Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, in this interview by SEGUN KASALI, speaks on the battle being waged against Akinwumi Adesina, the Nigerian head of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the backlash of the murder of George Floyd, a black man, by the police in the United States, among other issues.
Africa and the United States are in a tango over Akinwumi Adesina, president of AfDB. How ominous are the signs?
I think this is one of the greatest issues confronting the African-American relations in recent time. The readers may not be aware of this. When the African Development Bank was set up, only African nations were shareholders. It was in 1981 or 1982 when Africans themselves, against the advice of [then] President [Shehu] Shagari of Nigeria, amended their Articles of Association to allow non-Africans to become members. President Shagari warned that they would regret that action. But the action actually was targeting Nigeria. You know, Africans have always disregarded the powers of Nigeria and they do that with envy and whatever they can do to cut off Nigeria’s influence. They don’t mind taking Nigeria’s money. That is when they would now tell you that ‘you are our brother’. But when it comes to implementation of Nigerian policies, these same African countries would sit to berate Nigerian policies. So, we allowed the United States, Japan, United Kingdom and what have you to become shareholders of the African Development Bank. It was done in order to block Nigeria’s influence in the bank. And Shagari warned that they would regret that their action. Now, the chicken has come home to roost. You see, African countries have never come to terms with the influence, power and size of Nigeria. They prevent Nigeria from being rich. They prevent Nigeria from being influential. When it comes to spending our money, they would say we are brothers. But when it comes to supporting our policies, you will find African countries in the forefront with those who will be in opposition to Nigeria. Now, let us see how this will play out. I am not too optimistic as to how African countries will be able to resist American pressure. That is assuming that these same African countries are not behind the United States. I don’t know how it is going to play out with Akinwumi Adesina. It is after the elections have been held that we will now know whether African countries have squared up to American pressure.
Is America going the way of former USSR under Trump? Why is there such a strong reaction to the killing of George Floyd despite the regularity of such incidents in America?
Well, I think what is obvious is that we have seen for 500 years police brutality against blacks in America. And there had been impunity. I remember in Los Angeles that policemen seriously beat up this black man and yet the policemen were found not guilty by a white jury. Riots followed but it was sort of limited to the black community. So, it was black property and black shops that got burnt down and everybody thought things would change. But there was no systemic change. There was no reform of the police and even now. Since George Floyd was killed and demonstration started, do you know that police brutality still continues? Nothing has changed.
What has been the reason for this change not happening?
Number one is that the police are not well-trained. To get a Ph.D. degree in a lot of countries, you need three years university education. To become a doctor, you need five years. To become a lawyer, you need either four or five years. I can go on and on. The minimum requirement to be a policeman, you don’t need to have finished secondary school. And then when you are checked into the Police Academy, within three months, you are given a uniform, you are armed with the most brutal weapons in the world and you are pushed out to the streets. So, the police are not well trained. That is the first one.
The second one is that there is no central body to police the activities of the police itself. Now, this is very important because when the supervising authority is based in the local community itself, there is enormous pressure on you not to discipline the police. They are your neighbours. They go to the same church with you. They are your friends. Their children go to the same school as your children. So, you really cannot, to that extent, be a reforming authority. What happens is people end up siding the police. It is the same thing with the jury system. The jurists are grown from the same community and that is why they don’t find the police guilty of crimes. So, there is the need for a central supervising authority.
Number three, a lot of people don’t know this: the weapons of the police come from the American Army. As soon as new weapons are given to the American Army, their old weapons are then packed out free to the police. The Federal Government does not lay down the criteria for which police force qualifies for these free weapons. They are just given to them free of charge. So, these are the areas that I think should be looked into.
As a seasoned diplomat, can you see politics of the coming elections in the rage or just a normal response to such a happenstance?
In America already, both the Republicans and the Democrats are looking at November 3 and the question pertinent to ask is what will be of benefit to me in appealing to my supporters? So, to that extent, yes November 3, when the presidential elections are held, it is going to be a great factor in what is happening in America now.
America has accused Zimbabwe and China as stoking the ongoing crisis in the US. What is your take on the likely diplomatic row expected to trail such an accusation?
Why just Zimbabwe and China? Demonstrations are taking place every day in the world. Even in Lagos here, we have had demonstrations. So, why pick on China and Zimbabwe? It doesn’t make sense to me even if their governments have issued statements. I have seen statements issued by the Prime Minister in Parliament. I have seen Canadian Prime Minister taking part in the demonstration. So, why pick on China and Zimbabwe? There is no doubt in my mind that there are countries in the world who probably are trying to exploit what is happening in the United States in order to embarrass the United States and also to influence the November 3 elections. But then, this is what the United States does all the time. The United States has been issuing statements on Hong Kong, Georgia and other areas of former Eastern Europe. So, this is the diplomatic game they all play and America’s money has been fueling the demonstration in Hong Kong. That is what inter-super power diplomacy is all about. But I don’t see Zimbabwe influencing what is happening in the United States. No, I don’t. China? Maybe.
But Adesina has been exonerated from the allegations against him?
Yes. The Board of Governors has found him not guilty. The Ethics Committee has also found him not guilty and that is why the Americans are insisting on an external investigator coming in. I know how this system works. The external investigator will even find something that is not there. He will find something that Adesina is not even accused of. That is what the external investigator will do.
The continent isn’t also in the good book of Trump. How can the tension be eased diplomatically, considering the growing influence of China in Africa?
The United States will simply have to accept that Africa has the sovereign right to have the economic, political and cultural organisation with any power in the world. America would have to accept that Africa is not an American colony. But Africa itself is going to be very careful about not becoming a colony of China. I think the behavior of China in Africa is appalling. China seems to want to turn Africa into an economic colony and Africa should resist it.
Source: Tribune