President Obama's Speech to the Ghanaian Parliament

President Obama’s Speech to the Ghanaian Parliament originally released by the White House Office of the Press Secretary 11 July 2009.

THE PRESIDENT: (Trumpet plays.) I like this. Thank you. Thank you. I think Congress needs one of those horns. (Laughter.) That sounds pretty good. Sounds like Louis Armstrong back there. (Laughter.)

Good afternoon, everybody. It is a great honor for me to be in Accra and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. (Applause.) I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I've received, as are Michelle and Malia and Sasha Obama. Ghana's history is rich, the ties between our two countries are strong, and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as President of the United States of America. (Applause.)

I want to thank Madam Speaker and all the members of the House of Representatives for hosting us today. I want to thank President Mills for his outstanding leadership. To the former Presidents -- Jerry Rawlings, former President Kufuor -- Vice President, Chief Justice -- thanks to all of you for your extraordinary hospitality and the wonderful institutions that you've built here in Ghana.

I'm speaking to you at the end of a long trip. I began in Russia for a summit between two great powers. I traveled to Italy for a meeting of the world's leading economies. And I've come here to Ghana for a simple reason: The 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra, as well. (Applause.)

This is the simple truth of a time when the boundaries between people are overwhelmed by our connections. Your prosperity can expand America's prosperity. Your health and security can contribute to the world's health and security. And the strength of your democracy can help advance human rights for people everywhere.

So I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world -- (applause) -- as partners with America on behalf of the future we want for all of our children. That partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility and mutual respect. And that is what I want to speak with you about today.

We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to Africans.

I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world. After all, I have the blood of Africa within me, and my family's -- (applause) -- my family's own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story.

Some you know my grandfather was a cook for the British in Kenya, and though he was a respected elder in his village, his employers called him "boy" for much of his life. He was on the periphery of Kenya's liberation struggles, but he was still imprisoned briefly during repressive times. In his life, colonialism wasn't simply the creation of unnatural borders or unfair terms of trade -- it was something experienced personally, day after day, year after year.

My father grew up herding goats in a tiny village, an impossible distance away from the American universities where he would come to get an education. He came of age at a moment of extraordinary promise for Africa. The struggles of his own father's generation were giving birth to new nations, beginning right here in Ghana. (Applause.) Africans were educating and asserting themselves in new ways, and history was on the move.

But despite the progress that has been made -- and there has been considerable progress in many parts of Africa -- we also know that much of that promise has yet to be fulfilled. Countries like Kenya had a per capita economy larger than South Korea's when I was born. They have badly been outpaced. Disease and conflict have ravaged parts of the African continent.

In many places, the hope of my father's generation gave way to cynicism, even despair. Now, it's easy to point fingers and to pin the blame of these problems on others. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense helped to breed conflict. The West has often approached Africa as a patron or a source of resources rather than a partner. But the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants. In my father's life, it was partly tribalism and patronage and nepotism in an independent Kenya that for a long stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is still a daily fact of life for far too many.

Now, we know that's also not the whole story. Here in Ghana, you show us a face of Africa that is too often overlooked by a world that sees only tragedy or a need for charity. The people of Ghana have worked hard to put democracy on a firmer footing, with repeated peaceful transfers of power even in the wake of closely contested elections. (Applause.) And by the way, can I say that for that the minority deserves as much credit as the majority. (Applause.) And with improved governance and an emerging civil society, Ghana's economy has shown impressive rates of growth. (Applause.)

This progress may lack the drama of 20th century liberation struggles, but make no mistake: It will ultimately be more significant. For just as it is important to emerge from the control of other nations, it is even more important to build one's own nation.

So I believe that this moment is just as promising for Ghana and for Africa as the moment when my father came of age and new nations were being born. This is a new moment of great promise. Only this time, we've learned that it will not be giants like Nkrumah and Kenyatta who will determine Africa's future. Instead, it will be you -- the men and women in Ghana's parliament -- (applause) -- the people you represent. It will be the young people brimming with talent and energy and hope who can claim the future that so many in previous generations never realized.

Now, to realize that promise, we must first recognize the fundamental truth that you have given life to in Ghana: Development depends on good governance. (Applause.) That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That's the change that can unlock Africa's potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans.

As for America and the West, our commitment must be measured by more than just the dollars we spend. I've pledged substantial increases in our foreign assistance, which is in Africa's interests and America's interests. But the true sign of success is not whether we are a source of perpetual aid that helps people scrape by -- it's whether we are partners in building the capacity for transformational change. (Applause.)

This mutual responsibility must be the foundation of our partnership. And today, I'll focus on four areas that are critical to the future of Africa and the entire developing world: democracy, opportunity, health, and the peaceful resolution of conflict.

First, we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments. (Applause.)

As I said in Cairo, each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and in line with its own traditions. But history offers a clear verdict: Governments that respect the will of their own people that govern by consent and not coercion are more prosperous, they are more stable, and more successful than governments that do not.

