| With the advent of colonialism, so was the | | | | The advents of foreign businesses in the African |
| annihilation of family responsiveness to one | | | | economies have made the situation worse. Some |
| another. The colonial masters created their | | | | of these foreign businesses have successfully |
| imperialist bureaucracies in which Africans | | | | co-opted some African political leaders that they |
| automatically became servants to white | | | | set, direct, and control the economic destiny of |
| foreigners. The colonialist implemented what | | | | their host countries. Nkrumah contends that there |
| should be characterised as a preferential incentive | | | | is no difference between political independence |
| system. Such a system required special bonuses | | | | and economic independence. As long some African |
| to be discriminately granted to those Africans | | | | nations do not brag about political independence. |
| with the highest potential to work and produce. | | | | |
| To put it in a better perspective, the preferential | | | | Apologists of colonialism contend that it is mere |
| incentive system was a bribery scheme | | | | naivete to attribute the current problems in |
| introduced by white foreigners to exploit the | | | | African politics to the colonial masters. Some |
| human resources of the Africans. Such a scheme | | | | argue that many countries in Africa would have |
| pioneered the current problems of corruption and | | | | been better off if they were still under the |
| bribery in African politics. The sense of familiness | | | | hegemony of the colonial countries. Some contend |
| is now replaced with "If you don't tip me, you | | | | that during colonialism, the colonial masters were |
| won't get my services." Such is the phenomenon | | | | responsible for services like quality education, |
| in African politics today. | | | | quality health services, quality roads, etc. Some |
| | | | | also believe that we, the Africans, have been |
| The colonialists were also involved in massive | | | | cursed by God, and that we would always remain |
| economic exploitation. They took away our | | | | backward and underdeveloped. Still others argue |
| minerals and other forms of our natural resources. | | | | that even when the colonial masters left, there |
| They did no wrong because of their sovereignty | | | | was still taxation without representation in many |
| over the colonies. In Sierra Leone, for instance, | | | | African countries. |
| the 'Hut Tax War' between a tribal chief and the | | | | |
| British colonialists is analogous to one of the | | | | The apologists are entitled to their opinions and |
| causes of the American War of Independence -- | | | | their opinions should be highly respected. But to |
| "Taxation without Representation." Many other | | | | suggest that Africa would have been better off |
| forms of illegal taxation schemes were also | | | | today under colonialism because of quality |
| imposed in other West African countries. | | | | education or quality health services is an account |
| | | | | for the apologist's naivete to some basic facts. |
| S many African soldiers fought on the side of the | | | | The beneficiaries of quality education or quality |
| colonial masters in the Second World War, and | | | | health care were not the Africans. Those services |
| perhaps even in the first. The veterans of those | | | | were designed to serve the interests of the |
| wars were in no way indemnified. Some were | | | | colonial masters. For instance, it is still true today |
| taken back and dumped in their various countries | | | | that in most African countries, when an African |
| with no hope for the future. Those who decided | | | | and a white foreigner go to a hospital at the |
| to stay behind, for instance in England; Tony Blair | | | | same time, the white person's case will be |
| today calls them immigrants. | | | | treated as an emergency. This means that while |
| | | | | the African has to wait in a long line for several |
| Corruption is not an African culture. Africans have | | | | hours, the white person will immediately receive |
| been acculturated into it. It has become the major | | | | medical treatment. The colonial educational system |
| obstacle to economic, social, and political | | | | was not designed to address African Problems. It |
| development in Africa. In fact it can be argued | | | | was deliberately designed to co-opt the Africans |
| that it is the single most inhibiting factor to | | | | into the colonial masters' frame of reference. |
| development in Africa today. Many of our current | | | | |
| political leaders who have been acculturated in | | | | The apologists also contend that we the Africans |
| such a system consciously or unconsciously | | | | are greedy and our greediness manifests itself in |
| emulate their former colonial masters. There is a | | | | some of the major economic policies of some of |
| strong speculation that many African political | | | | our political leaders - "take the money and run." |
| leaders in our times do transfer their nations' | | | | What the apologists fail to discern is that |
| revenues into their personal accounts in foreign | | | | greediness in African politics was a colonial |
| banks, something which George W. Bush, Tony | | | | ideology; they took the best of our human and |
| Blair, Ghadafi and Cuba's Castro would never | | | | material resources and ran. It is only sad that |
| dream of doing. | | | | some of our political leaders perpetuate the same |
| Corruption has become a fact of life in most | | | | ideology. |
| African countries so that the basic rights of | | | | |
| citizens, for instance, the right to own a Passport | | | | The contention that the Africans have been |
| cannot be granted unless kickbacks are involved. | | | | cursed by God is not just a myth, but the |
| Privileges such as acquiring a driver's license are | | | | apologists' naivete to the tremendous economic, |
| often suppressed. | | | | social, and political curse which the colonial masters |
| | | | | imposed on the African people. |