In thinking about this problem it is useful to use some simple examples.

One of the less talked about discoveries during the saga was the crude oil swap scam. Basically crude oil was being swapped at rates below official rates leaving a margin that just vanishes. Is this under pricing rational behavior?

The two parties involved in this swap deal are the bulk importer and the department at the NNPC that pays the bulk importer. Before the swap takes place the importer knows they can get more swapped crude oil if the crude oil is priced at a lower rate. The department also knows it can get more revenue by under-pricing the swapped crude oil. It has to account for all swapped crude oil but not any side revenues. In essence we have a situation where both parties making the transaction can make themselves better off by allowing some corruption. The bulk importer can get a lot more under priced swapped crude oil if it pays just a fraction of the extra back to the department. The department can get more revenues that it doesn’t have to account for if it under prices the swapped crude oil. Both parties can make themselves better off and will if the benefits are large enough.

Are the benefits large enough? 15m liters of fuel at a cost of say N100 per liter is worth about 90000 barrels of crude oil. If the swapped crude oil is under priced by $1 per barrel and both parties split that 50/50 then the department can make $45000 a day or N2.7bn a year from just under pricing swapped crude by $1. This is at a very generous 15m liters a day fuel imports.

If both parties have the opportunity to make this happen will they take it? Probably. Most Nigerians who face this opportunity will take it as well. It is not really a measure of the lack of morals but of the extra-large benefits that could be made. Corruption, in this case, arises not because the parties are evil but because one of the parties does not suffer any loss from making a bad deal. The department does not lose anything from under pricing crude oil. Sacking and jailing the management of the department will only force the next set of managers to work harder at covering their tracks. Probably in collaboration with offshore Swiss banks.

This kind of set up for corruption is present right through the oil industry where deals are not made by the parties who actually use the product but by some independent 3rd party. A DPR, PPRA, various departments at the NNPC and so on. Solutions for dealing with this will have to go beyond just locking people up and will have to include structural changes. In this particular example breaking up the department into two separate units, one to sell crude oil for cash, and the other to buy imported fuel for cash, will probably reduce the level of corruption. The best case scenario is to not have any departments and let every local distributor or marketer buy fuel from wherever they like.

Image via Wikipedia

Want to help Africa? Do business here was the TED rallying cry by former World Bank MD now Nigeria Finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. But, who is going to do business with you if you appeared clueless in the face of the future? Spearheading the controversial plan to scrap fuel subsidies was a mistake as anger sparked unrest forcing banks, petrol stations, manufacturing companies and Nigerian airports to close. President Goodluck Jonathan has gone on national TV to defend the fuel cuts. But words like “I have no intention to inflict pains on Nigerians” and “We must act in the public interest, no matter how tough, for the pains of today cannot be compared to the benefits of tomorrow” missed the point.

Petrol prices in Nigeria are currently very low by international standards at about $0.40 per litre. Many Nigerians regard cheap fuel as the only benefit they get from the nation’s oil wealth. There are compelling arguments for the removal of fuel subsidy, however, the government could have planned it better. The town hall meeting was a disaster of jargon and platitudes. The announcement to remove fuel subsidy was made in a statement from regulators, which said the changes would begin immediately. Petrol prices more than doubled overnight in response and angry street protests followed.

This non-progressive and socially unjust tax has led to chaos in every sector. It was poorly planned and executed hence the angry protests that are threatening other areas like security as we learn that sympathisers of the Islamist Boko Haram group are in government and security agencies. “Downside scenarios included: Nigeria as a failed state, dragging down a large part of the West African region.” Is the game over for Nigeria as people sit at home while their elected representatives take home pay is more than that of US President Obama?

I do not think so. All is not lost in Nigeria, those incompetent lot in the Nigerian government has to do the difficult task of leadership. A U-turn. Admit error and blame God. Rather than tax poor Nigerians. Now, how about taxing those that benefit from Nigeria? A one-off $100Billion 2012 pollution and corruption tax on all multi-nationals will deliver on the economic benefits as we re-plan the removal of petroleum subsidy. Shell, Chevron, P&G, PwC and others have turned around Trillions in US dollars out of Nigeria. Is it wrong to now ask them to share in the benefits of tomorrow?