This is about more than just holding elections. It's also about what happens between elections. (Applause.) Repression can take many forms, and too many nations, even those that have elections, are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves -- (applause) -- or if police -- if police can be bought off by drug traffickers. (Applause.) No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top -- (applause) -- or the head of the Port Authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. (Applause.) That is not democracy, that is tyranny, even if occasionally you sprinkle an election in there. And now is the time for that style of governance to end. (Applause.)

In the 21st century, capable, reliable, and transparent institutions are the key to success -- strong parliaments; honest police forces; independent judges -- (applause); an independent press; a vibrant private sector; a civil society. (Applause.) Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what matters in people's everyday lives.

Now, time and again, Ghanaians have chosen constitutional rule over autocracy, and shown a democratic spirit that allows the energy of your people to break through. (Applause.) We see that in leaders who accept defeat graciously -- the fact that President Mills' opponents were standing beside him last night to greet me when I came off the plane spoke volumes about Ghana -- (applause); victors who resist calls to wield power against the opposition in unfair ways. We see that spirit in courageous journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who risked his life to report the truth. We see it in police like Patience Quaye, who helped prosecute the first human trafficker in Ghana. (Applause.) We see it in the young people who are speaking up against patronage, and participating in the political process.

Across Africa, we've seen countless examples of people taking control of their destiny, and making change from the bottom up. We saw it in Kenya, where civil society and business came together to help stop post-election violence. We saw it in South Africa, where over three-quarters of the country voted in the recent election -- the fourth since the end of Apartheid. We saw it in Zimbabwe, where the Election Support Network braved brutal repression to stand up for the principle that a person's vote is their sacred right.

Now, make no mistake: History is on the side of these brave Africans, not with those who use coups or change constitutions to stay in power. (Applause.) Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions. (Applause.)

Now, America will not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation. The essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its own destiny. But what America will do is increase assistance for responsible individuals and responsible institutions, with a focus on supporting good governance -- on parliaments, which check abuses of power and ensure that opposition voices are heard -- (applause); on the rule of law, which ensures the equal administration of justice; on civic participation, so that young people get involved; and on concrete solutions to corruption like forensic accounting and automating services -- (applause) -- strengthening hotlines, protecting whistle-blowers to advance transparency and accountability.

And we provide this support. I have directed my administration to give greater attention to corruption in our human rights reports. People everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education without paying a bribe. (Applause.) We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don't, and that is exactly what America will do.

Now, this leads directly to our second area of partnership: supporting development that provides opportunity for more people.

With better governance, I have no doubt that Africa holds the promise of a broader base of prosperity. Witness the extraordinary success of Africans in my country, America. They're doing very well. So they've got the talent, they've got the entrepreneurial spirit. The question is, how do we make sure that they're succeeding here in their home countries? The continent is rich in natural resources. And from cell phone entrepreneurs to small farmers, Africans have shown the capacity and commitment to create their own opportunities. But old habits must also be broken. Dependence on commodities -- or a single export -- has a tendency to concentrate wealth in the hands of the few, and leaves people too vulnerable to downturns.

So in Ghana, for instance, oil brings great opportunities, and you have been very responsible in preparing for new revenue. But as so many Ghanaians know, oil cannot simply become the new cocoa. From South Korea to Singapore, history shows that countries thrive when they invest in their people and in their infrastructure -- (applause); when they promote multiple export industries, develop a skilled workforce, and create space for small and medium-sized businesses that create jobs.

As Africans reach for this promise, America will be more responsible in extending our hand. By cutting costs that go to Western consultants and administration, we want to put more resources in the hands of those who need it, while training people to do more for themselves. (Applause.) That's why our $3.5 billion food security initiative is focused on new methods and technologies for farmers -- not simply sending American producers or goods to Africa. Aid is not an end in itself. The purpose of foreign assistance must be creating the conditions where it's no longer needed. I want to see Ghanaians not only self-sufficient in food, I want to see you exporting food to other countries and earning money. You can do that. (Applause.)

Now, America can also do more to promote trade and investment. Wealthy nations must open our doors to goods and services from Africa in a meaningful way. That will be a commitment of my administration. And where there is good governance, we can broaden prosperity through public-private partnerships that invest in better roads and electricity; capacity-building that trains people to grow a business; financial services that reach not just the cities but also the poor and rural areas. This is also in our own interests -- for if people are lifted out of poverty and wealth is created in Africa, guess what? New markets will open up for our own goods. So it's good for both.

One area that holds out both undeniable peril and extraordinary promise is energy. Africa gives off less greenhouse gas than any other part of the world, but it is the most threatened by climate change. A warming planet will spread disease, shrink water resources, and deplete crops, creating conditions that produce more famine and more conflict. All of us -- particularly the developed world -- have a responsibility to slow these trends -- through mitigation, and by changing the way that we use energy. But we can also work with Africans to turn this crisis into opportunity.

Together, we can partner on behalf of our planet and prosperity, and help countries increase access to power while skipping -- leapfrogging the dirtier phase of development. Think about it: Across Africa, there is bountiful wind and solar power; geothermal energy and biofuels. From the Rift Valley to the North African deserts; from the Western coasts to South Africa's crops -- Africa's boundless natural gifts can generate its own power, while exporting profitable, clean energy abroad.

