August 20, 2014 (LLexsolo) — Well, don’t get me wrong, it is a good thing that foreign bodies particularly from the West offer help to poor countries like Africa from time to time. It is a good gesture and it’s kind of them to squeeze out money from their accounts to help those in need.
However, I think that these funds have not been of much help to the common man ever since . You see on papers billions of dollars donated for poverty alleviation from different bodies over a period of time yet, after many years of receipt of such funds, one can hardly tell any difference. Not to mention that the donors may have an ulterior motive (if you ask me) aside from the general goodwill.
It also serves as a way to keep the beneficiaries loyal and also give the donors more effrontery to exploit abundant natural resources in that land. After all, nothing goes for nothing. No wonder the sixth oil-producing country in the world has no refinery of its own. And hardly do they have any indigenous oil company of their own.
The crude oil is exported at a much cheaper rate and then bought back at an exorbitant rate. One may wonder why this has to be rather than refining the stuff in the same country where the resources are derived.
What does it take to build a refinery for such a rich country. Perhaps, it’s because of what the leaders stand to gain and also to compensate their benefactors and to receive more gifts in the future which ultimately ends up in few hands.
If half of the so-called foreign aid is used for the very purpose they were intended, I believe that there would have been a great improvement in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Unfortunately, the big figures are only seen on papers.
For instance, I have read in the past about how much money was donated to renovate schools and hospitals in Nigeria but you will be shocked that as I write nothing tangible has been done. Where did all the money go, you might want to ask.
Do the donors ever hold the leaders accountable for the funds? Or are they less concerned with what their gifts are used for and only give for giving sake. I think that the leaders will be frugal if they have to give an account of how the money is spent. Perhaps, it’s just a way for the foreign companies to continue to enjoy the unchecked privileges there.
At a recent meeting with African heads of states in the Unites States, Obama donated yet a few billion dollars for developmental projects. What he may not know is that some of these leaders have more than that in their private accounts and assets. Many of them like Yahya Jammeh and Jacob Zuma have mansions worth millions of dollars built from tax payers’ money.
While it is a noble idea to help a friend in need, it shouldn’t be done in a way that this friend now has to depend on you to meet his needs at all times. If you love him, teach him how to be self-reliant and independent of you, not the other way round. Teach him how to fish rather than always giving him fish.
Having said that, I think that Foreign aid will not solve Africa’s problems. It simply helps the leaders to amass more wealth for themselves and their yet unborn.
Why not encourage Africans to be self-reliant by helping them to refine the crude oil rather than buying it from them? The gain that accrues from this alone will be worth more than many years of foreign aid. And this will go a long way in alleviating poverty if used judiciously.
Source: Lex Solo
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