Still on the US electricity bailout
The competition for the souls of periphery nations, otherwise referred to as developing nations – under which category most African nations fall – by the centre of the centre nations, known as developed countries, will continue to dominate the theatre of global political economy for some time to come. While it is a long told tale that some developing countries of yester-years, among them Brazil, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and other Asian Tigers, have repositioned themselves by becoming “giver nations”, most African countries, Nigeria inclusive, continually entrench themselves in the comity of beggarly or relief-seeking countries, through the actions or inactions of those at the control seat of these countries.
Since the African proverb says that a borrower will always be at the mercy of the lender, it will not be amazing that these nations will be at the lowest rung of global reckoning, unless a significant paradigm shift or a renaissance in the psyche of the people and their leaders takes place.
The crux of the matter here is the recent announcement of a $7 billion power bailout for seven African nations, namely, Senegal, Mozambique, Uganda, Liberia, Ethiopia, Kenya and, of course, Nigeria, as announced by the United States President Barrack Obama during his shuttle visit to some African countries recently.
According to Obama, the fund will help combat the grinding power failure in the named countries with the hope of taking them out of self-inflicted darkness. It is on record that at the moment, more than two-thirds of the population in sub-Saharan Africa are without electricity, while more than 85 percent of those living in rural communities lack access to it.
Overtly, the gesture of the US government seems a leeway out of the serial problem of darkness in those countries, especially Nigeria where all antidotes to the problem seemed jinxed at the outset; this optimism may not fly after all. Agreed that the Nigerian economy has been stultified due to its inability to fix the power problems coupled with pervasive corruption in the power sector, there is definitely more profound steps to take before final curtain could be drawn on the problem.
By virtue of his scholastic orientation, this writer is definitely not one person to be hoodwinked by any form of aid coming from a developed nation to Africa. There are definitely copious evidences to show that such aids come with unsavoury conditionality and consequences for the recipient on the long run. We are all aware of the policy direction of the United States and China for the soul of Africa, a situation, I suspect, will not augur well for the former, unless it positions itself dramatically to break off from the web of under-development.
For whatever it takes, if the US bailout is to achieve any change, there must be certain questions that need to be answered by the recipient nations as well as get their commitment to ensure that the power projects must work. There must be serious independent inquisitions into reasons for perennial failures recorded in the sector and those that were responsible for it. The donor nation should also see to it that the support should come more in form of equipment rather than liquid monies that will be easier to be siphoned by the rampaging gluttons who parade themselves as operatives and custodians of the people’s destiny in the corridors of power.
On second thought, I sincerely suppose that it is improper for Nigeria to accept such aid at this time from the United States, considering the hate figure it projects to that country. It still beats the imagination of many Nigerians why Obama for the second time of his visit to Africa did not consider Nigeria, which prides herself as a giant of Africa, a country worthy of visit. To me, Africa, nay, Nigeria, has had enough of these piteous donations and gifts which end up in our further undoing. One is almost sure that this aid in question will not be different unless we damn the shame again, as we are always wont to do, to receive it!
Adaramola is the chairman of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Ogun State chapter.
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