SPECIAL INTERVIEW (part 1) Emerging African development thinking
By Kofi Akosah-Sarpong
Feature Article | Sun, 27 Sep 2009
Feature Article | Sun, 27 Sep 2009
Prof. Ayittey
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Development/Ghana/Africa
Following US President Barack Obama's Accra visit on July 11 and his famous statement that Africa's future is in Africans hands, the Ghanaian-born American University economist Prof. George Ayittey argued that it is an “intellectual vindication” for the “Internalist School” of African development. In the following interview, Kofi Akosah-Sarpong discusses with Prof. Ayittey wide range of African development issues such as why the Internalist victory and whether finally Africa has come out with its own home-grown development paradigm
Why is Barack Obama's speech in Accra an “intellectual vindication” of the “Internalist School” of African development?
Here are some highlights from President Obama's speech in Accra on July 11, 2009:
• Africa's future is up to Africans.
• The West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants. In my father's life, it was partly tribalism and patronage in an independent Kenya that for a long stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is a daily fact of life for far too many.
• Development depends upon good governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That is the change that can unlock Africa's potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans.
• No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or police can be bought off by drug traffickers. No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top, or the head of the port authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, and now is the time for it to end.
• Make no mistake: history is on the side of these brave Africans and not with those who use coups or change Constitutions to stay in power. Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.
• As we provide this support, I have directed my administration to give greater attention to corruption in our human rights report. People everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education without paying a bribe. We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don't, and that is exactly what America will do.
• Here is what you must know: the world will be what you make of it. You have the power to hold your leaders accountable and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world. You can conquer disease, end conflicts and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can. Because in this moment, history is on the move.
• But these things can only be done if you take responsibility for your future. It won't be easy. It will take time and effort. There will be suffering and setbacks. But I can promise you this: America will be with you. As a partner. As a friend. Opportunity won't come from any other place, though — it must come from the decisions that you make, the things that you do, and the hope that you hold in your hearts.
• Freedom is your inheritance. Now, it is your responsibility to build upon freedom's foundation. And if you do, we will look back years from now to places like Accra and say that this was the time when the promise was realized — this was the moment when prosperity was forged; pain was overcome; and a new era of progress began.
Africa's destiny lies in her own hands; it does not lie with some external agency or on the rocks of Jupiter. Nearly all the obstacles that have held Africa back that President Obama identifies are internal factors. He lashed out at bad governance: corruption, rule of brutality, tyranny, tribalism, patronage, tec. Development depends on good governance, he said. He was even more explicit: “The West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy.” “Africa doesn't need strongmen; it needs strong institutions.” These institutions are built from within Africa, not imported from Venus.
Broadly, what is the “Internalist School” of Africa's development?
The causes of Africa's lack of development have always evoked heated debates. On one hand are those who portray Africa as a victim of powerful external forces and conspiracies. This group may be described as “externalists.” On the other are those who believe that the causes of Africa's crisis lie mostly within Africa – in the nature of government or governance and the environment created by government policies. This group may be described as the “internalists.”
The Externalists
The externalists believe that Africa's woes are due to external factors. Disciples of the externalist school include most African leaders, scholars, and intellectual radicals. For decades the externalist position held sway, attributing the causes of almost every African problem to such external factors as Western colonialism and imperialism, the pernicious effects of the slave trade, racist conspiracy plots, exploitation by avaricious multinational corporations, an unjust international economic system, inadequate flows of foreign aid, and deteriorating terms of trade.
In his book, The Africans, African scholar and historian Professor Ali Mazrui examined the African crisis, claiming that almost everything that went wrong in Africa was the fault of Western colonialism and imperialism. "The West harmed Africa's indigenous technological development in a number of ways" (p.164). He attributed Africa's collapsing infrastructure (roads, railways, and utilities) to the "shallowness of Western institutions," "the lopsided nature of colonial acculturation" and "the moral contradictions of Western political tutelage" (p.202). In fact, "the political decay is partly a consequence of colonial institutions without cultural roots in Africa" (p.199). Therefore, self congratulatory western assertions of contributing to Africa's modernization are shallow: "The West has contributed far less to Africa than Africa has contributed to the industrial civilization of the West" (p.164). Decay in law enforcement and mismanagement of funds were all the fault of Western colonialism too. "The pervasive atmosphere in much of the land is one of rust and dust, stagnation and decay, especially within those institutions which were originally bequeathed by the West" (p.210). They signal "the slow death of an alien civilization" (p.204) and Africa's rebellion "against westernization masquerading as modernity" (p.211). Western institutions are doomed "to grind to a standstill in Africa" or decay. "Where Islam is already established, the decay of western civilization is good for Islam since it helps to neutralize a major threat" (p.19).
