Africa My Motherland XXI

By A. Abeku Haywood-Dadzie

"We have all the natural resources, but still beg; there’s something wrong with the African leader’s mind...?if the owners of the natural resources go around begging, then you should know there's something wrong with their minds." Aids leads to more aid and more aid and less independence of the people that are receiving it ~ Paul Kagame, (President of Rwanda).

What more can be said?

"Mymotherland", is no doubt the most resource-abundant continent, but unfortunately with the poorest countries on earth. According to research "Mymotherland", ?has 50% of the world’s gold, most of the world’s diamonds and chromium, 90% of the cobalt, 40% of the world’s potential hydroelectric power, 65% of the manganese, and huge oil reserve. "Mymotherland", undoubtedly, has always been rich with mineral resources, arable land, diverse markets, and excellent human capital. However, despite the abundance of everything "mymotherland" has nothing. With such an abundance of natural resources, "Mymotherland", ?lags in international trade, controlling about 3% of international trade.

Why is "mymotherland "rich" yet still "poor"? A content analysis of newspaper publications on the continent produces one theme "We are a continent of grants and aids." In the abundance of all our resources, our "leaders of fortune" globe-trot in "Jewels Diamond Edition Suit", "Rolex watches" and "Aubercy Diamond-Studded Shoes" but with calabashes in hands, begging for handouts. These leaders fly luxury, Sleep-luxury, and drive luxury to sell their resources for a pittance to leaders wearing ordinary polo shirts and jeans.

For many of our leaders' self-actualization is attained when they are described with the vocabulary that was once used to describe the slave master. Their deepest fear is that they feel inadequate, so they dress like the slave master, walk like the slave master, talk like the slave master and act like the slave master, so they will be accepted by the slave master. Ironically in their mind's eye, they still see themselves as slaves in the sight of the slave master and believe that is the opinion the slave master has about them. They are therefore not treated as guests at the negation table but as waiters and recipients of handouts and crumbs from the master's table.

"Our leaders continue to do the same thing over and over and expect different results, we never learn from history. It has been argued that "the only thing that we learn from history on the "mymotherland" is that we learn nothing from history." therefore the "mymotherland" is always condemned to repeat history.