Our pride

It is always heartening to read of Nigerians winning awards or receiving international recognition for their work most especially if they are resident in Nigeria.

At the best of times, it is not the easiest country to set up business in and going from the experience of some, it is even harder to be a newspaper and a quality newspaper at that.

A few weeks ago, we were informed that the NEXT newspaper will no more appear in print, many lamented the prospect whilst opining about the course that newspaper charted that made it a pariah to advertising agencies thereby starving it of essential revenue to thrive.

NEXT was the best

This blog is not being written as an exegesis to those failings; those issues are for others to ponder. However, accolades have been raining on the newspaper like Noah’s flood; last week, Dele Olojede the founder won [1] the 4^th John P. McNulty Prize and the citation read “in recognition of his ground breaking work to deliver unbiased information to the Nigerian public, demand government transparency and advance journalistic standards in the country.”

On Tuesday, at the FAIR [2] (Forum for African Investigative Reporters) African Investigative Journalism Awards in Johannesburg, South Africa, NEXT reporters Peter Nkanga and Idris Akinbajo emerged as African Investigative Reporters of the Year for their joint work, entitled “Last Minutes Oil Deal that Cost Nigeria Dear” whilst the editor Musikilu Mojeed carted away the Courage Award.

Courage in the abyss

It is important to recount the citations that accompany these awards; in the case of the reporters, “The report is one of the six-part ground-breaking series which catalogued a courageous journey into our heart of darkness, the oil industry, as we investigate brazen attempts by our senior officials, including petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to corner the oil industry for themselves, openly demanding bribes, and using cronies and fronts to grab oil blocs in secretive deals.”

Having compiled their report, it was left to the editor to weigh the consequences of that age-old saying, “publish and be damned,” he courageously published the report and for that he “was honoured for demonstrating rare courage and providing the right kind of leadership to get the stories published in spite of high-level pressures, police harassment, attempted monetary inducement and threats to his life.”

They never cared for corruption

From the analysis that followed awarding these prizes to the now eminent personnel of NEXT, it was suggested that in any other country less corrupt and less tolerant of malfeasance, prebendalism or neopatrimonialism, the minister will not only have lost her job in disgrace, she would duly have lost her freedom too, having to go to jail.

Sadly, it is Nigeria where with all the incontrovertible facts and evidence presented to all that matter, the President with his transformational agenda re-nominated the minister for her old position after the elections and the Nigerian Senate being derelict, irresponsible and nonchalant about these rotten allegations barely questioned her but ratified her appointment thereby granting a seal of approval to a corrupt enterprise that reeked to the high heavens.

The award corroborates the reports

Now, there is no reason for FAIR to wade into the political quagmire of Nigeria and expose the sows with their snouts deep in the trough of corruption, they could easily have adopted other less politically inflammatory pieces to grant their award.

Each entry would have been judged on more than its merits for good reporting but would have been reviewed against the kinds of pressures militating against such activity being exposed to public knowledge.

It automatically lends a lie to the idea that everything that constitutes this government we now have in Nigeria with the majority PDP ruling party have a desire to tackle corruption at any level. They instigate, promote, espouse and embrace corruption as their modus operandi suborning as many as can be bought to that same cause.

They are a corrupt lot

Where the President might have had the backbone to stem the tide at the top, he acquiesced and celebrated the epitome of corruption as the lifeblood of his regime and in swearing-in the minister gave license to impunity, the minister probably continuing from where she left off knowing nothing will come of the investigations of the puny inconsequential reporters of the moribund NEXT newspaper stable.

With this award, one will hope the whole Corrupted Industrial Complex (CIC) that makes up the totality of the Federal Government of Nigeria is duly exposed to the world and our foreign partners that they have no consideration for good governance, probity or transparency and sadly, Nigerians thinking they have a democracy are in fact, caught in the merciless iron grip of a heartless and unconscionable kakistocracy – a government by the worst of men.