These steps are about more than growth numbers on a balance sheet. They're about whether a young person with an education can get a job that supports a family; a farmer can transfer their goods to market; an entrepreneur with a good idea can start a business. It's about the dignity of work; it's about the opportunity that must exist for Africans in the 21st century.

Just as governance is vital to opportunity, it's also critical to the third area I want to talk about: strengthening public health.

In recent years, enormous progress has been made in parts of Africa. Far more people are living productively with HIV/AIDS, and getting the drugs they need. I just saw a wonderful clinic and hospital that is focused particularly on maternal health. But too many still die from diseases that shouldn't kill them. When children are being killed because of a mosquito bite, and mothers are dying in childbirth, then we know that more progress must be made.

Yet because of incentives -- often provided by donor nations -- many African doctors and nurses go overseas, or work for programs that focus on a single disease. And this creates gaps in primary care and basic prevention. Meanwhile, individual Africans also have to make responsible choices that prevent the spread of disease, while promoting public health in their communities and countries.

So across Africa, we see examples of people tackling these problems. In Nigeria, an Interfaith effort of Christians and Muslims has set an example of cooperation to confront malaria. Here in Ghana and across Africa, we see innovative ideas for filling gaps in care -- for instance, through E-Health initiatives that allow doctors in big cities to support those in small towns.

America will support these efforts through a comprehensive, global health strategy, because in the 21st century, we are called to act by our conscience but also by our common interest, because when a child dies of a preventable disease in Accra that diminishes us everywhere. And when disease goes unchecked in any corner of the world, we know that it can spread across oceans and continents.

And that's why my administration has committed $63 billion to meet these challenges -- $63 billion. (Applause.) Building on the strong efforts of President Bush, we will carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS. We will pursue the goal of ending deaths from malaria and tuberculosis, and we will work to eradicate polio. (Applause.) We will fight -- we will fight neglected tropical disease. And we won't confront illnesses in isolation -- we will invest in public health systems that promote wellness and focus on the health of mothers and children. (Applause.)

Now, as we partner on behalf of a healthier future, we must also stop the destruction that comes not from illness, but from human beings -- and so the final area that I will address is conflict.

Let me be clear: Africa is not the crude caricature of a continent at perpetual war. But if we are honest, for far too many Africans, conflict is a part of life, as constant as the sun. There are wars over land and wars over resources. And it is still far too easy for those without conscience to manipulate whole communities into fighting among faiths and tribes.

These conflicts are a millstone around Africa's neck. Now, we all have many identities -- of tribe and ethnicity; of religion and nationality. But defining oneself in opposition to someone who belongs to a different tribe, or who worships a different prophet, has no place in the 21st century. (Applause.) Africa's diversity should be a source of strength, not a cause for division. We are all God's children. We all share common aspirations -- to live in peace and security; to access education and opportunity; to love our families and our communities and our faith. That is our common humanity.

That is why we must stand up to inhumanity in our midst. It is never justified -- never justifiable to target innocents in the name of ideology. (Applause.) It is the death sentence of a society to force children to kill in wars. It is the ultimate mark of criminality and cowardice to condemn women to relentless and systemic rape. We must bear witness to the value of every child in Darfur and the dignity of every woman in the Congo. No faith or culture should condone the outrages against them. And all of us must strive for the peace and security necessary for progress.

Africans are standing up for this future. Here, too, in Ghana we are seeing you help point the way forward. Ghanaians should take pride in your contributions to peacekeeping from Congo to Liberia to Lebanon -- (applause) -- and your efforts to resist the scourge of the drug trade. (Applause.) We welcome the steps that are being taken by organizations like the African Union and ECOWAS to better resolve conflicts, to keep the peace, and support those in need. And we encourage the vision of a strong, regional security architecture that can bring effective, transnational forces to bear when needed.

America has a responsibility to work with you as a partner to advance this vision, not just with words, but with support that strengthens African capacity. When there's a genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems -- they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response.

And that's why we stand ready to partner through diplomacy and technical assistance and logistical support, and we will stand behind efforts to hold war criminals accountable. And let me be clear: Our Africa Command is focused not on establishing a foothold in the continent, but on confronting these common challenges to advance the security of America, Africa, and the world. (Applause.)

In Moscow, I spoke of the need for an international system where the universal rights of human beings are respected, and violations of those rights are opposed. And that must include a commitment to support those who resolve conflicts peacefully, to sanction and stop those who don't, and to help those who have suffered. But ultimately, it will be vibrant democracies like Botswana and Ghana which roll back the causes of conflict and advance the frontiers of peace and prosperity.

As I said earlier, Africa's future is up to Africans.
The people of Africa are ready to claim that future. And in my country, African Americans -- including so many recent immigrants -- have thrived in every sector of society. We've done so despite a difficult past, and we've drawn strength from our African heritage. With strong institutions and a strong will, I know that Africans can live their dreams in Nairobi and Lagos, Kigali, Kinshasa, Harare, and right here in Accra. (Applause.)

