World Bank and IMF fuelling corruption in Africa in the name altruism.

    World Bank and IMF Fuelling Corruption in Africa in the Name of Altruism

As person reared on earnings from subsistence palm oil farming/production, it was difficult for me to come to the conclusion that indefinite suspension of the N19.8b World Bank palm oil investment in Africa particularly in Nigeria is the right and proper thing to do. Voci Bawomanh is my activist’s name but I am a Nigeria from the south east of the country, the heart of palm oil production in Nigeria. I am from orlu senatorial zone in Imo state.

The corrupt, criminal and primitive leaderships that have steered Nigeria since the mid eighties have borrowed and received financial and economic aids from World Bank and from Western Nations on behalf of Nigerian People. But reality is that little to nothing of the borrowed money, the grant money and or the financial aids reach the ordinary Nigerians. The deplorable conditions of the very few public infrastructures and the non existent of so many essential public infrastructures and amenities in Nigeria is the testament that all the loans and financial aids received by the various Nigeria governments on behalf of the people were diverted and stolen by the corrupt leaderships that led the country these years.

How is it that a country so rich as Nigeria is always borrowing and in need of financial aid? Nigeria does not need Economic aid from outside group, organization or from any nation. Nigeria ought to be self sufficient but she is not. Why, because Nigeria since mid eighties have been run by greedy primitive cabals. It is idiotic trying to cure cancer with blood pressure drugs just it is foolishness to throw more money to a corrupt system hoping and gambling that some of the money thrown will fall in a fertile ground, sprout and bear fruit. The western economies are not based on this kind of chance. The truth is that Nigerian corruption is cancerous and very metastastic in the presence of new fund. The problem with Nigeria is not lack of fund but too much fund in the hands of intellectually challenged and greedy primitive leaderships. True wealth resides in the intellect not the out side of it. Nigerian has one problem and one problem only and that is corruption. To help Nigerians and citizens of many of the corrupt African nations, the international community, the West and their financial institutions in particular must help the decent ordinary people in the corrupt countries combat corruption. To do otherwise or conjure other form of solutions is placating criminality and hypocrisy and to do less is immoral. The international community and the West must do more to combat money laundering even when such action would not benefit their nations. How much Nigeria stolen wealth is sitting in foreign banks or in foreign assets? Which former president, current or former governor, minister, senator, and even local government chairman who is not maintaining foreign account or asset on stolen public fund? These corrupt public officials have millions of dollars in stolen public wealth stashed in foreign banks or as foreign assets. These criminals could use the stolen public wealth for private investment in palm oil production in Nigeria. At least if they invest locally they will create job for so many Nigerians while at the same time profit from their local business even though the investment capital is stolen from the public coffer.   

The international organizations and community must stop throwing money into a corrupt system and country; this misguided altruistic act is enriching and emboldening corrupt public officials in Nigerian.

Voci Bawomanh

Corevoci@gmail.com