Hi G-lers Kindly subcribe my friend Mr. Sabally. His e-mail is [log in to unmask] UNCLE JAY. >From: madi jobarteh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: afrika >Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1999 15:10:36 GMT > >IN DEFENCE OF AFRIKA AND HER LEADERS > >Dear Editor, > >This a reply to the ex-editor of the New Africa magazine Alan Rake about an >article he wrote in june. i thought it necessary to send it to you for the >wider Afrikan community who might have read his malicious article and be >convinced. i hope this small piece will help to clarify the situation.I >have >also sent a copy of this same letter to New Africa. > >I am writing this article with the hope that you would publish it in your >magazine. It is in reaction to your ex-editor Alan Rake's article "A drum >boy in Afrika", in the June 99 issue of the New Africa magazine in which he >talked about his Afrikan experience which was a diatribe against Afrikans, >as far as am concerned. Particularly, I am concerned about his Ghana >experience and his comments about Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the True >Guide >of the Afrikan Revolution. I deem it my duty to protect and promote the >great personalities of my nation who especially happened to be grossly >smeared and misinterpreted. I consider it my duty because I recognise >that >the peace and independence I enjoy today, even though not satisfactory, was >not a charity from any monarch or president of Euope, or anybody else for >that matter, but as a result of a struggle gallantly led by my ancestors. >I >owe them gratitude and respect for having fought for my freedom and >upliftment when I was not even aware of my own degradation. >Ungratefulness >is the biggest sin a man can commit. To start, I am Madi Jobarteh a >Gambia >student at the University of Ghana, Legon. I am a revolutionary >pan-Afrikanist, and as such my thoughts and actions and feelings are guided >by Afrocentricity. > > >Mr. Rake said in his article that Nkrumah was an idealist. I guess he >said >that in reference to Nkrumah's pursuit of Afrikan Unity. At the dawn of >independence the Osagyefo pointed out that the only way for us to make >progress was that we need to unite politically and economically. This was >more apparent and necessary considering that we just emerged out of foreign >domination of our lands, bodies and minds for a very long time, by a force >which was never willing to leave, in fact for which it was necessary to >oppress us in order for them to advance. Lack of unity, claimed Nkrumah, >will lead us into the spheres of these powers which will manipulate and >exploit us, while at home we will be engulfed in a guagmire of poverty, >fratricidal fighting and ignorance. At the Casablanca Group Conference >from 3-7 January 1961, he made this statement to his colleagues. "I can >see >no security for Afrikan states unless Afrikan leaders, like ourselves have >realised beyond all doubt that salavation for Afrika lies in Unity ... for >in unity lies strength, and as I see it, Afrikan states must unite or sell >themselves out to imperialist and colonialist exploiters for a mess of >pottage, or disintegrate individually." > > >In this statement not descriptive of Afrika today? All our countries are >either puppets, exploited for a mess of pottage, or are disintegrating and >burning. Today who can claim that Afrika and Afrikans are protected. We are >probably the most defenceless and valunerable species in the >world,including >whales, rocks and trees. Which Afrikan Army can protect its territory >from >American or European aggression or terrorist attacks from outside?Which >AFrikan currency can compete with the dollar or Yen?Which Afrikan economy >can determine world market trends?Which Afrikan government can twist the >arm >of the UN or FIFA?Which Afrikan country can protect its citizens from toxic >waste dumping through foreign aid or technical assistance? The only >government to protect every individual Blackman and Blackwoman is the >continental government of Afrika. Afrika is rich, but Afrikans are poor, >and no afrikan government can determine either its resources or its >destiny, >especially if such a move would harm the interest of the multinational >corporations exploiting our people. The answer lies in unity. This was >the Osagyfo's call, and how dare Alan Rake call that idealism. Are >Europeans >not calling for unity? Is that idealism too? True, Nkrumah was impatient. >He said that in his book "Afrika Must Unite", that as far as the >development >of Ghana was concerned he was impatient.But which leader would not be >impatient if you lead a nation like Ghana at that time.To be impatient >doesn't imply irrationality or madness. Nkrumah was no fool. He was a >success, but which was interrupted by the imoperialists who overthrew him. >Since he took office up to his overthrow, he set up more that 100 >industries, numerous schools, hospitals, roads, harbours, townships etc. >In fact today Ghana is surving because of the foundation laid down by >Nkrumah. All the governments of Ghana put together do not come near an >inch the Osagyefo's achievements. In fact