing?” I asked him, hoping to draw some real solutions from him.

“First of all, their approach to the unification and integration process is wrong. They are using a top-down approach, when it should have been a buttom-up approach. By that I mean they ought to start the process by integrating the African peoples socially and culturally by removing the artificial barriers and boarders that exist. The message of integration must be championed by the ordinary people of the member countries. People and goods from one member country to another must transit without the current frustration and extortion of money by immigration officers. Then economic integration. Trading among member countries should be vigorously pursued. Political integration should be the icing on the beautiful cake. 

Uncle Tom has concluded his take on the AU. Whatever it is, we must not be too pessimistic about the future of the AU. Maybe great days lie ahead for the continent.

By: Ike W. Bikor

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THE FAILINGS OF THE AFRICAN UNON

The last time I saw the frail old catechist, he was seated in a lazy-chair under a mango tree at the village square. Uncle Tom was clad in his old-fashioned jacket; the sleeves of which had worn out due to constant friction with his khaki pair of trousers. The dialing knob of his archaic radio was as usual, locked on B. B. C. World Service.

As soon as I took my seat beside him, he reached into his breast pocket and brought out a piece of paper.

“What do you see, my son?” he asked with a smile, as he handed me the piece of paper.

“The sins of the African Union” I answered, psyching myself up for some real lectures from the old folk.

“The African Union is a case of a form without a substance. It is a pale shadow of the European Union. I weep for the continent and the bleak future beckoning to you the young ones,” the old man remarked.

“Why, sir?”

“Why? Because the African Union has failed woefully to live up to its own mission and vision statements. It has failed to integrate its 54 states economically, let alone integrate them politically.

“Listen. The European Union started after the devastation of World War II, with determination among European politicians to prevent any such violent conflicts in Europe. Originally, the European Union’s aim was to bring member countries together to forge stronger industrial and economic ties. Since then, the Union’s responsibilities have grown directly in response to new emerging challenges, making new countries eager to join it.

“But the same cannot be said of the African Union- which is still in the cradle in which it was born by the founding fathers. Just like the European Union, the African Union has many organs. But whereas the organs of the EU work seriously and follow up on every resolution taken, those of the AU exist only in name. Or, do not work with such seriousness as to make their impacts felt by the ordinary people in the member states.

“Listen, my son. The 12 member-nation European Monetary Union (EMU) which gave birth to the Euro currency, has as its main objective, the formation of a United States of Europe (U.S.E.) to give European countries a stronger voice than the United States of America. But they did not emphasize the political motives first. They worked (and are still working) for the economic, industrial and social integration of the member countries, among other things. This, however, is not the case with our own AU, whose organs have fantastically crafted objectives but which only exist as theoretical documents and unavailable to the average African.

“As at 1998, when the EU countries were supposed to sign up for the EMU, each one of them had debts of over 60% of their gross domestic products (GDP). This meant that they could not meet one of their crucial three bench marks for joining the EMU. Nevertheless, they went ahead because the formation of the European Monetary Union was politically-motivated. 

“The AU is not alive to the reality of the times we are living in. The various organs with their elaborate names and their big leaders have failed to achieve anything tangible for the African people. These leaders with their big titles and impressive curriculum vitae, have failed to drive the lame horse. 

“The last time the late Muamah Qathafi was AU chairman, he too put the cart before the horse by pushing for political integration. The late Qathafi may be pardoned for various reasons.  But not these fine, western-trained intellectuals and other professionals who are supposedly working in the various organs of the Union for the realization of its noble objectives! 

“Interestingly, the AU was loudly silent during the NATO-led bombing of Libya. Who says the late Libyan leader was a saint? No. He wasn’t! But I wonder why the leadership of the AU went into hibernation till 24 clear hours after the death of the Libyan leader before issuing a carefully-crafted statement, recognizing the new authority in the war-ravaged country and calling for cease-fire?!

“We fail very often to assert ourselves when it matters most. One such occasion was the war in Libya, when our leaders on the continent failed to make a definitive statement on the sad turn of events in that country. Some are even suggesting that the AU was goaded into coming out with that bland statement only after the worst had happened. 

“Try travelling from Ghana to neighbouring Togo and you would see the extent of the problem of ‘disintegration’ of the African people. Beyond the rhetoric and the diplomatic niceties at conferences and summits, the need to integrate the African people culturally, socially, economically etc. still stare us in the face. It is much easier to travel from France to Germany than to travel from Ghana to Namibia. Why? Ask these ivory tower intellectuals why this is so and you are likely to receive complex, winding grammatical constructions which leave you confused or dazed but without the simple answer you are looking for.

“They hold conferences, summits, workshops etc. They sleep in expensive five star hotels and take fat per diem but nothing significant comes out of all the meetings. They only congregate to propound new theories about Africa’s problems and redefine theoretical answers to the issues confronting us. You do not have an idea how much classroom blocks would be built, if the AU or any of its organs chose not to hold its lavish conferences and summits in 2012!