You know, 52 years ago, the eyes of the world were on Ghana. And a young preacher named Martin Luther King traveled here, to Accra, to watch the Union Jack come down and the Ghanaian flag go up. This was before the march on Washington or the success of the civil rights movement in my country. Dr. King was asked how he felt while watching the birth of a nation. And he said: "It renews my conviction in the ultimate triumph of justice."

Now that triumph must be won once more, and it must be won by you. (Applause.) And I am particularly speaking to the young people all across Africa and right here in Ghana. In places like Ghana, young people make up over half of the population.

And here is what you must know: The world will be what you make of it. You have the power to hold your leaders accountable, and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities, and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world. You can conquer disease, and end conflicts, and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can -- (applause) -- because in this moment, history is on the move.

But these things can only be done if all of you take responsibility for your future. And it won't be easy. It will take time and effort. There will be suffering and setbacks. But I can promise you this: America will be with you every step of the way -- as a partner, as a friend. (Applause.) Opportunity won't come from any other place, though. It must come from the decisions that all of you make the things that you do, the hope that you hold in your heart.

Ghana, freedom is your inheritance. Now, it is your responsibility to build upon freedom's foundation. And if you do, we will look back years from now to places like Accra and say this was the time when the promise was realized; this was the moment when prosperity was forged, when pain was overcome, and a new era of progress began. This can be the time when we witness the triumph of justice once more. Yes we can. Thank you very much. God bless you. Thank you. (Applause.)

FrancAfrique Dans L'Afrique: The Old Power Generation(1)

Louis Egbe Mbua

If we put it that a true and responsible government will exit power by the ballot box rather than recycling old hands tainted with their corrupt practices, then the regime of Mr. Paul Biya is a disgrace. For more than twenty seven years he has been peddling with the lives of the Cameroonian people with his useless and foolish tribal politics geared towards pleasing his colonial master, France while maintaining an incompetent regime; a justification which no one can put pen to paper. For several years, he has been deluding himself with one discredited cabinet reshuffle after another with an apparently warped view that the country will change by some enchantment from Le Grand Sorcier; and a magic wand.

In retrospect, his immature dictatorial regime has dragged the country into a league of unimaginable beggary. Since Mr. Biya came to power in 1982, he has been a dependent of the IMF for handouts and cut-throat loans, fraudulent privatisation of the country's patrimony, such as the Tole Tea Estate, with dreadful results; and which, the meagre funds, are again cyclically embezzled by gangs of national thieves over the years.

The problems of that West African country is so vast that it would take at least half a century to wipe out corruption and the wicked social and financial mis-education of the people. The first of this problem is that of peace and stability. In FrancAfrique of the old school, development and the well-being of the people is secondary to their so-called "Peace and Stability". When civilians protest against the myopic economic and social policies of the regimes in question, they are swiftly brought in front of a Kangaroo court, arraigned and jailed. A typical case in point is the jailing of a popular Cameroonian and international music artist, Lapiro de Mbanga. He is languishing in jail for no apparent reason but that he had been writing and singing songs pertaining to the social ills of the present Cameroon regime, infamously one of the most corrupt in the world.

Peace and stability must be earned through accountability of a government; and the incorruptibility of the judiciary. The opposite is true in the world of the present regime. Last week, the Supreme Court of Cameroon upheld the incarceration of Lapiro, claiming he incited the 2008 food riots. One begins to wonder whether Lapiro and other civilians who were killed or are in rat-infested unhealthily diseased dungeons must be at blame for the lack of vision of a 27 year old tyranny and disgraceful mismanagement. With one of the most fertile volcanic soils in the world, Cameroon has the potential to be the food basket for the entire West and Central Africa. Yet, that is not the case.

Apparently, there are no sustainable food policies; and that most imported food stuff are heavily taxed to pay for the good life of the French whose government take their cut in cash or in kind. While the elite have unaccountable and inviolable access to their loot in the treasury --they live in luxury like in France -- the poor are dependent on their various relatives in Europe and the Americas for monetary handouts. There is a problem here: because those living abroad will hardly garner enough financial critical mass to compete with their peers in their host countries. It is no doubt, at this point of overwhelming forbearance, that many well-educated and upright Cameroonians are now turning into financial white collar crimes to augment their incomes abroad while at the same time support the neglected destitute at home.

The counter-part African who stays behind is also in a timeless dragnet of beggary as the regime is firmly intent on "Peace and stability" with no responsibility. In this case, therefore, the people are psychologically demoralised; and since only a genuinely motivated population can muster enough energy to uplift a country from the doldrums of economic and social mutilation, there is very little expectation but stagnation and retrogression into the Dark Age.

It has to be recalled that Western Europe was deep in the Dark Ages for 1000 years. During this period, intellectual dynamism was discouraged by the authority of the day, dissent was brutally put down, diseases; such as the Bubonic plague wiped out a third of the population, food shortages were rampant; and wars were the order of the day; barbarians were on the match while the moral fabric of the society disintegrated. How they managed to reverse the tide of barbarism, greed, oppression, mis-education and disease is unclear. Nevertheless, if one may extrapolate or interpolate from their society today, it seems the only way they pulled it from the fire was to hold their leaders into account. Those who failed to account were unceremoniously thrown out in disgrace or punished as the system saw fit.

