AA's email from the shoutbox

[the panic!]

(the following is a letter from a Nigerian paper that was circulated around AA's workplace. he linked it in the shoutbox)

i think this is interesting enough to end up in the 'latest posts' - so far we have a confused soliloquy by mad, a guy who's broken up with his girlfriend, ugly cars, and a discussion centered on Rhianna's labia (AG, you really want me to stop coming here, don't you?)

anyway...

and i quote:

South African experience

SIR: On Thursday October 1, 2009, the National Chairman of our great party Chief Bisi Akande; the Lagos State Chairman of the Party in Lagos, Chief Dele Ajomale; his wife; the representative of the Governor and my humble self left for South Africa to inaugurate the chapter of our party. Business finished on Saturday October 2 and 3, 2009 in both Pretoria and Johannesburg. We had Sunday October 4 to look around. It was my first visit to South Africa and what I saw stunned me.

Am I in Africa or Europe? Am I in America? Is this another Singapore? Could this be true? Where was Nigeria when South Africa was putting all these structures in place? If the white man did all these in South Africa why were the Nelson Mandelas of this world complaining? If South Africans got their independence on a platter of gold the way Nigeria got hers in 1960, would there have been all these structures I am seeing here today? Impossible! From what I saw on ground in South Africa, it looked as if all the companies and industries all over the world are physically present there. Ah! Nigeria has been left behind. South Africa is the potential and undisputable leader in Africa. Thanks to the white South Africans.

I came to the unhappy conclusion that the mosquitoes that drove the whites away from Nigeria in 1960 did a colossal and unmitigated damage to Nigerians. I again asked myself these questions: How many black Africans did the whites kill before surrendering power to them? How many Nigerians have been killed by Nigerian leaders since they took over power from the whites in 1960? Let us compare the figures. I am sure the supreme prize South Africans paid to have the South Africa I see today will be so infinitesimal compared with what our leaders have killed to remain in power in Nigeria.

What I am saying is that God should have allowed the whites to tarry for at least more 30 years in Nigeria and we would have been better for it. Mandela survived 27 years in prison because the whiteman was a better person. He could not have survived 10 years in prison in Nigeria.

My conclusion after seeing what I saw in South Africa is that the whites left Nigeria in a hurry, and that is why we are suffering today. Had the whites tarried in Nigeria, Nigeria would have been like South Africa today. I want the whites back in Nigeria!

Joe Igbokwe,
Lagos.

i understand this letter appeared in a national paper in Nigeria. here is some info on Joe Igbokwe. i'd try to get more but i don't have the time it takes to dig through that shit. for one, why is he traveling with the "National Chairman of our great party" if he's a journalist/contributor to that 'Guardian' paper.

what are your thoughts on what this man says?

[General Ratzinger van Stilzkin]

the gra** always looks green on the other side. what good is a structure to you if you only go inside to clean it? hes point of views are misguided, i understand them, but they are misguided

[the panic!]

the gra** always looks green on the other side. what good is a structure to you if you only go inside to clean it? hes point of views are misguided, i understand them, but they are misguided

i'm just surprised that a 'government man' with a PhD could oversimplify (no, overlook) the mechanics of neo-colonialism in Africa with such ease.

[General Ratzinger van Stilzkin]

lets try look at it from his view panic if ur people are f***ing u around and messing shit up, and then u visit another country and everything looks gravy its only normal to wish for what u dont know. surely?

[Alcohol Abuser]

I'm not surprised by this dude's letter, I once heard a malawian guy say if it wasn't for the white peeps south africa will look like any african country which made me realised how deep the colonial scars are still entrenched on some of our brothers, anybody listened to sakhina kamwendo's program yesterday about reconcilliation shyt dope stuff.....

[the panic!]

lets try look at it from his view panic if ur people are f***ing u around and messing shit up, and then u visit another country and everything looks gravy its only normal to wish for what u dont know. surely?

this cat went to Harvard. he travels with emissaries and has affiliations with various boards in Nigerian government and  business. this isn't about the poor. he's PART of those leaders f***ing things up. he just wishes he had more - not that poverty in Nigeria was abolished. that's my thinking.

i think what he wrote is callous, extremely disrespectful, selfish, and thoughtless.

there is hardly any difference between Nigeria's poor and South Africa's when it comes down to it. he is only comparing the lives of those in South Africa who hold positions similar to him in society - and wanting that for himself.

[Koli qha]

this is very interesting! i agree with him in sentiment but his point of view seems more that of envy than literal translation. i agree with the sentiments of us not being further ahead of our fellow brothers and sisters on the continent were it not for our white relatives.. and thats purely based on infrastructure. July's Own is correct to believe he is misguided but i think this dude was trying to make a point. Because like u outline Panic, how could a government man with a PhD oversimplify (no, overlook) the mechanics of neo-colonialism in Africa with such ease.

I think he was focussing less on South Africa and its 'success', than he was on Nigeria and its shortcomings! the obvious difference between South Africa and the rest of the continent being that we got our Independence years after the rest of the continent.

the only real difference South Africa and the rest of the continent is the infrastructure.. of course i'm speaking very loosely when i say this because my focus is, as 'pretty' as S.A looks, kuyanyiwa nalapha!

[Koli qha]

lets try look at it from his view panic if ur people are f***ing u around and messing shit up, and then u visit another country and everything looks gravy its only normal to wish for what u dont know. surely?

this cat went to Harvard. he travels with emissaries and has affiliations with various boards in Nigerian government and  business. this isn't about the poor. he's PART of those leaders f***ing things up. he just wishes he had more - not that poverty in Nigeria was abolished. that's my thinking.

i think what he wrote is callous, extremely disrespectful, selfish, and thoughtless.

there is hardly any difference between Nigeria's poor and South Africa's when it comes down to it. he is only comparing the lives of those in South Africa who hold positions similar to him in society - and wanting that for himself.

touche! ubethwa yiEnvy qha yena! coz he's only talking about rich South Africa, he doesn't touch the fact that its not any easier for the man underground in South Africa. i'd rather not have the beautiful buildings if my understanding was that i could neva set foot inside it, let alone own it..

