This Obama guy - In the context of Ghana’s history

E. Ablorh-Odjidja, Ghanadot

July 11, 2009

Well, I thought there was something that I liked about “this Obama guy” other than his being the first Black president of the US.

And I found it in his speech to the Ghanaian parliament, on July 11, 2009.

He said, “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. Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.”

This year, Africa will celebrate the centennial of Kwame Nkrumah.  However, who remembers the date of birth for Kotoka or Afrifa?  Hopefully, the days for brute force to rule Africans are gone.

We need change.  The message of Obama is about change, really needed change for Africa: a metaphysical change that requires no sweat other than the use of our God-given brains (applicable only to those who believe in the existence of a Supreme Being).

So far, we have had coups as catalysts for “change.”

Sympathizers tend to justify coups because they think good things result: Without this coup, they will argue, we would not have had a strong constitution, removed a dictator, or had freedom of the press, etc.

The problem is this type of reasoning is fallacious.

A strong man seizing the keys to the bathroom is an event.  But it should not necessarily follow that those who subsequently use it must thank the strong man for the ability to respond to nature’s call to use the bathroom.

That same sense should apply to our need for democracy and the choice for liberty.

 “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,” Obama said.

As often stated, the entire world is a “Global Village.”  The truth of the statement has been ascertainable for much longer than we may think, as the world watches our behavior in Africa as if it was under a microscope.

Usually, our village idiots, in the persons of the Sergeant Does, and the Idi Amins, are much bigger under this microscope than the rest of us.  

Without our constitutional consent, these idiots took over power.  They then became much more a reflection of our reality than those who were saner.

We need to rescue ourselves from this lunacy.

in essence, Obama’s speech contained much of what many of us have sometimes thought about over the years but have been forced to remain silent for fear of reprisal and had gone on to accept these glorified coups.  

Hopefully, Obama’s speech may drive some of us to end this madness and the entailing inertia.

Obama’s statement that “We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to Africans,” has been said in many forms by others; recently our own George Ayittey for instance.

Ayittey came up with  the phrase in response to the situation in Somalia when he said “'African solutions for African problems.” 

He got very little credit for that concept, except to be laughed at and referred to as “Afro-pessimist.”

Former President George W. Bush, a man easy to love or hate, when on his visit to Ghana last year had to say “baloney” in answer to a question that suggested American interference with Ghana’s sovereignty.