BARACK OBAMA WARNS AFRICAN LEADERS AGAINST TYRANNY, PLEDGES $7B TO NIGERIA,6 OTHERS FOR ELECTRICITY

The United States president in a brief speech has warned ruling African leaders against tyranny. I think this is coming at a good time for Africa.

Let Africans take a minute to reflect what tyranny has done in the continent. From the days of Samuel Doe of Liberia, to Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Mohamar Gadaffi of Libya who was ousted forcefully. What good has this brought the continent at large other than keeping loyal citizens in abject poverty and perpetual fear. 

I think there is still one more to go, Paul Biya of Cameroon.

In a further development as reported by Punch, the president pledged $7B to Nigeria and 6 other countries to upgrade their electricity and better the lives of their citizens.

Continue to speech after the cut.

In a strident call for democratic change and good governance, Obama used the political legacy of ailing Nelson Mandela and South Africa's emergence from grim years of apartheid as proof that freedom will ultimately prevail. "In too many countries, the actions of thugs and warlords and human traffickers hold back the promise of Africa," Obama said at a speech at Cape Town University.

"America cannot put a stop to these tragedies alone, and you don't expect us to. That is a job for Africans. But we can help you and we will help you," he said, announcing major new US programs to boost electricity and health care.

"History shows us that progress is only possible where governments exist to serve their people and not the other way around," said Obama, in a line that drew loud and prolonged cheers from his audience of more than 1,000 people.

The speech was delivered from the same spot where American political icon Robert Kennedy delivered his famous "ripple of hope" speech in 1966, which called on students to decry the "racial inequality of apartheid".

Obama's goal was to inspire a new generation of Africans with the belief that they could ignite political change and the potential of their continent.

He slammed leaders who "steal or kill or disenfranchise voters," saying that the ultimate lesson of South Africa was that such brutal tactics will not work.

"So long as parts of Africa continue to be ravaged by war and mayhem, opportunity and democracy cannot take root," said Obama. "Across the continent, there are places where still, fear often prevails," Obama said, warning of "senseless terrorism" from Mali to Mogadishu. "From Congo to Sudan, conflicts fester," Obama said, hitting out at those who argue that American calls for democracy and freedom are "intrusive" or "meddling".

He also condemned the rule of Robert Mugabe in neighbouring Zimbabwe, where he said the "promise of liberation gave way to the corruption of power and the collapse of the economy".

Like the rest of Obama's trip to South Africa, the speech was rich in emotion when he mentioned his hero Mandela, who lies critically ill in a Pretoria hospital. "You have shown us how a prisoner can become president," Obama said.

South Africa has made massive strides in delivering electricity, housing and water since the fall of apartheid in 1994. But the progress has failed to dent anger over rampant poverty and joblessness, with one in four workers unemployed.

Judging by the rousing reception, Obama's words spoke to the frustrations felt by many in the room. "I think all South Africans are fed up with individuals abusing state resources, putting money into their pockets, instead of serving the people," said Yibanathi Jezile who is in his final year of high school.

President Jacob Zuma's administration is under increasing fire for its largesse - from an expensive security upgrade to his private home to irregularities in the granting of deals to do business with the state. "For a lot of us, I think that was just a bit of an amen moment. It's about time now that our government serves us as a democratic state," said Al Postman, 25.

With poverty and unemployment still a problem, "it has to mean that money is going elsewhere", he said. "Where is the money going to? That's the big question."

$7B pledged to Nigeria and 6 others

Nigeria has been named among seven African nations that will benefit from a $7bn intervention fund pledged by the United States President Barack Obama for the upgrade of power supply in sub Saharan Africa.

The dire state of power supply in the region got Obama’s attention on Sunday as the US President, currently on a tour of three African nations, pledged $7bn to help combat frequent power blackouts in sub-Saharan Africa.

The CNN quoted a White House statement on Sunday, as reporting that the funds from the initiative, Power Africa, would be distributed over the next five years.

Other African countries listed for the $7bn largesse are Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique.

“These countries have set ambitious goals in electric power generation, and are making the utility and energy sector reforms to pave the way for investment and growth,” the White House statement said.

According to the statement, more than two-thirds of the population of sub-Saharan Africa is without electricity, and more than 85 per cent of those living in rural areas lack access to the facility.

In view of this, the White House said sub-Saharan Africa would need more than $300bn to achieve universal electricity access by 2030.

Despite the huge investments committed to the power sector under the Olusegun Obasdanjo regime, power supply has remained abysmally poor in Nigeria.

As such, Nigerians spend about $11bn annually on energy generation through the usage of generators, which involved the usage of fuel.

 The best the country has got is a 6,500 Mega Watts capacity and contrary to the claims in government quarters that the country was generating at least 4,500MW of electricity daily, it was gathered that the figure was significantly lower than that.

PHCN statistics showed that the last time the country generated 4,500MW of electricity was on December 23, 2012.

This means that all the power generation plants in the country have not generated up to 4,000MW since January 2013 due to consistent system collapse.

Recently, power generation in the country dropped by 1,598 megawatts following the vandalism of two major gas pipelines supplying gas to eight power generating stations.

The White House statement said the $7bn fund would help sub Saharan African countries upgrade power supply and enhance the lives of their citizens.

credit: Punch