Just about two weeks ago, our former president John Kufour was in the Netherlands to give a speech on African progress and development. The former president is widely revered for his insight on economics. Then again, Kufour is an Oxford university BA degree holder in economics, philosophy and politics, who was subsequently confirmed in accordance with the Oxford traditions with a masters degree by the University. So most naturally, Kufour should be your man if you need any answers regarding economic issues. Also according to some legends, Ghana's economy was in pretty good shape under Kufour's presidency. Here is a man, whose government did manage to increase our nation's GDP from $ 3.94 billion to $16.1 billion within a space of eight years. Moreover, under Kufour's presidency, the fluctuating nature of our nation's currency was somehow stabilized, which of course did contribute to the overall growth of our economy.
Now, we would unanimously agree that, Africa's aid-dependency has somewhat arrested its progress and development. Therefore, you could imagine how startled I was, when our former president told his audience that, Africa is not yet ready to wean itself from its perennial aid-dependency. As a matter of fact, he said that Africa still needs Western aid in order to function. As most of you already know, the former president is now on the pay-role of the world bank. He accepted a job offer from the world bank when his presidency ended. An offer which he obviously couldn't refuse. Hence this statement by the former president, which albeit aligned with his new found occupation, could be labeled anti-African progress and development. The former president cannot seriously suggest that, he would prefer aid-dependency to self-sufficiency or can he? Moreover, how many countries have been able to achieve a successful socio-economy on foreign aides and hand-outs?
Anyway, knowing the ex president for who and what he really is, one simply had to wonder. Because after all, this is a man whose government did spend an estimated amount of $1.2 billion to knock off a few zeroes from our currency, thinking that he was actually resuscitating a weak economy. Of course, one would have expected the former president with all his degrees in this and that to have known better, but obviously not. Even Rawlings with his presumed o-level education, would even seen the futility of this undertaking had it been proposed to him as the head of state. Indeed, Kufour's position on the subject of Africa's development, and its relations to Western aid, has demonstrated to the rest of the world that Africans are not yet ready to stand on their own two feet. Actually, what Kufour was trying to say is that, Africans are helpless without the West. The African has to fed by the White-man, or else he/she would simply perish.
Now, for a real educated Black-man like Kufour to stand in front of some White folks, and say such a thing must have been something else indeed. Because really, one would have to think very lowly of oneself to be able to say such a thing, if you ask me. Indeed, one would have to be utterly shameless. See, through out the years, we Africans have been falsely portrayed by the West as good for nothing kind of people. Our image has seriously been tarnished. Blacks around the world are not respected no matter what. To put in short, most Blacks residing in the West live in shame. And all because of all these untruths going about in circles, regarding the African continent and its people. Therefore, to have our former president disrespect the continent of Africa and its people by that statement, makes me wonder if he is an enemy or indeed a friend of Africa. Because I'm sure that all of us would agree that, only a typical house-Negro would utter such a statement without feeling any remorse or shame. I wonder how much Kufour received for selling his soul to the White-man.