This writer believes that the ancient system of accountability is still in place today in Europe; and may account for the continuance to peace and prosperity. Not so, in FrancAfrique where there is "Peace" and no prosperity. This brings us to the question as to whether there can be peace without prosperity. The conjecture is that one cannot live without the other concept. Where there is no prosperity, there is no peace; and where there is no peace prosperity must not follow.

FrancAfrique Sans L'Afrique: The Old Power Generation

Louis Egbe Mbua

When I was a boy, I used to imagine that people in power never left until President Ahidjo of Cameroon resigned suddenly in 1982. This completely changed my perception of big power players. Ahidjo, although a dictator in his time, was wise in this respect: he knew that he was only mortal; and that having presided over a new country from independence, he must have made powerful enemies nationally and internationally. This writer believes this simple philosophical thought by Ahidjo must have provoked his sudden resignation. Furthermore, ill health in power has proven time again that it is an omen for a man in power to pack up his bags and leave. Ahidjo left behind a generation of men in power, who continue to wield power after 27 years. If we interpolate their total cumulative years in power, and assuming that most of them were with Ahidjo since 1960, then we must reach the conclusion that their time to go is up. This applied to Bongo of Gabon, Eyadema of Togo and Felix Houphouet Boigny of Ivory Coast, the colossus of FrancAfrique.

While some regimes have a gradual and steady decline, there is compelling evidence to suggest that the present Cameroon regime, an important member of FranceAfrique, headed by Mr. Paul Biya, has already declined to the last steps on the ladder stretching down the precipice onto the visible road to oblivion; and that a slight disturbance will precipitate its crashing and tumbling down into the Atlantic ocean to be buried as a monumental carbuncle forever. In this wise, it is important to examine the circumstances that brought about this decline; and then use them to predict a time scale for its demise so that the New Power Generation may gird their loins to seize the mantle; advance constitutional reforms; solve the Southern Cameroons problem; and clean the nation from 27 years of decay.

When colonialism was at her death throes in Africa in the 1960s, it seems that Africans who filled the prodigious power vacuum were ill-prepared for high-wired leadership in terms of experience and mastering the power levers of the state. In addition, they never understood the sacredness of a constitutional state, believing that once one ascends power one automatically becomes the Constitution; and therefore have the powers to disregard the law to reach their own goals. President Ahidjo, President Nkrumah, Sekou Toure of Guinea and a host of other African leaders began dismantling their countries' constitution as soon as they came to power; proclaiming one party state in violation of the same constitution that brought them to power in free and fair elections in multi-party democracies. The effects are still felt today in these countries, and to some extent, their neighbours.

In Cameroon, in particular, Mr. Paul Biya does not follow the constitution as he should have been doing at all occasions; but rather he appears to be bent on treating the Constitution as secondary to him. His recent manipulation of the constitution to perpetuate himself, and his gang of ethno-oligarchs, in power for another seven years was not only a fraud but only goes to buttress the point that he was ill-prepared to run Cameroon; and he is still politically immature.

The next factor to be discussed is the motivation of the old generation of leaders. There seems to be a psychological problem here as most of the old generation of African leaders have one goal in common: the vain glorious pursuit of power. This has been extremely detrimental to the African people and an affront to developmental efforts. While the pursuit of power to effect positive change may be beneficial to a people, that which is pursued for personal reasons to advance tyranny, terror and corruption appears to be the hall-mark of the old power generation.

The counter-argument is that one can pursue personal ambitions only for a limited number of years. Since it will eventually turn into a one-man show, together with a couple of 100s other coterie and flunkies, the power wanes away as their combine ages increase with time in power. The consequences are that the youthful fire that helped their personal ambitions to be fulfilled in the first place is lost; and since they have no philosophies to leave as a legacy of the own lives; and to attract the young and talented to keep their flame burning, the old power generation will eventually be removed from power by the same youths they could have attracted with a powerful positive message.

Furthermore, as the fire is lost, tyranny increases to put down fierce opposition as in the case of Cameroon riots in February 2009, the Buea University shootings in 2005 and 2006; The shootings in Abong Mbang, Kumba and Bamenda recently. Intimidation, and arrests are also common in a declining tyranny. All these have been noted by Living Lights as the signs signalling the end: the greater the violence against civilians; and the greater the arrests and intimidation the nearer the time of tyrannical regimes to go into demise. All that is required is but a spark and it will be all over within days.

Most African leaders of the old power generation were born during the period of French assimilation policy in Africa; and have become like Frenchmen. The more corrupt they are, the more assimilated they would delude themselves to have become. The reason for this tragedy is that most French-speaking Cameroonian elite especially, and in FranceAfrique in general, believe they have a divine obligation to live comme un Parisien, un bon vivant. Now to live in Cameroon, for example, and wish to own a house in Paris or the South of France is another matter.