there is no government in Afrika >which has come near the Osagyefo's achievements in Ghana. The only >comparable government would be Libya under the courageous and >revoluntionary >Gaddafi. Here is the statistics of some of his successes since he joined >the government of Ghana in 1951, in school enrolment: > > 1951 1961 %Increase >Primary Schools 154,360 481,500 211.9 >Middle Schools 66,175 160,000 141.8 >Secondary & Technical Schools 3,559 19,143 437.8 >Teacher Training Colleges 1,916 4,552 137.5 >University Students 208 1,204 478.8 >The building of schools and colleges was given top priority in his >development plans. > > >BASIC SERVICES > >Number of Hospital beds 2,368 6,155 159.9 >Rural and Urban choices 1 30 - >Doctors and Dentists 156 500 220.5 > > >TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION > >Roads (in Miles) > > >Class I (Bitumen) 1,398 2,050 46.7 >Class II (gravel) 2,093 3,346 59.8 > >(Since 1961 up to his overthrow, the mileage of motor roads has risen to >19,236. Feeder roads connect most villages to the trunk road network). >Post Offices 444 779 75.4 >Telephones 7,383 25,488 245.2 > >ELECTRICITY > >Installed electrical capacity (kw) 84,708 120,860 42.7 >Electrical power generated (kw '000) 281,708 390,174 38.4 >Anything that makes Ghana stand today was built by Nkrumah's government. > >1. Akosombo Dam 2. Tema Oil Refinery >3. Tema Township 4. Tema and Takoradi Cement Works >5. Kumasi Sports Stadium 6. Trade Fair, LA >7. Steel Works, Tema 8. GIHOC Pharmaceutical >9. Ring Road 10. Ghana Airways >11. Tema harbour and drylocks > >plus numerous other development plans rudely interrupted by the unpatriotic >NLC neo-colonialists agents and their masters in Washington & London. > > >These were the progresses taking place in Ghana, and with his pursuit for >Afrika to unite in order to control her destiny and resources the >imperialists felt threatened and the next logical thing to do was to remove >the Osagyefo, the 2nd Greatest Leader of Afrika this century after Marcus >Mosiah Garvey. So they started to squeeze Ghana economically both from >within and without. In 1965 they drastically and artificially dropped the >price of cocoa, knowing that commodity was Ghana's leading earner, from >£476 >in 1954 to £87 10s. a ton in 1965. This meant that although Ghana >exported >500,000 tons of cocoa, she earned only £77 million, or less than her >receipts in the mid 50's for 250,000tons. In 1965 he published his book >"Neo-Colonialism: The Last stage of imperialism". In that book he exposed >how the West controls and exploits Afrikan through economic, political, >cultural, educational and spiritual means. He reiterated the need for unity >and the potential we will create by uniting. That book was the last straw >for the imperialists. The U.S government sent a note of protest to him and >promptly refused Ghana $35 million of "Aid". These were the dynamics of the >condition engulfing Nkrumah at that time, even though most of us, because >we >are so much obsessed with Western ideas and materials, think that >nation-building, especially in our case, was just easy. We do not know that >the countries of the West had to take centuries to establish themselves >which was characterised by very severe fraticidal conflicts and a brutal >onslaught on the peoples of other lands whom they ensalved and looted . Up >to today Europeans are trying to fully define themselves, as events in the >former Yugoslavia demonstrate. Ghana and Afrika cannot go that way, that is >why we have to realise that even in an individual's life there comes a >moment in which you have to open up your eyes because of the circumstance >in >which you find yourself. This becomes more true for a society.So those of >you who claim that Nkrumah was a dictator and greedy, need to realise this >fact.For Nkrumah, the prime agenda was Ghana and Afrika and not any >individual, especially those bourgeois intellectuals who want the status >quo >to remain so that they can continue to bash in their misguided prestige >while majority of our people continue to live in conditions of poverty, >disease and ignorance. This is an abnormal situation as far as >Revolutionary >Pan-Afrikanists are concerned. America, which most of us admire today, >though sadly, had to spend the first 100 years of her independence on >fighting and oppressing each other. In fact the greater majority of >present-day USA never wanted a USA, but they had to be forced to accept and >belong. But nobody claims that George Washington or Abraham Lincoln was a >dictator. So why do you want to destroy and confuse us? why are you so >malicious? True, there were corrupt individuals in Nkrumah's government, >but >that does not discourage us, because we know every society has its >contraditions. There are enemies everywhere, within and without. But >was >Nkrumah himself corrupt or had he done anything to anyone out of malice or >greed or pomposity? All his actions are calculated and geared towards >building Ghana and Afrika. Most of us can criticise now, especially our >intellectuals. But that is just talking. Ask them what they have ever done >for Ghana with their so-called BA's, MA's