Dehai

By: Berhane Woldu

Wealthiest and richest people in human history Queens and Kings and Pharaohs from centuries past Rockefellers, Vanderbilt and Nicholas II of Russia might have become rich through luck and time of opportunity. Bill Joy the founder of Sun Microsystems and Bill Gates of Microsoft not only become billionaires through innovation; they were most critical players in the computer revolution and most influential persons in the modern history of computing. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard after his second year in college and formed his own software company Microsoft. Bill Joy and Bill Gates work hard, much harder than their fellow human beings and that’s why they become billionaires; not only did they become billionaires they also transformed the way People live and created an enormous amount of wealth for their Country and beyond. 

Main stream media reported that the former Gambian president “Yaheya Jameia” upon his departure into exile looted the country eleven million dollar in cash ($11,000,000.00) valuable stones like gold and jewels and several high priced cars. Gambia located in West Africa is the smallest country in mainland Africa with a population of 2 million. Gambia is very fertile. The economy is mostly farming a third of the population lives below the international poverty line. “Yaheya Jameia” who was in power for over 20 years amassed so much wealth while his people lived in dire poverty. Unlike Gates he stole his fortune. Africa is being looted from every direction by Multinationals companies, Colonial powers and wicked African leaders.

Africa of 2017 is no different than the 1960 Africa. The 21 century Africa has brought about leaders that are serving the interest of the Western power by becoming “Anchor States” to facilitate geostrategic, foreign policy and capital export. Through tax avoidance multinational corporations lawfully steal $50 billion a year from Africa.  To secure political allegiance illegal finance are sent to safe places and brought back to fix elections, and secure power. African leaders fluff up their funds by investing in real estate in Europe. Stealing wealth assisted by their Western handlers is the norm for African leaders a get rich quick bonanza. To stay in power African leaders have sold out to their former colonial power case in point: the Franc-afrique countries. Unique and mesmerizing political phenomenon of the Franc-afrique which continues to subjugate Sovereign African States like Benin ,Burkina Faso,  Cameroon, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire. These countries put their resources at France’s disposal “neo-colonial treasure-trove”. As documented by the “Robert Bourgi scandal” a French lawyer who gave interview in 2011 on Journal du Dimanche stated that he carried briefcases stuffed with millions of Francs from African cities like Libreville or Brazzaville for delivery to Paris France.

African leaders have intensified the manipulating of markets extracting the national wealth while their population are starving or are facing extreme food shortages. According to Africa Center for strategic studies and FAO Sudan, Chad, Niger, Mali, Mauretania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, DRC, Madagascar and Kenya necessitate food aid due to hunger. In Kenya the leaders of freedom fighters like Kenyatta who took over as the first president his family and associate own 90% of the fertile lands and dominate the political and economic power of Kenya. Seventy years after independence Kenya is at the mercy of its colonial power to feed it people. The minority regime in Ethiopia “Weyane” has not faired any better than their previous rulers, poverty and drastic inequalities remain prevalent. Around 90 percent of the population suffers from numerous deprivations and more than 30 million people still face chronic food shortages with 5.7 million starving (FAO 2017). The Ethiopian Minority regime which is trembling; ruling by imposing Marshal Law has requested 950 million to 1 billion US dollar food aid. Food aid dollar begging is the second highest foreign currency earner for Ethiopia. In the last 26 years we have seen the power of money in Ethiopia’s politics. Ethiopian Minority regime EPRDF dominated by Tigraye Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) has monopolized the economic and politics of the Country consolidating a political-commercial elite integrating corporate business with state authority. Ethiopia’s Political market has enriched the former first lady; Generals, Ministers, Ambassadors’ TPLF loyalist making them “pop up billionaires”.  

Western Multinational Corporations who sequesters their unpaid tax to location like London and Switzerland and fund the political elite are major contributors to Africa’s misery. African leaders assisted by Western powers monopolize the Nation’s political and economic power. These African leaders are subservient unwilling to introduce Economic institutions that create incentives for economic progress; redistribute income, enhance social justice to improve quality of life or encourage economic progress to the majority. Instead the elite in power desires are to extort National Wealth and sustain their power to enrich themselves stealing from the national coffers and become “pop up billionaires”.  

It’s telling of Western hypocrisy to utter that “Yahey Jameia” to have run away with large sum of the Gambian Nation’s wealth while saying nothing about lawful tax avoidance of Western Multinational Companies and the “neo-colonial treasure-trove”. Once upon a time Slavery was legal and tax avoidance and exporting 50 billion dollar from “starving Africans” is legal to day. While declaring a national disaster from East to West African leaders are axing the meat of the Nation’s wealth becoming “Pop up Billionaires”.