Interviewing The UNCTAD Parrot
I have just been watching this great son of Africa being interviewed on Citizen TV. He is in his safe abode in Geneva. There is a lot of good about him, but why bother myself with all the good in a person. I better be the devil, and dig for dirt! You may watch his interview and his verbatim responses to the questions raised. No mercy:
[ul]
[li]What type of leadership is he offering at UNCTAD? Is it a transformational or a transactional leadership style or is it a mix of both? And what has he done differently to ensure (and insure) Africa’s growth in foreign exchange or to enhance balance of trade?[/li][li]When asked about the “specific recommendations” that would help Kenya in tackling novel coronavirus issue. He veered off and talked of the problem being “not unique to Kenya”. He eventually never addressed any specifics at all. There is a lot of trade related issues that surround the novel coronavirus pandemic, and such can be addressed with utmost specificity per country![/li][li]He mentioned the need to “nationalize” entities like KPLC( Kenya Power ). What laws are we going to use in order to make that possible in the short term? He was an adult when the technocrats(plus IMF/World Bank) advised Kenya on privatization, and not nationalization. President Moi resisted but eventually capitulated. So State corporations were sold to alleviate our cash crunch…not sure but refer to KFA,KGGCU,Posta, Kenya Airways; government used to run these companies/ or had majority shares. Why did we go the privatization route? Privatization enabled foreign investment, reduced government plunder and State patronage, and it gave those companies a lease of life; most have metamorphosed and reorganized, but they still do the same business albeit with better technology.[/li][li]How do we emphasize a point? Not Dr X style…It is not by spewing spit nor by jumping on our seats or hitting our butts over and over on the seat. A point can be emphasized very calmly and still resonate better. It is needless to be overly animated![/li][li]Whoever listened to the interview left disappointed! Did he criticize the police? Police do not beat to please, they beat to irritate, and to restore order. If people feel the police pain, that is a testimony of a great law enforcement outcome. India has done the same. Many countries have done the same wherever citizens don’t comply. It is easy to give citations/tickets/fines in Geneva, not in Kenya where they(people) are too broke. The UK is fining people thousands of pounds if they don’t do social distancing.[/li][li]The police officers are not out there for purposes of community education or advocacy ;there are arms of Government that have done that already! Beating sent the point home; stay home! [/li][li]Finally, the economy’s safe landing from the novel coronavirus lies in the improvement of the small enterprises that feed people at local levels; e.g. the farmer that supplies milk locally, the “ngwashe” woman that sells her locally grown stuff to neighbors, the tailor that makes masks for his village. It is not about the franchises/corporations that repatriate profits or sell foreign merchandise at the expense of local production. FYI most taxes that run governments originate from the bottom of the pyramid (the corporations get money from this crowd), and that is why countries with a wide tax base achieve more, and you can widen the tax base by ensuring job opportunities, not by merely promoting or enhancing consumption.[/li][li]Once the covid-19 is sorted in Europe, many countries will want to be safe from the disease and be more self-sufficient. There will be more stringent “anti-import”, so AGOA and similar initiatives will take a hit. They are already on their deathbed.[/li][li]Mitumbas will take or should take a nose dive. Local production should be the key. This is possible when we reduce overheads and have cheaper inputs. Let us discourage the importation of finished products! Labor is already cheap in Africa, so why are the goods not cheaper when locally produced; somebody needs to look at the supply chain and seal the loopholes.[/li][li]In the medical field, biomedical engineers must be able to prove their worth; as of now they are mainly consulted to advise on what to import. These creatures of despair can’t repair shit! There are machines not in use coz of missing parts! Can’t they be repaired or be reverse engineered? And doctors/healthcare workers must also espouse technology![/li][li]The likes of Dr. X are better left at high schools/ Universities to teach theory. A practical world requires persons who have a higher conviction and can translate their words into action, not persons who sit back and advise on utopia. We need to know how "Mulembe nation etc. will stop importing wheelbarrows at exorbitant rates! It is important to nurture local expertise, at all levels.[/li][/ul]