The result is that most French-Speaking Africans in the elite bracket have a misguided and skewed vision on their goals, aims and priorities to serve their respective nations. Since their own concept of being civilised is to go to France and acquire property; and enjoy fine wines, they are forced to obtain the needed capital for this mission in one way, kind or form or the other. As it is quite clear that their African salaries are totally incapable of sustaining such an expensive lifestyle; and that they are determined to become assimilated in the FranceAfrique social hierarchical milieu, they are left with very few alternatives but to raid the nations treasury, loot some funds by any means possible; and then fly business class to Paris and acquire a villa. The recent internationally-investigated corruption scandals in some prominent areas of FranceAfrique -- Cameroon, Gabon, Congo Brazaville, Equatorial Guinea -- at the highest levels show that the old power generation are finished.

Diamonds Are Not Forever (2)

By Louis Egbe Mbua

Came they with askaris floated,
On rafts; ships with men bloated
With an army with big guns moved,
From the land of the Duchess carried
By servants of doom so parried,
To whimps; caprice of masters inclined,
To conquer; seize Diamond and plunder,
The indigenes starved and camped,
In a places crowded; to wonder,
Of what becomes them; to wander,
With no hopes of Diamond lost,
In fight, to preserve diamonds cached,
But found by the master; watched in lust;
As the owners forgot; vanquished
The battle, so tense, so hard, gained
In the highlands; to sea they chased
Until sweet victory was coined,
With diamonds on a date classed,
As of infamy; the day marked,
By the world; when time and land stood,
Motionless; generations passed,
And new diamonds found: shone
In the midnight moon circled,
By mysteries yet unknown.
So goes the history of old Cam,
Ushered into a new age of con;
With bright promise yet to come
'Cause diamonds are the land filled;
So came the Gems people; and some
Of good; meant good, others bad, so filed;
The natives in camps to form slumps
In the horror camp: toil forever,
So Gems may diamond inherit
And them take to Duchess: in fever
That gripped entire Eur' in an instant,
And causing all Princes a quarrel:
To scream; Give me more! my laurels!
The Chief Prince, a ruler a strike gave,
A glance on diamonds, a pen swiped,
The diamond, one-fifth gone, four-fifth came
To a frightening end, broken: smashed
Into parts; thrown aground wasting;
While natives weep for Diamond, wailing,
And all wailed; but Gems not anxious
To placate egos; of men trapped
By cunning, treachery; Gems conscious;
Of this weakness; apathy planted;
In minds; native Diamond owners;
Who continue in great poverty;
Then one-score years turned corners;
And Gems overthrown from property,
By one, no two kinds of powers,
From Eur' they came; shared spoils:
One-fifth that way; four-fifths of towers
Of aroma pleasant in leaf foils.
Then powers sat; in Versa decided;
Agreed hand on terre; entrusted
To champions; pax mondial chided
By men on mission encrusted
At helm 'seers of Diamonds captured
From Gems' first attempt designed
To rule en terre; with men tortured
As people; second class forced
To work on plantations seized
With no compensation sourced,
From Diamond product exports prized;
For their exotic character nurtured
As nature wills to command;
In Le Monde Diamond as cultured;
In songs, dance, drama to amend.

Diamonds are not for ever (1)

By Louis Egbe Mbua

How Happy does thou yesteryear
After many years spent: returned
To the smouldering land ; unplanned;
People pressed down by clay-footed deer
Heard not their groans; blood on ground flows,
Like the river in the city; divides in twos;
Two rivers; one, Diamonds; one Milk flows
One Land-two peoples; right left in twos
Upon centuries and millennial passed
On bedrock of was foundation laid
Happily ever after they lived; paid
Into Progress, steady, sure, they matched
Step by step the gains and game achieved
In aspects lost; some spoken in oral, unwritten
Until of late, the damage done traversed
Coming from the sea the man to be served!
And then began the brave men: of renown
Men of old, courage and honour known
Defend! The Land! lo it is taken!
Rise up! Put Pay and defeat adversary!
Friends and brothers we thought necessary,
For protection and sharing now greedy, turns
Into a ravenous wolf in deer fashion returns;
To kill, steal, plunder, to sea afar;
And the young and strong taken apart
To toil in chains and shame; no recompense;
For wicked pleasure; people's expense
In cries, anguish beyond woman and man
But Divine lifted up His hands mighty;
To Strike! the clay-footed deer: the hangman
And seize the shameful chain employed tightly
On the neck and feet for humans to choke;
And for women to sadness and tears come
For men to humiliation brought;
Children in shouts of horror thought;
A strange monster arrived from Hell
To dwell and eat in the Sacred Hall.
They toiled , chained backs over-bent
To pluck vain harvests,labour lent
For not future or hope; no pay relied
On for a day of rain, lightning pain but plied,
All trades that man thought and beknoweth
Known Old and New Craft man made doth,
Insatiable appetite, unqualified schemes
To exploit fellow citizens; stripped clean
Of dignity, weakened to mere bones
Flesh stripped to barest skeletons
Energy gone; no hope, future distant
And Benefits drained to Black Hole blanked
Bythe darkness of man's heart steeped
In power play game futility extant;
'Cause for ever not do men stay
In conditions advantage bestowed; styled
In delusion held captivated,
By self-conceit; virtue evaded
Hi-jacked, killed, buried to be reborn;
By persons to be conceived to be born,
To stand up in presence unfazed
By diamonds encrusted on walls blazed
In gold, silver, ruby, gem adorned,
The walls marbled to intimidate,
The unborn, the born on earth who donned
The armour of call to truth vitiate
In battle, war and peace proclaim;
By twos of River Diamond announced
By a clarion call; intruder denounced;
On this outrage: preposterous claim,
Of hand knoweth him no secrets;
That lurk in lush forests and hills set
To consume the arrogance from sea
Where seen from on high, they climbed
Breaching the ancient laws of battle chimed
By sages of old, men of wisdom wrote,
Today the dangers of laurels smote;
With the hardened iron and steel made,
By hands of skill: guns turned into spade
And ploughs to guns were they created
For the land of diamonds and milk blessed.

