As an American who spent 16 years in Nigeria, I stand in agreement with President Obama in telling the African continent to live up to expectation. Many Black radio disagreed with the President and demanded an apology for blaming Africans instead of the slavery, colonization, and continuous exploitation by the West. They reasoned that the President is beginning to turn his back on Black interests and he is attempting to bow to the demands of the West by freeing them from the responsibilities of how they have raped Africa for centuries.
In as much as I agree with the fact that the West, along with China, still continues to exploit and dominate Africa, Blacks have to realize that they are the ones allowing it. After all, China and India were also once defeated and colonized, but they got their acts together and are now a rival to the West in many aspects. It is true that the West through slavery and colonization stated a trend that began the downward spiral of Africa, but it is not the West that elects illiterates into political power or allows illiterates or the military to rig or steal elections. They are also not the ones who give contracts to foreign firms without accountability on behalf of the citizens, nor put our money into the Swiss bank illegally. They are not responsible for not making finished products to increase exports revenues and create jobs, nor do they create and enforce unfair laws to enhance hostilities between ethnic groups. Europeans died to create their democracy; when are Africans going to die to create a trustworthy electoral system in Africa.
All Africans, especially those in the Diaspora, must put the love of education and acquired skills over quick wealth and social status. They must always talk proudly about Africa to their children as a place to live and invest for the future. They must speak and write against unprogressive leaders openly, instead of trying to associate with them to get trickled-down handouts. When unproductive African leaders travel abroad, we must campaign publicly against their coming, and on the day of their events, no single citizen should show up in protest to their irrelevance.