For the salvation of Nigeria – woe betide them all.

Sources

[1] 234Next.com | Olojede wins John P. McNulty Prize

[2] 234Next.com | NEXT editor, two reporters win African investigative journalism awards

[3] 234Next.com | Last minute oil deals that cost Nigeria dear

EFCC logo - Courtesy EFCC

This is cross-posted from my blog titled NaijaLeaks: A sad decade of an ineffective anti-corruption crusade

New NaijaLeaks

Just in case we had forgotten, WikiLeaks unleashed another torrent of US diplomatic cables which included some pertaining to Nigeria that we have come to term NaijaLeaks.

These cables extend back to as early as 1985 and they will require a bit of data-mining to glean the cogent bits of information and insight that will expose the arcane workings of the Nigerian government usually referred to as GON which stands for the Government of Nigeria.

One interesting cable I found during my review of the new data pertains to Nigeria’s war against corruption which was created in 2001 and one has the opportunity to compare the issues then with the uncannily released Human Right Watch report on the same war released earlier today.

NaijaLeaks on Corruption

The cable of interest is titled – NIGERIA: A Close Look at the GON’s Anti-Corruption Commission [1] which was an assessment made by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan DeWitt and summarised in a cable created in July 2001.

At that time Transparency International had identified Nigeria as the 2^nd most corrupt country in the world and steps to deal with that odious image involved creating The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC).

The ICPC had filed two cases in the Abuja High Court pertaining to the attempted bribery of the Special Assistant to the Chairman of the ICPC to persuade the person to suborn the judicial process by destroying the petitions that were to be filed in court.

The second pertained to the bribery of a member of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry for the investigation of the Management of Nigeria Airways Limited in order to curry favour for certain persons.

Clogged up courts

What was instructive was the brazen effrontery and impunity of the defendants who first challenged the enabling anti-corruption act then filed interlocutory motions both of which were denied and still the court dockets have been clogged with appeals and counter-claims to stymie the process as it climbed all the way to the Supreme Court.

The U.S. Attorney noticed that the judges were quite learned and did much to move things along even though the defence continuously filed numerous motions and requests for adjournment – it appeared justice will be so delayed it might well be denied and the defendants having frustrated the system might get away scot free.

The ICPC appeared to be unprepared for their onerous task, they had a heavy case load and not enough staff to handle the matters, for the 90 positions that needed filling there were 27,000 applicants, a logistical nightmare on its own.

Ineffective at best

When advice was sought regarding the gathering of information about corrupt individuals by a member of the ICPC, the U.S. Attorney suggested a method of “pro-active investigations” but the chairman of the ICPC preferred the pedestrian and passive stance of receiving petitions and conducting oral interviews whilst being resistant to “pro-active investigations.”

Much as a lot of help was offered to help the ICPC, there was no proper co-ordination that it might well have been an ineffective organisation considering the chairman did not delegate much responsibility possibly for the fear that the commission members might be working against the system.

For all the seemingly positive spin the U.S. Attorney appeared to give the fledgling ICPC, it does not appear she was convinced that the ICPC will be able to deliver on the anti-corruption goals of the government.

Any progress?

Ten years on, the Human Rights Watch released a report on Nigeria’s fight against corruption looking at the activities of the other anti-corruption organisation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with the title Corruption on Trial? [2]

The Summary Page makes for rather unflattering reading as the EFCC was established in 2002 and whilst the EFCC has arraigned 30 nationally prominent political figures and recovered US$11 billion, there has been little progress with only four convictions and a completely gummed up judicial process.

The report saw no appreciable difference in the successes of either Nuhu Ribadu the first chairman or the current chairman Farida Waziri. It upbraids Ribadu for allowing one big fish to slip through the net and Waziri for not ameliorating the seemingly deplorable situation.