The Sage

Visits from somewhere starts:
From the heart, is the beat done,
To change the course of stars;
Not at night alone blown.

Our arrival: safe and sound:
The craft, level did it land,
On runway it sped: slowed;
Taxied: slowed down to stand.

Shouts of joy a distance heard:
Brothers! Sisters! Welcome back!
To my ears was the music led;
Blends of craft sound to blast.

At home arrived in time to ‘fast:
In the morn’ there he stood,
The new sage: jet black-locked,
In wisdom unblocked.

The Origins of Creation And The Bantus: Part 2

Louis Egbe Mbua

Living Lights are of the opinion that a diversified opinionated society is the vital ingredient to the advancement of that community. In March, this year, a debate happened amongst Cameroonians, in camnetwork as to the validity of Darwin’s theories of evolution; and which was published, partly, in the same month, in this Forum. It is the opinion of this writer that the ideas posed were of a high level; and that this should be circulated to the wider public as it seems that these varied opinions have wider implications than would be imagined in everyday assumptions of life. Publishing ideas directly connected to other people is a daunting task. However, one is hard-pressed: choosing between what the wider public ought to know; and what one may consider an information resource bordering on the irrelevance. More so, at a time of world integration when men and women are not confined to their ancestral communalities and tribal clans; and when every man, woman and child have a reasonable access to information in this day and age of technological revolution, this is of relevance. Technological revolution on its own is not new. Different periods of the epic of world existence have seen their own strides of advances. Yet, what is presented here is of a different and extraordinary era. Although the world may or may not recognise its significance, Living Lights are fully convinced that such dispatches of knowledge may be adventitious to human advancement.

In this publication, men and women who have the temerity to put forward their views in the context of the subject matter have their writings embellished as the writer perceives; but not entirely to expunge their very core views and values on the development of man. Participants who did not wish to be named in this article have their wishes respected; and Living Lights would do their best to disseminate their ideas in pure prose. It was the last publication that dealt on the Origins of the Bantus; but has been extended to the Origins of Humans; and so, one is expected to concentrate on the asseveration of the presiding anonymous:

Anonymously, the written statement attributable to a debater who quoted and asked for clarifications: a question asked to throw more light on the subject at hand.

“That is based on Darwinian assumption that man began from animals which has been proven to be a fraud.”

and asked:

"Could you elaborate?”

Before then, Living Lights had written:

The "pre-historic times" did not exist. That is based on Darwinian assumption that man began from animals which has been proved to be a fraud. So who recorded the "pre-history”? Man or beast? How can one talk of pre-history when they were not there?


Mr. Godlove Mburlih dived into the debate from a different angle: questioning the origins of man as given in the book of Genesis with a quotation from an earlier posting:

"The most credible origin of species, especially male and female -- is recorded in Genesis Chapter 1 of the Holy Bible."

Do you really believe that God took out a left rib from the man and produced a woman with it ? And that he ordered in light and day? Then what about the different time zones? And the virgin birth without fertilization of sperm and egg? That Noah living somewhere in the middle east suddenly had a collection of all animal samples to fill in his lone ark for preservation from the flood? Many more questions but the believers always say "just believe" because the Bible says so. Let them first convince the doubters about God being the writer of the Bible or do they say the conspirator?

Living Lights had this answer to Godlove’s enquiries ending with the verve of the rhetorician:

I stated that it is the most credible origin of species. There are other competing theories on human origins. However, the narrative that has evidence is biblical. Why? Because we are self-evident; and that we know that light comes from the Sun and stars. These were recorded in Genesis Chapter 1 before the dawn of modern Science or Hubble Telescope. So who is Greater? Hubble Telescope or God who says he made all in the first place and in the very beginning? Why would God lie? He has no reason to do so at all. Who then is the Greater Scientist? God or Man?

Dr. Val Ngwa further questioned the origins of species as put forward by Living Lights with this informative article on the origins the lexicon genetics writing:

Genesis and Genetics are derived from the Greek work Genetikos meaning 'origin'. We should not forget that the old testament in which Genesis is ascribed to and belongs is but one book; and was written NOT in Greek, but Hebrew. And in Hebrew, the book is called 'Breishit'. Genetics as a science did not stem from the biblical book of Genesis!!