Many African leaders also subscribed to and espoused similar views that the causes of Africa's crises were externally generated. In fact, since independence in the sixties, almost every African malaise was ascribed to the operation or conspiracy of extrinsic agents. The leadership was above reproach and could never be faulted. The late President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, even blamed corruption on European colonialism. Asked who introduced corruption into Zaire, he retorted: "European businessmen were the ones who said, 'I sell you this thing for $1,000, but $200 will be for your (Swiss bank) account'" (New African, July, 1988, 25).
In his address to the third Congress of the Democratic Union of Malian People in 1988, former President Moussa Traore observed that,
“The world economy is passing through a period characterized by monetary disorder and slow trade exchanges. The worsening crisis is affecting all countries, particularly developing countries. Due to the difficult situation, which is compounded by the serious drought, socio economic life has been affected by serious imbalances that have jeopardized our country's development growth. Debt servicing, characterized mainly by state to state debts are a heavy burden on the state budget. The drop in the price of cotton, which accounts for much of the country's foreign earnings, has led to a great reduction in export earnings" (West Africa, 16 May 1988, 876).
“President Danial arap Moi accused the IMF and other development partners of denying Kenya development funds, thus triggering mass poverty” (The Washington Times, June 3, 1999; p.A12). According to the Chairman of Ghana's ruling NDC, Issifu Ali, whatever economic crisis the nation is going through has been caused by external factors. “He said the NDC has since 1982 adopted pragmatic policies for the progress of Ghana, adding that the macro-economic environment of 1999 has been undermined by global economic developments" (The Independent, Nov 18, 1999; p.3). Continued
Source: Kofi Akosah-Sarpong
Following US President Barack Obama's Accra visit on July 11 and his famous statement that Africa's future is in Africans hands, the Ghanaian-born American University economist Prof. George Ayittey argued that it is an “intellectual vindication” for the “Internalist School” of African development. In the following interview, Kofi Akosah-Sarpong discusses with Prof. Ayittey wide range of African development issues such as why the Internalist victory and whether finally Africa has come out with its own home-grown development paradigm
Why is Barack Obama's speech in Accra an “intellectual vindication” of the “Internalist School” of African development?
Here are some highlights from President Obama's speech in Accra on July 11, 2009:
• Africa's future is up to Africans.
• The West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants. In my father's life, it was partly tribalism and patronage in an independent Kenya that for a long stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is a daily fact of life for far too many.
• Development depends upon good governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That is the change that can unlock Africa's potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans.
• No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or police can be bought off by drug traffickers. No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top, or the head of the port authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, and now is the time for it to end.
• Make no mistake: history is on the side of these brave Africans and not with those who use coups or change Constitutions to stay in power. Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.
• As we provide this support, I have directed my administration to give greater attention to corruption in our human rights report. People everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education without paying a bribe. We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don't, and that is exactly what America will do.
• Here is what you must know: the world will be what you make of it. You have the power to hold your leaders accountable and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world. You can conquer disease, end conflicts and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can. Because in this moment, history is on the move.
• But these things can only be done if you take responsibility for your future. It won't be easy. It will take time and effort. There will be suffering and setbacks. But I can promise you this: America will be with you. As a partner. As a friend. Opportunity won't come from any other place, though — it must come from the decisions that you make, the things that you do, and the hope that you hold in your hearts.
• Freedom is your inheritance. Now, it is your responsibility to build upon freedom's foundation. And if you do, we will look back years from now to places like Accra and say that this was the time when the promise was realized — this was the moment when prosperity was forged; pain was overcome; and a new era of progress began.