Not much it seems

It suggests Ribadu was media savvy but with a tarnished legacy of being selective of those to prosecute almost at the political whims of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Waziri who replaced Ribadu is said to have grown both timid and lethargic with certain legal successes looking like a mockery of the whole anti-corruption campaign as insignificant jail terms citing Lucky Igbinedion, then the inability to corral Peter Odili with the release of Bode George after incarceration sending the “unmistakable message that proven criminality is no bar to the highest echelons of politics in Nigeria.”

Skilled defence lawyers have gamed the system gaining interminable delays in the courts with the Ibori case having 170 criminal counts thrown out on the technicality that the EFCC did not provide a written statement of the key witness and as such the court contemned the “worthless hearsay evidence.”

The report notes that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) have failed to complement the activities of the EFCC making for a disjointed and uncoordinated battle against endemic corruption as Nigeria’s political elite continues to enjoy ironclad impunity.

Still stuck on highly corrupt

The report suggests the anti-corruption agencies need an infusion of new and effective leadership observing much of the action against the corrupt Nigerian elite has been instigated by foreign governments as the extradition of Peter Odili from Dubai to London and the revocation of the visa of the former attorney general Michael Aondoakaa under the Yar’Adua government who consistently undermined key corruption trials.

Looking at the stretch of 10 years of Nigeria’s institutionalised crusade against corruption, the real effect can only be measured by reviewing where on the Transparency International Corruption Index, Nigeria now is – it is 12^th in a cluster of 9 countries that includes Zimbabwe, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Togo & Sierra Leone or as the table [3] (PDF) shows, it is 134/178 on the interactive map [4] where it falls in the group a notch up from highly corrupt cohabiting with 35.3% of the assessed countries.

It does not read much like an improvement over 10 years and that is rather unfortunate and quite so too.

Sources

[1] NIGERIA: A Close Look at the GON’s Anti-Corruption Commission

[2] Human Rights Watch – Corruption on Trial? The Record of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

[3] [4] Transparency International

It an almost widely acknowledged fact that any situation involving huge sums of money and wealth, its allocation and distribution has political dynamics surrounding it. The precise nature or dimension these politics take is something that has locked economists and political scientists over a turf-war of sorts over who is encroaching on whose territory and political economists in-between. Consequently, corruption – embezzlement and mismanagement of public funds are very much political just as the antithesis, anti-corruption is every bit political as well.

The recent corruption scandal which the immediate former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole is embroiled in, along with the speed and fervour with which the government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have pursued his arrest and indictment takes a particularly interesting dimension given all the political dynamics and intrigues surrounding it. One is left to wonder whether Bankole really is a culprit and is as guilty as they come, is a pawn in a larger political chessboard of “zoning” and power-sharing scheming or is a scapegoat in a ruse towards the international community.

BANKOLE THE CULPRIT

The former Speaker, Bankole is no stranger to allegations of corruption and misappropriation of public funds which have trailed him for a number of years now – from the N2.3 billion scam over the procurement of official Peugeot vehicles for House Members to the allegations made by House members like Hon. Dino Melaye, Hon. Independence Ogunewe and others which as we all remember resulted in the embarrassing free-for-all fisticuff in the hallowed green chambers last year.

This time around, what got Bankole into trouble was the loan of N10 billion he obtained using the National Assembly accounts as collateral right after he lost his re-election bid. While the initial assumption was that the loan was a personal one, in a supposed desperate last attempt at primitive accumulation to cushion the sudden loss of official privilege and its perks, it became increasingly clear that the loan was secured to foot increases in quarterly allowances for House members. Days later, other shady deals were unearthed as $1 billion was allegedly found in one of Bankole’s domiciliary bank accounts operated by proxy. In addition, Bankole was said to have refused to appear before the EFCC for questioning and earlier attempts to arrest him were foiled by no other than the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

Understandably, Nigerians are and should be justifiably and sufficiently outraged at such stupendous amount of money being misappropriated and laundered, abuse of office privilege and brazen disregard for and perversion of the rule of law at the expense of the impoverished masses. Thus, Bankole’s arrest by the EFCC now that he is no longer covered by constitutional immunity should be a welcome relief to everyone, symbolic of the “breath of fresh air” we have been promised from the stench of corruption all around the country and a pointer to the President’s “transformation” agenda and commitment to anti-corruption or is it?

