One of the biggest problem that has plagued the smooth take off of African countries is the deliberate refusal of the colonial administrators we have in most of Africa called presidents, to support local initiatives.
Initiatives in the field of medical research, engineering, agriculture, finances etc have been neglected in favour of dependence on the west, exploitative multinationals and financial institutions etc. The issue here is not a broad base focus on all of the above, but, on health and research.
I have really been contemplating why African rulers have refused to construct equipped, train and maintain medical personnel and hospitals that can take adequate care of their citizens.
Repeatedly, we hear of this or that African head of state (ruler) who has flown to Europe for medical treatment or has died in a European hospital like the recent case of Omar Bongo. I will not cite any further particular ruler because there is virtually no African ruler and his family who do not constantly do their medical consultations in renowned and well-equipped hospitals over the Mediterranean and across the Atlantic.
How many Africans have the needed resources to get visas, air tickets and pay bills in these costly but well organised health structures in the West?
The money embezzled by late dictators Sani Abacha of Nigeria, Mobutu of Congo Kinshasa, Omar Bono of Gabon, etc is enough to build, equipped some of the best hospitals, and train the personnel for their various countries.
Without any statistics on the wealth of Paul Biya of Cameroon (whom his former close collaborator, Abel Eyinga, also claim is a rich man , Le Germinal No 001 August-September , 2008), another Biya’s closest aide now in prison, Titus Edzoa, had also even claimed Biya is the richest Cameroonian.) , the money embezzled by his close collaborators is enough to transform the health sector in Cameroon.
Imagine an individual embezzling CFA 52 billion (about $100m) like the case of one of Biya’s diehard supporter Gerald Emmanuel Ondo Ndong among others.
It is alleged that President Barack Obama of USA, recently banned some Cameroonian top government officials from sojourn in the US because of their unusually huge bank accounts in the country, which contrast with the economic climate in Cameroon.
That is a wonderful move, but, Cameroonians wish to see eloquent President Obama go further and send back the funds to Cameroon and even release the names including that of the highest ranked and commander in chief of the embezzlers in Cameroon.
By implication, the embezzlers would not have access to the funds, which lie in American banks and would be serving the American economy. It may be a herculean task for them to have access to the funds again.
The very good intentions of President Obama, would have been translated into better actions by his government calling on the embezzlers to justify their wealth within a specific period without which the funds are sent back to Cameroon.
We need the funds to revamp our health services.
The alleged huge bank accounts and illicit real estates of people like the Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea, Sassou Nguessou of Congo Brazzaville, Idriss Derby of Chad, the terrifying looting in some oil rich states in Nigeria like Bayelsa, and so many others is enough to construct, equip and train the best medical personnel for their various countries.
Researching for an AIDS Vaccine
Ever since the discovery of HIV the virus that causes AIDS, African researchers have been working hard to get a cure or vaccine against the virus.
However, from every indication, African rulers would not accept any vaccine, which is not from the west.
Cameroon celebrated researcher Professor Victor Anoma Ngu says he has made advanced research into getting a vaccine for the disease. Some claims he even cures the disease, if discovered at an earlier stage.
On the contrary, other researchers who often talk on political lines rather than research always want to rebuff the claims of Professor Anoma NGU just because the latter has made it clear that the Cameroon government has not supported him in the research. He also at one moment claimed that the some unscrupulous American have stolen part of his research.
Yet those (Drs) who criticise Professor Anoma NGU have not been able to show their own research on the issue. This does not mean they should not criticise because, criticism is part of building a healthy environment.
African traditional practitioners should not be neglected. Inasmuch as there may be charlatans, there are genuine traditional researchers. Others like Maurice Ambeno, have continuously challenged government to investigate their research on AIDS but nothing has been done about it.
The government keeps waiting for the day BBC, CNN, VOA, France 24 etc would announce that a vaccine has been discovered in one of western laboratories. This day may hardly ever come.
It is no doubt that that the AIDS business has “fabulously” enriched the western fabricators of the antiretroviral drugs as well some western and African pseudo NGOs said to be working in the fight against the disease.
It is high time true African leaders support local research and develop confidence in their own people and their talents.
From Cameron through, the Congos, Mozambique, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, etc there is the urgent need for our leaders to construct and equipped our hospitals, trained the needed personnel and make sure that no stone is unturned to support local medical researchers.
For late Omar Bongo to have said “France without Africa is like a car without petrol and Africa without France is like a car without a driver” was just a testimony of how some of these rulers had been colonised, brainwashed and could not believe in themselves and in any thing their compatriots could do.