Africa's destiny lies in her own hands; it does not lie with some external agency or on the rocks of Jupiter. Nearly all the obstacles that have held Africa back that President Obama identifies are internal factors. He lashed out at bad governance: corruption, rule of brutality, tyranny, tribalism, patronage, tec. Development depends on good governance, he said. He was even more explicit: “The West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy.” “Africa doesn't need strongmen; it needs strong institutions.” These institutions are built from within Africa, not imported from Venus.
Broadly, what is the “Internalist School” of Africa's development?
The causes of Africa's lack of development have always evoked heated debates. On one hand are those who portray Africa as a victim of powerful external forces and conspiracies. This group may be described as “externalists.” On the other are those who believe that the causes of Africa's crisis lie mostly within Africa – in the nature of government or governance and the environment created by government policies. This group may be described as the “internalists.”
The Externalists
The externalists believe that Africa's woes are due to external factors. Disciples of the externalist school include most African leaders, scholars, and intellectual radicals. For decades the externalist position held sway, attributing the causes of almost every African problem to such external factors as Western colonialism and imperialism, the pernicious effects of the slave trade, racist conspiracy plots, exploitation by avaricious multinational corporations, an unjust international economic system, inadequate flows of foreign aid, and deteriorating terms of trade.
In his book, The Africans, African scholar and historian Professor Ali Mazrui examined the African crisis, claiming that almost everything that went wrong in Africa was the fault of Western colonialism and imperialism. "The West harmed Africa's indigenous technological development in a number of ways" (p.164). He attributed Africa's collapsing infrastructure (roads, railways, and utilities) to the "shallowness of Western institutions," "the lopsided nature of colonial acculturation" and "the moral contradictions of Western political tutelage" (p.202). In fact, "the political decay is partly a consequence of colonial institutions without cultural roots in Africa" (p.199). Therefore, self congratulatory western assertions of contributing to Africa's modernization are shallow: "The West has contributed far less to Africa than Africa has contributed to the industrial civilization of the West" (p.164). Decay in law enforcement and mismanagement of funds were all the fault of Western colonialism too. "The pervasive atmosphere in much of the land is one of rust and dust, stagnation and decay, especially within those institutions which were originally bequeathed by the West" (p.210). They signal "the slow death of an alien civilization" (p.204) and Africa's rebellion "against westernization masquerading as modernity" (p.211). Western institutions are doomed "to grind to a standstill in Africa" or decay. "Where Islam is already established, the decay of western civilization is good for Islam since it helps to neutralize a major threat" (p.19).
Many African leaders also subscribed to and espoused similar views that the causes of Africa's crises were externally generated. In fact, since independence in the sixties, almost every African malaise was ascribed to the operation or conspiracy of extrinsic agents. The leadership was above reproach and could never be faulted. The late President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, even blamed corruption on European colonialism. Asked who introduced corruption into Zaire, he retorted: "European businessmen were the ones who said, 'I sell you this thing for $1,000, but $200 will be for your (Swiss bank) account'" (New African, July, 1988, 25).
In his address to the third Congress of the Democratic Union of Malian People in 1988, former President Moussa Traore observed that,
“The world economy is passing through a period characterized by monetary disorder and slow trade exchanges. The worsening crisis is affecting all countries, particularly developing countries. Due to the difficult situation, which is compounded by the serious drought, socio economic life has been affected by serious imbalances that have jeopardized our country's development growth. Debt servicing, characterized mainly by state to state debts are a heavy burden on the state budget. The drop in the price of cotton, which accounts for much of the country's foreign earnings, has led to a great reduction in export earnings" (West Africa, 16 May 1988, 876).
“President Danial arap Moi accused the IMF and other development partners of denying Kenya development funds, thus triggering mass poverty” (The Washington Times, June 3, 1999; p.A12). According to the Chairman of Ghana's ruling NDC, Issifu Ali, whatever economic crisis the nation is going through has been caused by external factors. “He said the NDC has since 1982 adopted pragmatic policies for the progress of Ghana, adding that the macro-economic environment of 1999 has been undermined by global economic developments" (The Independent, Nov 18, 1999; p.3). Continued
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