Dr. Samuel Quainoo endorses the remarks by Dr. Kissi (No. 128)  Samuel is  a professor of political science and Director of the Frederick Douglass Institute at East Stroudsburg University. His books include: Transitions and Consolidation of Democracy, and Africa Through Ghanaian lenses.

 I am now tired about debating whether external or internal forces cause Africa's problem. I have never understood why we cannot hold our leaders to their responsibilities while rightly denouncing atrocities committed and being committed against Africa by external forces. The two forces are not mutually exclusive. The two are actually linked because many of our corrupt leaders are helped by institutions, governments and the private sector outside Africa to loot us. To dismiss the loss of tens of millions of capable human beings of a continent and their skills as well as the disruption of legitimate business on the same continent for hundreds of years during the slave trade period is quite a serious error. My greatest day of shame was when a group of Ghanaian chiefs led by an intellectual were sponsored to come and apologize to African Americans for their enslavement. Talk about misplaced priorities!

The impact of colonialism on the continent can be a mantra for some but its consequences today is real. But of course, we as a people and our leaders need to do much more than we are doing today to bring ourselves out of that situation instead of just carrying begging bowls with us from international conferences to conferences day in day out. Many of our problems can be resolved by

a.      reminding the world of the atrocities committed and continues to be committed against us (slave trade, colonialism, farming subsidies in the West, unfair trade practices by the West etc.)

b.      . hold our leaders to their responsibilities

c.      - finally contribute our own quota to our development.

Will elaborate on these soon.

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