“My son, leadership is cause and all other things are effects. I will tell you more about the ‘sins’ of the leaders we have later. As an old catechist, I can only pray for them. But you must act, talk, shout and make your voice heard. Form youth groups and network with other youth groups in neighbouring countries and begin to demand concrete actions from the AU and its leadership,” Uncle Tom concluded his lecture on what he calls the ‘sins’ of the AU. 

Do you share the views of Uncle Tom? What do you make of the African Union? Any hopes of a continental unity?

By: Ike W. Bikor

THE OTHER SIDE OF SUPERSTITION

It was six in the morning. The blazing African sun had already risen, threatening to scorch life out of every blade of grass. A beam of the sun’s rays penetrated through the thatched hut in which I was lying and struck my face.

“Gosh!” I muttered, jumping out of the straw mat on which I was lying.

I was returning to the city and to all the privileges of urban life, which I had missed for the past two weeks that I had been on a holiday in my village.

I knew I would miss the fresh and delicious mango, guava, pineapple, citrus and other less known fruits which were abundant in the village. But most importantly, I was going to miss my favorite sparkling and tasty coconut milk which I had enjoyed very much.

I however had one nagging question to which needed an urgent answer, if my joy must be complete and my experience of life in the village memorable. It was the question of taboos. Too many taboos!

Grandpa never went to fishing in the lake on Tuesdays. He never went to the farm on Tuesdays. He had warned me never to stray into what he called “The evil forest.” I should not throw a stone at a chameleon. Never kill the green snake. So many other prohibitions and taboos!

Today, after several years, I look back and I perfectly understand the noble motive behind many of the taboos and prohibitions which characterize our cultural and traditional life, as a people.

By these taboos and prohibitions- however superstitious and unreasonable they seem, the indigenous African has learnt to conserve and preserve the ecosystem. The taboos and other injunctions made it possible to protect both plant and animal life in the past.

Of course, there are superstitious reasons why certain tree species should not be felled or certain animals killed or hunted. But behind the seemingly unreasonable superstitions, are conservational goals.

Much as I do not personally endorse superstitious taboos, it is fairly obvious that they have played a crucial role in protecting the ecosystem in Africa. Taboos and other superstitious prohibitions do not make scientific sense and have outlived their usefulness in a modern society. But they have, upon hindsight, played a major role in the quest to conserve the environment.

By prohibiting fishing in the sea and other inland water bodies on certain days or periods, the result has been the conservation of fish stock. By prohibiting the entry into certain forests; the felling of some tree species; the killing or hunting of certain animals etc, the delicate balance between humans and their ecosystem has been relatively well managed. 

Today on all fronts, there is so much concern for the environment. There is indeed a direct scientific relationship between environmental sustainability and the quality of life on earth.

Our fish stock is reducing at an alarming rate. The forests are vanishing at the speed of light. Certain animals have become endangered species. Our water bodies are not only drying up, but also heavily polluted.

It has been predicted that by the year 2075, about 70% of Africa’s water bodies would dry up. Indeed, the future of the globe’s ecosystem is bleak.

The Africa of yesterday has paid its due, in its own way, in conserving the environment- both flora and fauna.

The next time you are tempted to scorn certain aspects of the way of life of the Africa of yesterday, pause and take some time to reflect on the issues. For by so doing, you would separate the baby from the bath-water.

By: Ike Bikor

CORRUPTION IN AFRICA: THE MYTH, THE LIE & THE TRUTH!

I was on board a commercial minibus (called Trotro in Ghana) to school and found myself uncomfortably sandwiched between two elderly men who had bought the Daily Graphic newspaper and were poring over its contents, while intermittently exchanging views about the news items they were reading.

The exceptionally heavy vehicular traffic in the capital that morning, coupled with the characteristic discomfort of boarding those rickety commercial minibuses, made me sore angry with everything and everyone around me- including these two men who would not stop disturbing the rest of us with their political views.

“Every politician, by default, is corrupt or latently corrupt. Irrespective of where they are located on earth, once they are seeking to be elected to a competitive political office, they begin to scheme, plot and join the dots to achieve political power,” the man on my right opined, simultaneously flipping to a new page of the newspaper he was reading.

“Why would you make such an assertion without any real and scientific proof? I mean why would you pass such a harsh judgment on all politicians anywhere on earth?,” the other man on my left reacted calmly, readjusting his bifocal lens on his face.

This is going to get interesting, I thought to myself.

“Scientific proof? Ouch!” he exclaimed, simultaneously folding the paper and fanning himself with it.

“Well, Mr. Mensah, the proof you are asking of me is already there in the social and scientific world. Maybe you are asking me whether my assertions about politicians have been corroborated by any scientific research process, huh? Have you ever wondered why the politician would spend a whopping US $ 10 million dollars waging a political campaign, knowing that he or she would earn less than US $ 300 dollars per annum?” the man asked his friend.

“Yeah….you have a point. The African politician is no more corrupt than his or her counterparts elsewhere on the globe,” Mr. Mensah added, virtually siding with his colleague.

“The politician receives money from corrupt leaders, business people etc. to run political campaigns to get elected to political offices; hoping to reward the former by propping them up in power and the latter by offering them juicy contracts.

