A former head of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, has criticized African leaders for overly relying on foreign aid.
Speaking on Citi TV’s Point of View about Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s approach to Ghana and Africa’s economic emancipation coupled with his views on neocolonialism, Dr. Thompson said Africa was still under control mentally and economically.
[contextly_sidebar id=”bXQ52dw6I6hB7rUfDDfsVOTsSmbIJs6q”]According to him, although various countries on the continent had gained independence decades ago, they are still resorting to loans from foreign donors including support from countries without strong economies.
He indicated that this practice only gives the Western world the opportunity to colonize Africa in another form.
“The sad thing is that people in positions of power are not even aware of what is going on.Why else will they [African leaders] go and make a fool of themselves in China. Why else will they go and gravel in China? And do not forget that three years ago they went to India.”
“Do you know how poor India is? Until 2013, we (Ghana) had a higher per capita income than India and yet they still went kneeling before India…You are looking at a country with about 500 million defecating in the open and we think they are better so we go begging. We are just sick!,” he lamented.
Kwame Nkrumah had defined neo-colonialism as a situation of infringed and compromised national sovereignty where foreign interest remains economically, thus politically dominant in strategic decision making.
Dr. Nii Moi Thompson’s comment comes at a time when Ghana just signed onto eight Co-operation Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with China, in different sectors of their respective economies, aimed at deepening the ties of co-operation and the bonds of friendship that exist between the two countries a few weeks ago.
The agreements were signed on President Akufo-Addo’s state visit to China where he held bilateral talks with that country’s president.
There have been global concerns about China’s recent relations with other countries which some have considered as that country’s strategy to become a full global superpower.
Among the many countries that are highly indebted to China are African countries including Ghana, which has had some of its debt to China canceled in the past.
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By; Marian Ansah/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