[the panic!]

i'm not saying i don't get where the cat is coming from. some of things he says (as you point out Koli - the infrastructure) are facts, regardless of how we feel about them. apartheid laid the blueprints for the black labour that built iMzantsi as we know it. but he just uses these things to springboard an argument that's childish, ridiculous and destructive.

I think he was focusing less on South Africa and its 'success', than he was on Nigeria and its shortcomings! the obvious difference between South Africa and the rest of the continent being that we got our Independence years after the rest of the continent.

true. and one way he could have emphasized his point - if he was really concerned about poverty in Nigeria - would be by focusing on Nigeria and highlighting how, in many ways, they are becoming the same as the colonial regime that preceded them. from this he could then go on to suggest methods (he's got a PhD, doesn't he?) to rectify or at least work against the situation.

instead he wishes colonialism had lasted longer? how is that any different from completely justifying violent Western expansion and believing that in order to succeed as a nation (and have 'nice things') you have to brutally subjugate the people of another?

how is this cat any different to Soulja Boy thanking the Slave trade for allowing him to be born in the US where he can afford to have ice around his neck? 

(that's someone who dropped out of highschool and a PhD from Harvard i've just matched up, by the way.)

unless! and (i hope) we can't rule this out. unless the letter is meant to be tongue in cheek and provocative.

[the panic!]

i'd rather not have the beautiful buildings if my understanding was that i could neva set foot inside it, let alone own it..

word.

[Sosiba]

Me thinks this shows the dilemma facing Africa; 1. Do you chase away your oppressors and take a long walk to true peo liberation on your own? or 2. do you negotiate with the oppressors, appease them and stay in a country that looks all good and promises change for the people but will never bring this change because it fundamentally threatens the interests of the oppressor?

A paragon for choosing number 1 is Zim and for number 2 is S.A. What Joe saw here are the consequnces of choise 2. But I do not think choosing (1) is as bad as it has been made to seem. The threat of an economic downfall must have informed S.A's transition to democracy while radicalism informed Zimbabwe. But I think it is the leadership of Afrika (of which Joe is part) that has made choosing number 2 seem like a set up for doom. Recently it was reported that Nestle had been buying Thousands of litres from a farm owned by Mugabe's wife. This shows that land reposession does not necessarily result in an economic downfall by itself but it is the chioces our leaders make after that.

Joe seems to suggest that we need our former oppressors even after "liberation". I contest this, has he not heard about Japan? Does he not know that the world needs Afrika more than Afrika needs the world? Does he not know that Guinea is rich in oil, S.A rich in other minerals and so many other countries rich in what I cannot think of now? The problem is that the very likes of Joe betray Afrika, they let multinationals exploit the oil in Guinea, the minerals in SA etc. These multinationals build some structures (which obviously impressed Joe) and it seems all is well but all this does not benefit Afrika, it only takes away from her and gives a few crumbs to our leaders who legitimise Afrika's continued exploitation.

Cosign this:

there is hardly any difference between Nigeria's poor and South Africa's when it comes down to it. he is only comparing the lives of those in South Africa who hold positions similar to him in society - and wanting that for himself.

[Koli qha]

unless! and (i hope) we can't rule this out. unless the letter is meant to be tongue in cheek and provocative.

what i've just realised is that this is smells of political scheming.. is it unfair to think that this guy is simply trying to push a political agenda by provoking the minds of rural Nigeria to 'rise against their reality' in pursuit of 'SOUTH AFRICA' "South Africa is the potential and undisputable leader in Africa." South Africa being painted in a very bright light so as to entice the population to strive to 'catch up' to South Africa. surely this dude is smarter than throwing reckless comments such as those if they aren't in fact well thought out. of course i'm merely speculating, but i don't think its necessarily unlikely (excuse the double negative).

how is this cat any different to Soulja Boy thanking the Slave trade for allowing him to be born in the US where he can afford to have ice around his neck?  

He said that??? my goodness!!!

[The Angry Hand of God]

this cat went to Harvard. he travels with emissaries and has affiliations with various boards in Nigerian government and  business. this isn't about the poor. he's PART of those leaders f***ing things up. he just wishes he had more - not that poverty in Nigeria was abolished. that's my thinking.

i think what he wrote is callous, extremely disrespectful, selfish, and thoughtless.

there is hardly any difference between Nigeria's poor and South Africa's when it comes down to it. he is only comparing the lives of those in South Africa who hold positions similar to him in society - and wanting that for himself.

[/thread]

[panga_priest]

i cant believe this is coming from an educated man...someone needs to break out the shambock and whip his a**

[Anna Sasin]

instead he wishes colonialism had lasted longer? how is that any different from completely justifying violent Western expansion and believing that in order to succeed as a nation (and have 'nice things') you have to brutally subjugate the people of another?

how is this cat any different to Soulja Boy thanking the Slave trade for allowing him to be born in the US where he can afford to have ice around his neck? 

the fcuk is wrong with souljah boy?
reminds me of some african-american comedian saying to his predominantly black crowd they know damn well slavery did them some good,coz their better off in america than they would have been in africa.
his knowledge of africa ofcourse being strongly informed by images of naked,hungry children with tears in their eyes,distended stomachs,and an legion of flies tormenting them .