“So the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, takes money from the late Muamah Qathafi to wage his campaign to get elected to political office. No mean a person than the late Libyan president’s son accuses him of this,” the man explained.

By now I was enjoying the discourse and very much engrossed in the exchanges between the two men.

“The Italian Premier, Silvio Berlisconi is in court to defend himself against sexual, bribery and corruption scandals that are suffocating him. But these same western leaders find it convenient to equate African leaders to corruption and dictatorship!” Mr. Mensah observed, chuckling audibly.

The other man took off the lens from his face, and pointing it in Mr. Mensah’s direction, said with an obvious scorn, “The only difference between some of the corrupt African leaders and these equally corrupt western leaders is this: the African leader carries his ill-gotten money out of his country to an offshore bank in far away Switzerland because he fears that a succeeding government might go after him to probe him; whereas the western white-faced leader invests his corruption-stained money in his country, thereby creating jobs for his people.

“Take a closer look at the kind of politics Dmitry Medvedev and Vladmir Putin are playing in Russia. Let that kind of politics happen anywhere in Africa, and the entire continent of 54 countries would be tagged negatively and a full-scale fire power deployed against it,” the old man remarked, putting his lens back on his face.

“Have you read the latest Corruption Perception Index report of Transparency International? The 2010 report shows that Ghana(4.1), Cape Verde (5.1), South Africa(4.5), Tunisia(4.3) and Rwanda(4.0) have all performed better than Italy which scored 3.9 on a scale of 0-10.” Mr. Mensah added.

I got to my destination and rather reluctantly, had to alight from the vehicle. The lesson was very clear: Africa is not totally a bad case; it is a matter of who is telling the African story.

By: Ike W. Bikor

GAY RIGHTS: A PALMWINE BAR PERSPECTIVE

It was in my village- a small farming community in the hinterlands of Ghana. A small crowd of old men and young men numbering about eleven had gathered at the village square as usual, sipping palmwine after a hard day’s work.

Notable in the small crowd was a septuagenarian (70+ old man); his double-lens hanging down his nose and his frail hands holding a small radio set very close to his left ear.

The old man who was apparently listening to his favorite news channel-the B. B. C., seemed to be moderating a passionate discussion on the issue of gay rights in Ghana. 

“Who is David Cameron to decide what a sovereign country like Ghana does or does not do? This is what our first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah called Neo-colonialism.” he chuckled as he gulped down a mouthful of the fresh, foamy palmwine. “How can a man marry a man? He can keep his financial aid. After all, we have hit oil now.” the old man remarked contemptuously, taking his small radio set he calls ‘wireless’, off his ears.

“That is why am happy the President Prof. J. E. Attah-Mills gave the British Premier a befitting answer yesterday.” Efo Korku said, drowning his last words in the calabashful of palmwine he had put to his mouth.

“Oh but the president has not said anything concrete and positive. All he said was that he was not going to pass any laws that would grant gay rights nor would he outlaw the practice. In other words, his attitude to gay practice and rights is one of indifference and passivity.” The old man observed, his hooded eyes roving from one face to another.

“I see the point. If gay practice and rights offend our socio-cultural sensibilities, then the president should take a definitive stand and outlaw the practice. Only then will I clap for him.” Efo Kordzo, said siding with the old man.

“But they brought us the Bible and asked us to believe its precepts and tenets, how come they are now promoting a practice that is clearly against the teachings of the Bible?” another man asked rhetorically but earnestly expecting some answers.

“May I advise David Cameron to dare suggest to their friends in the Arab world to recognize homosexuals in their society! The reaction to his statement would be immediate and swift. They would call him an infidel and rain curses upon him.” Kafui observed with passion.

The old man took some sip of the bubbling stuff, placed the calabash down carefully and wiped his mouth.

“It is illegal to marry two or more women in Britain today. If the British Premier thinks gay rights are basic human rights, I’d advise him to quickly amend that obsolete law and allow the Moslems and African men in Britain to marry more than a wife, since their religion and culture permit that. By so doing, he would be seen as the promoter of human rights. If he did that, we would also pass laws to recognize the rights of gays in our society.” The old man suggested; his frame visibly shaking, as he made his point forcefully.

“But old man, as a Christian, I believe this gay stuff is just one of the signs of the end time. I think we should braze ourselves for more moral problems as the world cruises to an end.” Efo Korku remarked, his eyes sizzling from an overdose of the stuff.

“Oh so you are one of those who have been brain-washed into believing that the world is set on a cause that we humans are powerless to stop huh? Then let us fold our arms and see everything go haywire because the Bible predicts it must happen.” The old man retorted rhetorically.

“Human rights are universal and inalienable. Society must not restrain anyone from expressing themselves. Homosexuality is as old as the Bible itself. I prefer palmwine but Cameron prefers whisky. I prefer my three wives, whilst John Bull prefers a broad-chested, muscular man for a ‘wife’. What’s the big deal? If it feels good, do it!!” one man remarked; knowing too well that his view was an unpopular one.

The group at the palmwine bar dispersed, hurling insults at the last man to express his views on the gay rights saga.

What is your view on this matter?

By: Bikor W. Ike