Economic AID, HIV/AIDS, and Nigerian Churches
By Sabella Ogbobode Abidde

sabidde@yahoo.com

Mankato, Minnesota

 

DO AFRICAN COUNTRIES REALLY NEED FOREIGN AID?

Before embarking on this discourse, I must say that most foreign aids
are not aids in the real sense of the word since most of the allotted
money (or material) never makes it into the intended country.
Moreover, there is an "unspoken politics" involved in foreign aids.
Even so, the short answer to my question is that some do; but most
don't! Generally speaking however, I am opposed to any form to
foreign Aid - not only because I think it does not serve any real
purpose; but because the little that gets into any of the targeted
countries doesn't get to those who should have benefited from such
aid. More often than not, it is the elite and government
functionaries that pocket and squanders the aid.
 

There are countries in Africa that shouldn't have been nation-states
in the first place. These are countries that are just too small, too
poor, and vastly undereducated, lacks viable human and natural
resources and are not ready to be independent states. Some of these
countries should have formed confederations or at best, teamed with
other countries to form one independent state. But pride and undue
nationalistic feelings "convinced" them they need independence.
Unfortunately, "paper political independence" does not pay workers
salaries, pave roads, build schools and hospital and eradicate
diseases, and provide for public infrastructures and other life'
necessities.

 

Now, decades after "political independence", these countries do not
have the wherewithal to administer their own affairs as they are
constantly in need of foreign aids and other forms of assistance from
the West or from any country that would listen to their pleas for
help. For instance, Rwanda and Burundi would have been better off as
one single country; just as Republic of Benin and Togo should have
been a single country, ditto Senegal and Gambia. Same can be said of
Burkina Faso, Mali, and a host of other African countries. Aside from
historical reasons, what business does Swaziland and Lesotho has
being independent countries? Wouldn't' they have been better of as an
integral part of South Africa?

 

Today, most of African countries depend on foreign assistance to keep
afloat. These aids are injurious to a country's psyche: it encourages
laziness and indolence; and makes receiving countries dependent on
donor countries. Over the long run, receiving countries become
indebted to donor countries and in due course become an appendage to
the donor countries. The West, as a rule, does not give a cent out of
the sheer goodness of their heart. For these are capitalist countries
and not charity organizations; and capitalism is all about profit and
self-interest.

Are Rwanda and Burundi, and Congo (Kinshasa) truly independent states
when they take their marching orders from Belgium and France? Yaoundé
can't take any step without getting a clearance from Paris. And when
was the last time Nigeria caused a ripple without first checking with
London and Washington? That Nigeria still receives foreign aids
baffles me. What do we need foreign aid for? What do we need military
and technical assistance for? We have all the necessary human and
natural resources to be truly successful and independent. That
America, China, Britain, Germany, Italy and others still give us a
penny here and a dime there is not only ludicrous, it is insulting
and demeaning!

 

The corruption and politics of foreign aid aside, what good would it
do any self-respecting people and country to continually depend on
handouts? What does our penchant for handouts tell the world about
us? That we are not responsive and responsible? That but for the
grace of the Global North, Africa would still be in the pit of
poverty? And any wonder the West acts condescendingly towards us?

 

AIDS/HIV IS RAMPANT IN AFRICA and its resultant consequences is
killing us and depriving us of our future. Although, I must posit,
without any scientific evidence, or without any empirical data that,
almost 15% of the so-called Aids/HIV cases are related, not to the
dread disease, but to malaria, malnutrition, air and water-borne
diseases, hopelessness and acute sadness. Hopelessness and sadness
kills, you know. In any case, I do not think that the infusion of
dollars alone ($15 billions from the US alone) would make measurable
dent in the Aids/HIV crisis in Africa.

 

Some of our behaviors is to be blamed for the almost uncontrollable
spread of Aids and other sexually transmittable diseases: polygamy,
society-condoned sexual orgies; prostitution; carefree sex amongst
the young; sexual conquest of Africans living abroad during their
periodic visits to Africa; a culture that permits unlimited
procreation, the false belief that Aids is a White-man's disease or
that certain potion can thwart infection. It is time for the
reorientation or adjustment of our culture, and time for the
reeducation of the African male.