BANKOLE THE PAWN

While most Nigerians are eager to welcome any sincere effort at tackling corruption, many are sceptical about this particular case and the way it is being pursued. Many inconsistencies abound raising pertinent questions such as: how come it took so long to unearth these sordid, corrupt dealings by Bankole? If earlier attempts on Friday June 03^rd by the EFCC to arrest him were thwarted by the IGP (presumably on orders from above), then what made the IGP and the powers that be have a change of heart not to intervene in Bankole’s arrest on Sunday? On whose orders was the IGP acting on in the first place? If Bankole was able to embezzle so much, then what about other principal officers of not just the House of Representatives, but the Senate as well? How come the spotlight and intense scrutiny is not on them? How come the EFCC is now in such a hurry to nab Bankole when there are cases of 31 ex-governors pending since 2007? Come to think of it, didn’t the EFCC Chair in 2008 state that evidence was still being gathered against them because their files were missing while they have been squandering and enjoying their ill-gotten loot? Or is there a scope and time-frame for the EFCC and by implication, the government’s anti-corruption crusade – say, from 2010 when Jonathan assumed the mantle of leadership onwards?

With all these inconsistencies therefore, the main question is that: is Bankole simply a pawn in a larger political chessboard of politricks and balance of power scheming the ruling party is famous for?

It is no hidden fact that the Presidency and top hierarchy of the PDP spared no effort to prevent the emergence of the widely favoured Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on Monday as Speaker of the House of Representatives in favour of their anointed candidate, Hon. Mulikat Adeola-Akande which they unsuccessfully tried to impose on the House. The gist is that Tambuwal and other officers were to be implicated in this N10 billion naira loan scandal along with Bankole to prevent his emergence as Speaker, so that the House would be under the firm grip of the Presidency and the PDP National Working Committee (NWC). Thus, Tambuwal had to disguise himself on Monday to gain access into the House chamber undetected, to avoid being arrested and thereby have his chances of becoming speaker jeopardized. This sounds like the plot of a Robert Ludlum novel!

The Presidency and PDP bigwigs preferred the candidacy of Hon. Mulikat Adeola-Akande because not only was she the First Lady’s anointed candidate (ah! ah!? First Lady again!?), but also because the party zoned the position to the South West where Mulikat hails from. Never mind that PDP topshots some months ago declared zoning to be “undemocratic”, “unconstitutional” and “dead” to pave way for the emergence of Jonathan as president against that principle, they now seem to be eating their own words and vomit.

BANKOLE THE SCAPE-GOAT

Or it could be that Bankole is simply a scapegoat, and this over-zealous commitment to his arrest and prosecution by the EFCC and the government is a ruse meant to pull the wool over the eyes of the international community especially as President Jonathan is now in the US attending a UN Security Council Summit on HIV/AIDS and would subsequently meet with US President Barack Obama. Given the lacklustre performance of the EFCC over the past one year, the calibre of people around Mr. Jonathan who have a litany of fraud allegations against them such as ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo prominent role in the mismanagement of $16 billion for power sector reform and Chief Anthony Anenih’s Houdini tactics that made N300bn allocated to his ministry disappear into thin air amongst others, it could be argued that President Jonathan is desperate to show the US in particular a (faux) commitment to tackling the menace of corruption and given that the US had issued a scathing criticism of the EFCC under Farida Waziri’s leadership.

Thus despite the EFCC’s claims that it had received numerous petitions to investigate fraud allegations against the ex-speaker, this N10 billion loan taken by Bankole at the twilight of his tenure, the removal of the toga of immunity against prosecution, plus the intense attention the case has received all couldn’t have happened at a more appropriate time for a new administration boggled by dismal record in effectively tackling corruption to cash in on, eager to prove a point.

