ZIK GBEMRE SPEAKS ON AFRICA’S DEPENDENCE ON HANDOUTS FROM THE WEST: I STAND WITH LOUIS FARRAKHAN
Africa and Nigeria don’t need beggarly handouts from Western countries/US to survive. For me, the West/US feed on the non-advanced countries of Africa right from the onset.
They forcefully took away black Africans to build their modern cities and factories. They forcefully took away our raw materials to feed the factories with which they produced their goods being exported to Africa.
Africa and Nigeria are blessed with natural resources and human capacities. What Nigeria and entire Africa lack are patriotic leaders and followers who can harness the vast resources to maximise the benefits for the rapid advancement of the continent.
It is shameful that Nigeria with huge crude oil, gas and condensate production still relies on imported petrol from the same countries we export the natural resources with which they produce the petrol and export to us.
Do you blame the West/US? Of course not. Do they put guns to the heads of Nigerian leaders both past and present to forcefully take the crude oil to the West/US? They deliberately export to them to refine to us at higher prices.
Nigeria leaders are penny wise, pounds foolish. Nigeria and Africa must wise up and stop taking handouts from the West/US.
The West is happy to give handouts as long as Africa depends on them like children. They know if Nigeria and African countries are developed like them they will no longer import their refined fuels, import their cars.
As noted by Louis Farrakhan on January 15, 1998, at a press conference in Malawi International Airport, “None of you can deny what I’m saying is the truth. You know it’s the truth. But either you won’t write it or you’re too cowardly to speak it because you want some favour here or favour there. So because you can’t talk you are muzzled. I’m not. I’m a free black man.
“And I didn’t come here, looking for hand outs, and I really don’t think you need one. Your problem is that you think you need a handout. Everything you need is right under your feet. But you look everywhere else for help instead of helping yourself and what you can produce for yourself.
“This is Africa’s dilemma. You are parading yourself before the roof as an international beggar when you gave civilization to the world. Your problem is not America, your problem is not Israel, yours probably is not Britain. Your problem is your disunity and your dependence on others to do for you what you could do for yourself.
“So I don’t have to come back here anymore to help you, the help is already here. The knowledge is already here. The land is here. The sun is here. The waters are here, the minerals are here. You have some of the finest minds in the world, there in Europe, and there are some in America, making Money While Africa suffers.
“Why don’t we create a politically stable environment and call the children of Africa back home to help build Africa. We are your children. And we will come and help but don’t expect us to come with billions of dollars when we don’t have it. We’re struggling in America. But you got it all right here under your feet. And you should be ashamed not to look to yourself, bringing white folks to give you what you could give yourself.
“What I said today, which one of these countries is gonna give you $20 million? America’s not gonna give you $20 million. You got it right here. But your disunity will not allow you to pull it together. It’s your fault. And you cannot accept that responsibility.
“That is why my messages are atonement, reconciliation and responsibility. We got to stop blaming everything on somebody else and see what our responsibility is.”
These are words of wisdom from Farrakhan to guide African countries which I hope they should learn from.
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