Chinedu Eze
14 July 2009
Lagos — Lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, has berated President Barack Obama over his speech in Ghana, saying it was a huge embarrassment to the African continent and black people.
Fielding questions from newsmen yesterday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Falana said Obama was wrong when he said Africans should stop blaming the colonialists for slave trade and subsequent under-development that followed.
."I watched the Obama stop over in Ghana, sentiments apart; I think it was an embarrassment for Africa that Obama only made a stop in Africa. And even at that, it was a 'yabbis session.' And that was not what Africans were expecting from the first black President of United States of America . He talked down on Africans. He also said, 'you cannot blame the under-development on Africa ; you cannot just dismiss it on the basis of corruption of its leaders.'
"And I reject, in its entirety, the statement credited to Obama that we should no longer blame colonialists for slave trade. Why shouldn't we? Incidentally, he visited the Cape Coast where you have the slave camp. And Obama almost had nothing to say there."
Recalling the slave trade, Falana said Europeans traded on Africans for 500 years and wondered who would pay reparation for the exploitation of the continent over these years.
"For 500 years , Africans were illegally seized, they were kidnapped, through terrorist action of the Western countries and shipped to Europe and America to build those countries.
"Who is going to pay reparation for them? I thought Obama was going to talk about reparation. The Italian government has agreed to pay N5billion reparation to Libya for colonialism for 40 years. So who is going to pay us colonialism of 100 years?
"Who is going to pay Ghana And then you come around and say your problem is your problem, that is unfair. You got to solve your own problem. America must be part of the solution to our problem, because they created part of it, " he said.
Also reacting to part of Obama's statement where he attributed the decay in the African continent to sit-tight African leaders, Falana also said: "President Obama was in Egypt recently. Is Egypt a democratic country? President Mubarak has been in power since 1981, he was recently in Saudi Arabia , did they hold elections there? So you can't use lack of democracy or free reign of corruption in Africa to excuse the connivance of the United States government or Western European countries, the connivance of these countries is the destruction of the economy of Africa ."
He also said fighting corruption has to be holistic and not partitioned, as it is currently being done in Nigeria.
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Shut up if you don,t know what to say.If you think people don,t have the right to voice their opinions which to our view is correct, you,re stupid.Do you really think the US does,nt owe Africans for the heinous crimes that where committed? Reparations must be paid to the descendants of slaves just as the remaining jews from hitlers genocide where compensated,how come when it comes to righting the wrongs against Africans, some stupid idiots think it,s not necessary? we are not done yet.
You and Falani are worthless africans with no conscience and no shame!!! Out of 50 plus countries in Africa, i truely respect Bostowana. They don't loot their coffers like it is in other counties. We africans need to stand for justice and prosperity and not for rigged elections and looting of state coffers. I stand with Obama in this regard and i know Fall ann ee is with Gaddaffi
Well said, if there weren't so many crooked African leaders African countries would be better off. I'm from Barbados which is very small, we got our independence around the same time as many African countries, We don't have any natural resources, but there are Africans moving to a small country without natural resources, but we do have honest leaders, leaders who don't rob their people.
Here he goes again, Pacco whatever, the house-n*g**r. No wonder Africans' efforts to claim for their justice has always failed. We are beeing undermined by our own blinded fools.
I could see all how travail and actions toward african step back. Pls we need nt to fight each other but our govt. that have directly set us into a trip of colonialism the second time, so i suggest dat the solution to this our goverment that thinks they owned us and they could do any with us can be eradicated by just revolution!!!!, if care is not taken we are going to b like d chinese in face and speech.
I could see all how travail and actions toward african step back. Pls we need nt to fight each other but our govt. that have directly set us into a trip of colonialism the second time, so i suggest dat the solution to this our goverment that thinks they owned us and they could do any with us can be eradicated by just revolution!!!!, if care is not taken we are going to b like d chinese in face and speech.
I could see all how travail and actions toward african step back. Pls we need nt to fight each other but our govt. that have directly set us into a trip of colonialism the second time, so i suggest dat the solution to this our goverment that thinks they owned us and they could do any with us can be eradicated by just revolution!!!!, if care is not taken we are going to b like d chinese in face and speech.
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Please, Africa needs to man up. Your problem is your problem. What happened 500 years ago, happened and it is time to move on. Taking the time to continue to make excuses is ridiculous. This human rights activist must need some money to say such stupid things. US does not owe Africa nothing. African will be in debt to China forever. Talking about rape. This is the perfect example of how Africans do not know how to lead. Give away your natural resources and not sell them. After a while the Africans will begin speaking Chinese.