We going nowhere very fast

For once I am tempted to believe that this continent will never get anywhere. I am trying to understand what our problems are. We have everything with us. Yet we run every time a president of some powerful nation calls. The justification is that we need investments. My foot! Investment. Why can't we invest ourselves?

After more than 50 years of independence, why can't we invest ourselves? Mine our minerals and then sell whatever end-product to any buyer anywhere? Don't tell me this can't be done. Look at how rich China is. And how China is taking over Africa. And what does Africa get in return? Nothing. Poorly-paying jobs. Ill-treated sons and daughters. And of course, rich few bastards who call themselves leaders.

How many African countries run diamond shops in Europe selling end-products from the continent? How many African countries have factories in Europe selling cloth from the cotton fields on the continent? How many African countries have banks in Europe for the gold mined on the continent?

Then ask yourself, how many European companies are operating on the continent? Every big mine on the continent is owned by some multi national company with headquarters in Australia, Canada, the USA, the UK, France or Italy. Every chain store has roots elsewhere but the continent.

And yet when the Chinese president calls for a summit, our African leaders scramble to attend. There African resources are discussed. There African countries are divided. There Africa's future is mortgaged. Investment. They say it is investment.

There have been many such summits called for by powerful nations whose livelihood is dependent on African resources.

French-African summit. China-Africa summit. And now the USA-Africa summit. Still our leaders scramble to attend. The truth is that we do not need to be friends to trade. It must be done on an equal footing. They have the money. We have the resources. It should be a fair exchange. On our terms. Not their terms.

In 1884, they scrambled for Africa in Berlin. In 2014, African are scrambling to give the continent away. All the while after attending the summits, we come back to sulk and curse the west for unfairness.