 

In most of Africa, we expect our women to be able to cook, clean the
house, provide sex (on demand), and raise children. We expect them to
be submissive, and be at our beck-and-call. And even though "the
times are changing", men are still in command and in control. It is
because of this reality that I believe -- for us to arrest the
incidence and prevalence of Aids and other STD's -- we have to embark
on the reeducation of African men.

 

Reorient, reeducate, and re-culture the African male and we would be
able to curb most of the excesses and primordial beliefs of our
society. Moreover, this reeducation would curb the rate of Aids, and
damper the need for circumcision, polygamy, body piercing, tribal
markings and mutilations. Adjustment of the African culture is also
necessary in other aspects of our lives. For instance, Leo Igwe
asserted that:

"Men dominate the socio-economic and political machinery and
organizations. Men are regarded as natural leaders, who are superior
and born to rule over women. Women are considered weaker vessels-
extensions of men and secondary human beings. The pride and dignity
of women are derived from and dependent on men. Ten daughters are not
worth a son. No woman is regarded as complete or real until she gives
birth to a male. Delivering a son gives a woman pride and a place at
her husband's home. every married woman stands with one leg in her
husband's house until she gives birth to a male child".

 

The gist of my argument is simply that unless we take a second and
third look at our culture - a culture Daniel Etounga-Manguelle
considers the most humanistic of all living cultures - Aids/HIV would
continue to ravage our men, women and children - no matter the amount
of money that is poured into our public health system. And if care is
not taken, more people will die from Aids-HIV-STD in the next ten
years than have died from malaria, water-borne diseases and
malnutrition in the last sixty years.

 

NOT TOO LONG AGO, I posited that: "...we do things -- shamelessly --
in the name of God: we steal, cheat and lie in the name of God. We
oppress, exploit and subjugate fellow citizens in the name of God.
We "command" people's loyalty in the name of God; and if we fail to
get the respect and loyalty we think we deserve - we kill the
offenders in the name of God. Not to be outdone by our politicians
and public servants, some armed-robbers have been known to pray
before going out to rob and kill. And if they are too busy to pray,
they simply pay top-dollars for prayers. As if that is not heretical,
there are "men of God" who fornicate and commit adultery in the name
of God".

 

I went on to say: "...Nigerian politicians are using God and religion
as a ruse to misrule and swindle. These same politicians who place
their hands on the Bible or on the Koran would be the first in line
to take bribes, inflate contracts, and ignore the most qualified job-
applicant in favor of someone from their ethnic group.
These "children of God" are adept at colluding with foreign nationals
in bilking the public purse. In so many ways, the current pack of
politicians remind me of the early missionaries (to Africa) who came
with gun on one hand and the Bible on the other hand....Does God
truly listen to our prayers.What's the matter with God?" (For the
complete article, please see:
http://www.nigeriansinamerica.com/articles.php?articleId=225).

 

What is the matter with some Nigerian Churches? Some Nigerian
Churches have become the bastion of corruption, hubris, and a
cathedral of immorality and unethical deeds. Most purport to
speak "in tongue" when they can barely speak a neighboring native
language; they claim to see vision when they can barely see beyond
their noses; they claim to be paragon of morality when they have a
house full of banalities; most claim to be doing God's work when in
fact they work for the gods.

 

God's work has now become a business enterprise. Saving souls,
redemption, salvation, eternal bliss and other noble ideas are no
longer their Raison d'être. Today, it is all about Pathfinders,
Mercedes Benzes, political power and political influence, glitz and
glitters, and other worldly collections.

 

A recently published item about the compensation of Nigerian pastors
staggered and almost fell me. How could they be paid that much? Why
should they be allowed access to that many vehicles and in some cases
private jets? These pastors have a retinue of chauffeurs, pilot,
maids, personal assistance, chefs, and what not at their command.

 

They have all these. all in the name of God? Haaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Nigeria.

 

I guess some Nigerian churches and places of worship are simply
mirroring the "reality on the ground". Churches and places of worship
are like homes; and a home is where you go to rest, to seek comfort,
feel safe and be invigorated for life's battles. A home is where you
go at the end of the day or at time of the night and feel you are in
the hands of your lord. It isn't so any more in most Nigerian
Churches. At home or in the Churches, those leeches will get you.