From whatever angle one looks at the situation, there are serious political dynamics at play in the ex-Speaker Bankole fraud saga and the decision of the government and the EFCC to pursue his prosecution at this stage. The hope of most Nigerians however is that political intrigues notwithstanding, Bankole if found guilty would be made to face the full wrath of the law, and that he would not end up with a slap on the wrist or an ultra-short jail term as Tafa Balogun’s or Bode George’s. This is a new administration, if President Jonathan wants to be taken seriously in this purported zealous attempt at tackling corruption, then justice should be allowed to prevail and the numerous pending cases of many other former public office holders especially ex-governors should be dusted, re-opened, resumed and prosecuted with as much zeal, fervour, commitment and speed as Bankole’s is being pursued now. This hope and optimism notwithstanding, I for one am not holding my breath.

They wore T-shirts proclaiming him the ‘Joseph of our time,’ pretty much sums up the occasion to which I will provide a backstory. [News Story [1]]

Joseph was one of the 12 sons of Jacob in the bible who dreamt dreams of him being the leader of his brothers and created such envy amongst them that they sold him into slavery. In Egypt, he was a servant of high official whose wife fancied him and when he rejected her advances he was falsely accused of sexual harassment and dumped in prison.

A whole range of coincidences of fate occurred where he interpreted dreams of inmates and that reputation lead to him doing the same favour for the Pharaoh of Egypt, which culminated in his becoming the Prime Minister of Egypt and his dream coming true when famine in his homeland brought his siblings to Egypt and had them bowing to the authority of his office.

A thief of the lowest order

The said “Joseph of our time” has no such illustrious biography; as the Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, he along with many members of the board of directors were found to have grossly mismanaged public funds and were duly charged then justly convicted and jailed for their offences.

However, on release from prison this weekend, he made no speech expressing remorse apologising for his errors of judgement and the criminal acts that landed him in jail but was lauded, praised and feted as one of the wronged, in concert with many of the ruling and breaking bread with the presumed respectable of the country.

They are no role models

Indeed, one is surprised that the tide is changing in Nigeria where there now has been great revulsion at the fanfare that accompanied this event, we have had people who have long since gained respectability though having a provenance of criminality.

Lots of the moneyed who have unaudited sources of wealth, who cannot account for how they have become so rich having only held public office or worked in public service and are the brood of literally pauper parents and possibly poorer relations.

They have never been involved in industry and whatever qualifications and professions they might have could not have provided for the treasure troves they now dip into with reckless abandon, they have no scruples and with impunity they have milked and bilked the Nigerian Treasury, stolen and squandered, swindled and cajoled, creamed and scraped as they worshipped the god of corruption with body, soul, reputation, character and integrity.

The need for polite society

This was the modern-day Joseph that got thronged as he left prison hardly repentant but definitely defiant, beyond rehabilitation and perfected for the next possibility of corrupt enterprise that gives him honour amongst thieves of the same ilk.

Sadly, Nigeria has lost its polite society, the non-egalitarian reserve of snobbery that shunned people who were tainted with gossip of impropriety, talk less of allegation, indictment, conviction and the ultimate social death of imprisonment for crimes committed.

To crown the affront to all that is good and wholesome they congregated at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos – the cathedral of all that was once respectable, commendable, honourable and deserving of fawning obsequiousness by reason of breeding, pedigree, old money and social industry for a thanksgiving service which had in attendance a former president and some governors whose reputations should rank lower than the value you get out of manure.

However, the Nigerian narrative is changing, this event must be the one that opens our eyes to rejecting the celebrity of the criminal, those who find support amongst the powerful and are shielded from due opprobrium just because they have money and clout earned through their abuse of office to avert our gazes from the fact that they are criminals, thieves and are worthy of nothing but disgrace.

Thieves must not find honour in Nigeria anymore.

