American (s)election: Africans’ charity should begin at home

Whichever way the Nobel Laureate for Literature, Wole Soyinka, resolves his dilemma to (as promised) either tear his American green card or not following the “election” of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States, it is clear that (as I once wrote in this column) there is an increasing obliteration (if not […]

Whichever way the Nobel Laureate for Literature, Wole Soyinka, resolves his dilemma to (as promised) either tear his American green card or not following the “election” of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States, it is clear that (as I once wrote in this column) there is an increasing obliteration (if not a total collapse) of dignity in Africa. It was an embarrassment watching and reading virtually all Nigerian television stations and print media outdoing each other in reporting outcomes of American controversial election even as the media almost confined into obscurity the criminal killing of some 46 gold miners in Maru district of Zamfara state north-west of Nigeria same day America went to polls! When for God’s sake would Africans’ charity and sensitivity begin from their home?
It was bad enough that Mr. Soyinka carried all along the notorious American “green card” a metaphor for American global brain drain. But it is worse enough that the  Nobel Laureate, an African would only “cut his card and start packing up,” from USA when Mr. Trump triumphed over his major challenger and candidate of the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton, in the November 8 election and NOT when America repeatedly blocked the sale of arms to Nigerian government to fight insurgents that have killed thousands and dared to keep hundreds of Chibok girls in captivity. What happened to Africans’ dignity in the 21st century? It was also exported that Mr. Soyinka had in (his words!) “stiffened myself with a strong espresso,” to keep himself energised” following his agony after his favoured candidate, Hilary lost in an election he did not vote. 
In my earlier (June, 2016) reflection on American election, I had urged Africans in the tradition of my favorite American author Richard Carlson, Ph.D. not to “…Sweat the Small Stuff”, over small things including American elections.
Undoubtedly whoever presides over America, the largest economy in the world and the most powerful country in terms of military power must be of concern to all. “For most Africans, 2008 America presidential election that produced Barack Obama, the first African American president generated a lot of identity excitement such that most Africans often hard put to conduct free and fair election on the continent wished they could vote in America! In Nigeria, I recall there was even a dubious fund raising to support Obama election which assumed Nigerian characteristic of another scam. Eight years after being in office, it is debatable what positive relevance, Obama presidency had on African continent. Like other American presidents, Obama had made some safari tours of the continent to Ghana, Tazania and Kenya (where his father comes from!) but certainly not yet Nigeria. But even at that the first ever Africa-America summit at the instance of Obama held in Washington not in Addis Ababa where the headquarters of Africa Union resides. The point cannot be overstated that President Barack Obama, first “African American president” is an American President after all voted to serve Americans and nowhere else.
For Africans, this time around the “hard choices” (apology to Hilary’s compelling Manifesto!) are between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, Republican or Democratic candidates respectively. There are scores of big domestic and international issues in 2016 American elections. They include Budget: Government must cut spending more or not, Guns control, climate change, Syria, Islamic state of Iraq, Immigration (Mexico), Obamacare, etc. I search in vain for any critical issue that affects Africa, from electricity shortage to poor roads, to Boko Haram and release of Chibok girls, meaning that whoever is the 45th American President is elected to serve America for better or for worse, NOT Africa. All the star-words of the two leading candidates are all about fixing America not the world, least Africa. This then raises the point that as we are legitimately concerned about the outcomes of American election, we must pause a bit about the election this year in Ghana which has direct implications for us all. Even at this eleventh hour in which candidates are rounding up their campaigns, yours truly searches in vain in Nigeria’s print and electronic media for a discernible perspective on Ghana’s electoral process. It is a scandal that a continent in which media coverage of unhelpful details about America’s presidential primaries and presidential election could fill tons of some Ghana-must-go bags, there is very little space for elections next door that have more impact and direct relevance to us. Ghana’s black out (as it were!) compares with past African media under reportage of the Zambia’s presidential election in which the then acting President Rupian Banda won, an election that took place almost same time American election held in 2008 and at a time we were inundated with petty details about Obama and MaCain but less about President Rupian and his formidable challenger, Michael Sata. It further underscores media imperialism in which it is what is news to Uncle Sam that is the news to Africans.
The point cannot be overstated! The political events in Ghana have more relevance to Africa and Africans than the events in Washington. Our political charity turns into political hypocrisy or worse still, political folly, if it does not start at home.
How many of us are aware that Ghana elections was initially billed to hold Ghana on 7 November 2016 to elect a President and Members of Parliament but postponed to 7 December 2016 by the parliament without uproar from other Africans (that is if they are even aware!). The candidates in Ghana’s election include, incumbent President, John Dramani Mahama NDC, Potential presidential candidates include Samia Nkrumah, first woman to head a major Ghanaian political party and daughter of the first President of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah, who is the current chairperson of Convention People’s Party, and Nana Akufo-Addo, the NPP candidate for President (2008 and 2012).
If we as Africans must “Sweat the Small Stuff”, let’s please sweat it on issues that affect us on the continent. The author of Sweat the Small Stuff” Richard Carlson died in 2006. If he were to be alive today reading about how the possible outcomes of 2016 American election had put many in the world, including Africans on the edge he would have added to his globally acclaimed tittles with Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, American President. And most Africans would found the book useful and therapeutic.