and PHD's. Ask them, have they >ever organised one or two fellow Ghanaians to talk about Ghana's problems >seriously? Have they ever spent a whole night awake seriously thinking >about >what they can do for Afrika? They are all talkatives who want some school >in America or Europe to employ them ot to head some UN project.They are all >running away from their distressed Motherland? Mkrumah does not belong to >that category. > > >Alan Rake said Nkrumah built a personality cult by naming himself >"Osagyefo". This is a big lie. In Afrika, our people are fond of giving >names to their beloved leaders. It is part of our culture. So that is why >we >have 'Madiba' for Mandela, 'Mwalimu" for Nyerere, 'mushin' for Kenyatta and >'Kairaba' for Dawda Jawara, and many others.So where does your case lie, >Alan? We call him the Osagyefo which means the Redemeer.That title fits >him, and we are proud of it. > > >You pointed out that Nkrumah wanted to become president of Afrika. Who >told you that? Did Nkrumah himself tell you that? Or was it the enemies >of Afrika who told you? Surely it must be them. Nkrumah declared on May >25 >1963 at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia on the day the OAU was formed that he was >ready to serve under any leader in the United States of Afrika.He even >proposed at that gathering that Bangui or Leopoldville in Central African >Republic and Congo respecitvely to be the capital of the New Afrika. He did >not name himself or Accra or Kumasi. So how can you conclude that he wanted >to lead Afrika. Never in his life has he ever said or gave an impression >that he wanted to be the president of Afrika.So to claim that is a white >lie >only designed to distort facts and destroy our leader. This was the same >madness the neo-colonialist puppet leaders of most French-speaking >countries >in Afrika at the time were spreading, surely under pressure from their >devilish French masters. The lying is too much, man! > > >You also insinuated that the Osagyefo concentrated power in his hands, and >by-passed the parliament. Now you may think that the parliament in Ghana at >that time was a true parliament, but I tell you it was nothing other than a >bundle of neocolonialist bourgeois agents who were the internal force of >the >imperialists bent on destroying the progress of Ghana and Afrika. Could you >imagine a patriotic parliament in an emerging country like Ghana objecting >to the building of the Akosombo Dam? They couldn't see the wisdom in it >that >to industrialise and develop first and foremost you need energy! But they >couldn't see it because they lack vision for Ghana and Afrika. Nkrumah >noted >that: > >"a serious well-intentioned opposition keeps a government alive to its >responsibilities, guarantees exteme care in the preparation and formulation >of programmes and underlines the need for sponsors of legislation to be >able >to justify their proposals." > >In other words an opposition must be constructive.He said this is the >strength of the opposition in established democracies of the world. >"They recognise that they, together with the government of the day, proceed >from the major premise that they have a joint aim to advance the welfare of >the people...the government initiates; the opposition is constructively >critical." > >This was not the case in ghana and because they have been repeatedly >rejected by the electorate the possibility of gaining office by >constitutional means was remote,they resorted to indecent politics. >Nkrumah >speaks again: > >"their politics have been narrowly regional in concept, and often violent, >abusive and terroristic in action. Within parliament, the castigation of >the >cabinet has been, to them, and end in itself rather than an instrument for >securing better condition for the people...it may be argued that some of >these characteristics are present in any opposition party. This is true, >but >not to the same extent as in Ghana.Elsewhere they are set in the context of >an alternative over-all programme of government.The Labour party in >Britain, >for example, follows a political doctrine opposed to that of the >Conservative Party. Ideologically they are widely removed. There are >clashes >over such concepts as nationalisation. There remain, however, broad areas >of >internal and foreign affairs where there is a community of view... the >opposition in Ghana cannot boast this same sense of responsibility and >maturity". > >In fact Nkrumah did personally invite J. B. Danquah to join his government, >arguing that Ghana being so young does not need infighting among her >people.He refused. This clearly shows that we didn't have an opposition, >but >a bunch of self-destroyers, bourgeois intellectuals overwhelmed by colonial >mentality and myopics who are interested only in their personal welfare. >This is why Nkrumah declared a party-one state. > >"A people's parliamentary democracy with a one-party system is better able >to express and satisfy the common aspirations of a nation as a whole, than >a >multi-party parliamentary system which is in fact only a ruse for >perpetuating, and covers up, the inherent struggle between the 'haves' and >the 'have-nots'". > >So Alan if you don't know the facts on the ground, shut your mouth and >don't >foul the atmosphere.While you shout on Afrika to establish numerous parties >U.S and most of Europe have essentially two parties only, which are neither >regional, religious not ethnic, but patriotic and mature. And as Nkrumah >said, in fact, democracy and multi-partyism are not necessarily compatible. >You can have a democracy without multi-partyism, and on the other hand also >you can have mutli-partyism without democracy. sometimes, if not always, >multi-partyism serves only the elites and bourgeois, while majority of the >people suffer. For example, in India every minute they change a >government >in parliament, but never is there a change of condition of the people. So >don't confuse us with your standards and desires. We know what we want and >we went for it. Majority, if not, all Afrikan countries have multipartyism, >but there is no iota of democracy and development in any of them. They are >all puppets, sterile and oppressive. Criticise those ones, and praise those >who are pro-people, like the Osagyefo. > > >You said "his dreams were soon shattered on the rocks of reality". Which >'rocks of reality?" The 'rocks of reality' which shattered his dreams and >our dreams are the United States and Great Britain and your allies. You >plotted against him and you removed him. I guess you must be proud of that. >It was because he was an obstacle to your diabolical activities in Afrika, >that you have to remove him. This is the reality. Why don't you just speak >the truth for once? While you call him a dictator, you never called Mobutu >a dictator, because that stupid man opened his legs wide open so that you >can rape Zaire as you please. Nkrumah is no prostitute and Ghana is a >dignified Black Star. No rapist can succeed.These are the "rocks of >reality", you refused to see.This is the same reason why you refused to see >the development which was taking place in Ghana, but only doom was what you >wanted to see there. But this attitude is typical of White people and >confused Black intellectuals.You never see anything good about anything or >anybody which is not admitting to your desires. This is especially true >with >regards to Afrika. You have painted everything about Afrika as backward. >This clearly shows that no good thing comes from Afrika. You say our >culture >and people are savages and backward, and your scholars went all out to >create theories and hypothesis just to prove that assertion. When we try >to define ourselves and chart a way for ourselves, you say we are wrong, >stupid and evil. Why? >And what beats my imagination is that Baffour Ankomah and all those Afrikan >staff at "New Africa magazine" are there without showing up any objection. >This is gross irresponsility and an act of betrayal. This act befits only >traitors. While they condemn our leaders, they are proud of their >abominable >anti-christ dictators such as Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaule, >Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin etc.etc. Why don't you talk about those? >There wouldn't by any Nkrumah or a call for united Afrika if your fathers >and mothers had not stepped their filthy feet on our land. This has >always >been their preoccupation to destroy our leaders. Anytime someone comes up >you beat him down. You either kill him or you smear him in order to get our >people shun that leader: >- Marcus Mosiah Garvey - smeared >- Kwame Nkrumah - smeared >- Amilcar Cabral - killed >- Sekou Toure - smeared >- Malcolm X - killed >- Martin Luther King - killed >- Tom Mboya - killed >- Eduardo Mondlane - killed >- Patrice Lumumba - killed >- Winnie Madikizela-Mandela - smeared >- Nelson Mandela - smeared > > > >I call on all Afrikans everywhere to be alert, and for the first time to >stand up and defend the name and integrity of our leaders and Afrika, our >beloved Motherland. We have to understand that it was those leaders, who >were raped, killed, beaten, jailed and humiliated that we are free today. >But it is not complete, and it is our responsibility to complete it. To all >youths of Afrika, rise up and take your stands again. The enemy is at it >again, and as Nkrumah said they mask themselves in all manners. You can see >that while we thought the 'New Afrika' magazine is for us and truly we are >proud of it, on the whole it has in the midst of it our enemy! > > > >To conclude, I demand the management of the Magazine to apologise to all >Black-people for such irresponsible, misleading and malicious article by >Alan Rake, immediately. We do not wish anybody or any magazine who bears >our >name to ridicule us with impunity. We do not wish anybody or any magazine >who bears our name to destroy us. And we do not wish anybody and any >magazine who bears our name to mislead us. > > >Long live Afrika! >Long live the Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and all our Leaders! >Long live Afrikan Unity !!! > > >MADI JOBARTEH >LEGON HALL >UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON >GHANA. > >______________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------