Sources

[1] 234Next | Bode George’s triumphant return shocks Nigerians

A vendor sits in his street kiosk - Luc Gnago/Reuters

I intended to boycott the media frenzy on Obama´s second visit to Africa as over 25,000 children died around the world on the same day but “We don’t need Obama to show us how to make Kenya a great country” by Barrack Muluka writing in Nairobi’s Standard put a stop to that foolishness. His rant, “we would not crave a visit by some foreigner whose existence we did not even know of ten years ago”. Elsewhere expectations were enormously high as the White House made sure Internet and mobile phone users around the world got involved with the visit to Ghana using Face and Twit!

The importance of President Obama’s visit to Ghana was not lost on the folks at Google as they teamed up with the Ministry of Tourism in Ghana to create a special site for President Obama’s visit. Shame the  ajax.googleapis.com application was awfully slow but the numbers game showed Obama was the only party on the web. Mainstream media not to be outdone contributed an overkill of analysts but without any worthy of mention as blogs took the play and the debate continues today.

There were many one line condemnations of Obama’s shallow and simplistic speech from a surprising number of people including Nigerian Lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana who thought it was a huge embarrassment to the African continent and black people. But the Glaring Omission on Nigerian Curiosity proved quite popular with a lot of thought provoking comments.  The updated version clarified that “Obama could freely ‘scold’ Africa, he neglected to acknowledge the historical role played by American government and even certain businesses in creating some of the problems Africa now faces.”

Solomonsydelle’s theme is repeated  in Obama’s Ghana Speech Under whelms on GlobalVoices. Non seulement que l’Afrique est le dernier continent qu’il visites malgre ses origines, perhaps they should have left out the cringe-worthy label, Obama Africa. I also enjoyed Obama In Nigeria, Oh Sorry, Ghana! on Nairaland, “I guess he doesn’t want to be kidnapped  by Militants” a comment quipped.

“After the illustrious son of Africa, Barack Obama has left Ghana on the July 12, 2009; I decided to call him because the sermon he delivered to Ghanaians and Africans was too far beyond my comprehension. As a matter of fact, he gave me enough time and this was what ensued between us. That was how “Comment: My Telephone Conversation with Obama!” by Joy Online’s Abdulai Hanan R. Confidence who went over the speech line by line. “So, is that the reason why you chose Ghana because we have just discovered oil? Or the Africom matters?” Highly recommended!

For Richard B. Muhammad, “President Barack Obama’s pilgrimage to Africa’s first modern independent nation may be one of the most significant trips to the continent by any U.S. political figure”, however, President patronizing was how Nigerian social justice activist and blogger saw the visit in nibl. Sokari Ekine aka Black Looks, pointed out the contradictions in Obama’s denial of the destructive role of the West played in Africa. Sokari also revealed that the Ghana speech lacked substance in her review on Pambazuka News.

The enormous historic and symbolic visit was reduced to Obama: Ghana’s Gain, Nigeria’s loss by Ghana Pundit who added that Former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu also listened to Obama speak.  Not the miracle speech and I was almost annoyed with the bellyaching was how Akín began but concluded that the speech struck the right balance. President Obama in Ghana. Why not Nigeria? by Ghana based Nigerian blogger and web entrepreneur – Oluniyi David Ajao added that “The President of the United States is at liberty to decide which countries to visit or not to visit, and in what order he visits them.”

Is Obama Africa’s saviour? by Reuter’s Mpho Majoro finished with the question common to most of blogshere. But should Africans in any case be looking to Obama – or anyone from outside – to solve the continent’s problems? Or is there more that Africans should be doing themselves to improve their lives? In the end, are we still bitter or have we learnt something from this tech Savvy Obama Ghana speech in English, French, Swahili, Arabic and Portuguese? Thanks to all the contributors but did the message get home? How many African countries are planning to sow the seeds of information using technology?

In 1985, around 85,000 people visited the tropical country; that number has now skyrocketed to around 600,000. In June of this year, the Ghana Tourist Board launched a promotional initiative with the aim of attracting 1 million annual visitors by the end of 2012. – Forbes.com – Obama Went To Ghana. Should You?

To those that missed the performance, A New Moment of Promise in Africa is at the White House, USA.