Bawumia’s China Deal And My Aha Moment Of Nana KobinaNketsia IV

Nana KobinaNketsia IV is the paramount chief of Essikado Traditional Area in the Western Region of the Republic of Ghana. He was my history lecturer during my days at University of Cape Coast. He taught me one of my numerous Modern European history courses (Modern Europe: 1789-1871) and History of political thought.

Nana always lamented over the apathy of African intellectuals towards their own culture. He opines that what we call education (Indoctrination to be aware of indoctrination) in Africa is miseducation. One of the intriguing ironies of modern African history is that it took European colonialism to notify we Africans of our own identity as people.

Scientists believe the World is about 4.54 billion years old. The Berlin Conference of 1884/85 which officially appropriated African continent among colonial powers and would-be colonial powers is 133 years old, even so, its’ impacts could be felt throughout Africa.We all know what colonization and the most monstrous holocaust (Trans-Atlantic-Slave Trade) had bequeathed to the black racial stock in the world.

Perhaps, the American Africanist anthropologist, Melville Herskovits has a better way of describing Africa: a geographical fiction which is regarded as a separate entity and regarded as a unit to the extent that the map is invested with an authority imposed on it by the mapmakers (Mazrui, 1986).

The British historian Max Beloff argued that it was reasonably easier to understand geographical contiguities than attempting to understand historical continuities (Mazrui, 1986). This explains why in spite of the effects of colonization African leaders are still willing to mortgage our resources for a pittance (considering the value of resources).

Believe you me, it will take Chinese imperialism and insatiable greed for black man’s resources to inform Africans of their next form of colonization! There you go again, my good friend, Koo Nimo, the doubting Thomas, you now knowwhy I have been insinuating that some African leaders are under a curse! Of course, some are and God himself is envious of their track records. A Togolese friend of mine that the political situation in his country will not permit me to mention his name has the following anecdote about GnassingbeEyadema. God was taking a shower when Eyadema got to his gate. God suspended his shower and instantaneously directed that Eyadema be thrown to Hell. One angel asked God why that instant justice? God replied, if this guy sits on my seat, it will be very difficult to get him out. If as a mortal being, he could oppress his people from 1967-2005.

Dear Nana KobinaNketsia (PhD) come for your stone! A Ghanaian local saying, to wit vindication. Ghana’s gross miseducation system has almost invariably compelled many intellectuals to sidle up to the trough of foreign convenience when talking about development. Ghana’s national assembly must initiate plans to grill DrBawumiaabout this whole Chinese joint venture. China, due to its’ unfair trade deals and penchant for crippling other economies cannot be innocent at all.

Africa is a continent never bereft of a treasure chest of natural resources. This means that industrialization of Africa will bequeath to the continent a lion’s share of global commodity production. China needs raw materials badly to accomplish its development plans. President Donald Trump lamented over Chinese unfair trade practices with United States in the run up to 2016 election. Africa risks setting her economic debacles beyond imaginations if measures are not taken to ameliorate Chinese unfair trade practices such as dumping.

Dumping refers to selling a commodity in foreign countries at a lesser price than in the domestic market. Chinese plans for Africa are not devoid of predatory dumping (Selling Chinese goods and services in Africa far below the local prices in China). Dumping is palpably antithetical to advancement of Africa as it could push African industrialists out of business. It is an open secret that China’s value of trade export to Africa is higher than value of trade import which could create a major trade deficit for Africans. China is operating the age-long economic philosophy of mercantilism by foul means.

China adoptsa barter trade system wherein its trading African countries use their natural resources to defray the cost of infrastructural projects in loans. What is equally nauseating and duplicitous is the fact that contracts of infrastructural projects in loan are given to the Chinese companies. They also take custody of African natural resources as it is happening at the coal industry in the Republic of Zambia. Dr. Bawumia and his team have fallen a ripe prey to Chinese unfair trade deals although they dressed up Chinese deceitful deal in Africa in a new commercial garment known as joint ventures.

Thanks to Ghana media, the menace of illegal mining (Galamsey) gained prominence recently. The president of the Republic of Ghana, Nana AddoDankwaAkufu-Addo has reiterated his commitment to clamp down “galamsey” even if it means sacrificing his presidency. My president, fighting “galamsey”, armed robbery, contract killings will rather enhance your electoral fortunes. However, Ghana needs a national debate to think through Bawumia- China bauxite deal. Mr. President, your industrialization plans will be in limbo because China will take the bauxite and profits away. The boomerang effects of China’s capital flight in Bawumia-China bauxite deal will include unemployment.

The media galamsey fight has warranted unthinkable Chinese kind gestures. They donated to Ghana Police Service and Attorney General Department. Ghana Armed Forces is also about to receive its fair share of Chinese gifts. “The Chinese government has agreed to offer $7.5million aid to tool the Ghana Armed Forces” (Source: ghanaweb.com, Friday July 14, 2017). I will term all these Chinese gifts to our state institutions as strategic gifts.

15 billion dollars cannot compensate for Ghana’s environmental degradation and water pollution. It is worthy of noting that Chinese have earmarked $ 100 billion for afforestation projects within China. Beijing is undertaking a program known as the Green Great Wall for afforestation of China’s northern desert. Ghana government can team up with engineering departments of our Universities to harness her own bauxite resources.

In other development, I think lawyer John Ndebugri is vindicated by AlhajiInusaFuseini’s audiovisual recording gadget issue. What is good for the goose is equally good for the gander. How can Ghanaians applaud AnasAremeyawAnas and be calling for an arrest for InusaFuseini?InusaFuseini did not know whether National Democratic Congress (NDC) government would retain power. How could he mean malice? The Tamale Central legislator was reassigned to a different ministry before NDC exit. It is logically untenable to think that Mr. Fuseini would intentionally plant audio visual device to implicate his own NDC government. In some parts of the world leaders do not close their offices because they have nothing to hide. God bless Our Homeland Ghana.

By Nana Yaw Osei,
[email protected]
Reference
Mazrui, A. A. A. (1986). The Africans: A triple heritage (pp. 99-100). London: BBC Publications.