Comment from Living Lights: If Genesis has as roots in Origin, then one may infer that this is the origin of species; and if the word Genetics also stems from Origin, as Dr. Ngwa intimated, then we may arrive at the conclusion that the two words are intertwined and mean one and the same thing. It is quite possible that before creation, God created the Genes first and then put it into the created cells before the process of creation of Man. This is the same process that occurs today as for a person to be conceived, genes must first be introduced into the zygote before growth begins and the child is born to continue growing to adulthood.

The debate then went deeper when the validity of the Bible as a scientific book was challenged; and the fact that humans lived for more than 900 years was of interest to some debaters as some thought it impossible: of which Living Lights gave the following answer:

The Bible is, firstly, a spiritual Book; and a scientific document. Everybody is free to read the Bible including non-Christians. I do not accept Darwin's theories on the origins of life but I will recommend it for reading for exposure. Similarly, people do not have to be Muslims to read the Koran.

Coming to the origins of the universe and humans, Genesis Chapter 1 describes the process of the seasons; that it is controlled by the movement of the stars; and we today know that the earth's 365 day revolution around the sun brings about the seasons; and that he sun is a star in the Solar System.

I do not doubt Darwin's intellect. However, the normal scientific procedure as we well know is to propose a hypothesis; and the go on to substantiate it with practical evidence. This has not been done in the Darwinian case. Digging up old monkeys and then displaying them as scientific proof of man's origin does not constitute scientific proof. Who says these are humans in the first place?

Revisiting apparent doubts on the longetivity of the patriarchs, it is also revealed in biblical texts that that length of years was reduced in a significant proportion if not an exponent. For instance, Adam lived 939 years while the Bible states that Abraham lived 175 years. Today, it is recorded that people can live at most 120 years. This is also recorded in the Bible long before modern science can determine logetivity. These are all evidence to prove the Origins of Species.

Professor James Ashu had his own ideas on Darwinism and God. Answering Benns Awaah who questioned man’s origins, he wrote:

Darwin's theory of evolution is as troubling as the biblical story of creation. Nonetheless there is a very big difference between the two.

First, the theory of evolution is just a theory. It means there is a lot of evidence that tends to support a certain set of concepts. There is no proof yet. That is why scientists are still looking for the proof. More and more evidence is being found everyday to support the theory and scientists do not hide the fact that it remains just a theory. The day there is conclusive evidence, you may no longer hear of the "theory of evolution." You may hear of the "law of evolution”. Let us keep waiting and allow scientists to work. Some scientists may even disprove the theory. We should still wait for that also. So far I have heard only of protests; no "disproof".

As concerns the bible, I am more worried. One just has to believe. No questions. If you ask questions you will go to hell. But it is difficult not to ask questions. One such question is this: (Preamble): After God created Adam and Eve, they had two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel. Then God punished Cain to a life of wandering. Cain wandered to the country of Nord and took a wife. (We should keep in mind that after the death of Abel, there was left only three people on earth, Adam, Eve, and Cain). Now the question: Were there more creations than one? (Otherwise there would not be a fourth person on earth, not to talk of having a country).

My brother, those are questions that keep some of us worried. Every religion has its own story of creation. Should we believe in any of them? It depends upon the individual. I am rather more comfortable with the theory of evolution. It is scientific. Some day somebody may disprove it. But for now, that is what I believe in.

Of which the Living Lights responded rigorously:


No evidence has ever been found. What they call "pre-historic" humans they keep digging up are not humans. They are a species of monkeys that have died out for various reasons. It is like saying an African and a European are a line of evolution. They are just a variety of the same specie and have nothing to do with evolution.

And then Prof Ashu wrote:

"The day there is conclusive evidence, you may no longer hear of the "theory of evolution”. You may hear of the "law of evolution"."

Well, we are waiting for that day. The day we see will be able to witness a Chimpanzee transform into a man in our lifetime, then we will know that the hour of our "salvation" has come. My informed opinion is that that hour will never arrive

Again Professor Ashu said:


"So far I have heard only of protests; no "disproof"."

People cannot disprove something that does not exist in reality. How is one to disprove that a Chimpanzee cannot become a man? The disproof is there before our very eyes. It's like saying that one should disprove the theory that one can actually jump from the earth to the moon using his physical strength. Well, how is one to disprove that? It has never occurred. The only disproof is that it has never been done.

And Again:

"Then God punished Cain to a life of wandering. Cain wandered to the country of Nord and took a wife. (We should keep in mind that after the death of Abel, there was left only three people on earth, Adam, Eve, and Cain). Now the question: Were there more creations than one? "

The the Bible also recorded that Adam lived for more than 900 years. We can agree that since the year 1000 AD to 2000 AD, we would have had more than 10 generations of people on earth in our own era. So, Adam must have had his tenth generation Grand Children. Surely, Cain could have had a wife from at least the second generation or even the first because Adam and Eve also had daughters and son after Cain killed his brother Abel.

There concluded our debate. There are other participants who engaged in this interesting debate but what has been presented so far is a sample of participation. Living Lights wish to thank all those who took part and owner of camnetwork group; and all who gave me the permission to publish their ideas in this Forum.