It was Red Fox of Sanford & Son who said he was tire of Roots, he wanted the Fruits. It has nothing to do with quota, affirmative action or discrimination. It has to do with letting people help themselves. Each time millions or billions of dollars are flowing, Africans are always under-represented.

Africans are grateful for all the love and pity showered to those affected by Hurricane Katrina but where is the beef? There is no amount of dancing, Live Aids or telethons that can rival the billion of dollars in contracts in the affected areas. This is the opportunity to show sincerity to those who can create African empowerment through these mega contracts. In these cases Africans are the majority in these areas. Let them determine their economic survival through these contracts.

There is no doubt that any help from any of the foreign countries have to go through the Federal authorities. The Canadians were there and ready to help but I can not believe that they can not dispense certain materials like drugs in an emergency situation. The same drug the senior citizens make bus trip to buy in Canada? There was the story that German planes carrying emergency materials were turned back but later allowed in. The offer made by Venezuela to supply oil to the area were not accepted or not yet negotiated? Nigerian envoys were actually present distributing cash and material?

Excuse me, when you are in Rome, act as a Roman. In that part of the world, you make sure every African knows Nigeria was present and made materials available to the needy folks. After all, some Nigerians do not spray money at parties until people and video camera can witness it. If Nigeria was looking for ways to invest a little of that foreign reserve, that would be a good place. No amount paid to lobbyists in Washington can do a better job. It is not even too late to do more. Establish an enterprising zone and be a part of revitalizing factors. Our children will benefit from it. US, China, India, U.K, South Africa etc investments are in Nigeria. Seek honest Nigerians who know what to do.

These may be an embarrassment to the richest Country in the world but these helps from these countries would go a long way to some of the neediest people in the whole world. Nobody could tell the difference between New Orleans in the middle of Hurricane Katrina or Tsunami in Asia or affected part of Africa. America has a big heart and has demonstrated that all over the world, it does not mean that USA is too big to accept even the gesture of kindness from other countries.

We are now seeing a part of baby Bush that has not been seen for a long time – caring. Some would argue that it is public relation. But the history of the family will show that it has always been there, survival in the midst of conservative waves masked it. The Million More rally and Hurricane Katrina should open the eyes of the silent majority in the USA.

This is the time for those Africans in the Republican Party to show that they have some influence with the Federal Government to direct big contracts to Africans because they make up majority of those affected and displaced. It can be done by getting the Mayor involved. They need to cast aside political rivalry for now and work with people of goodwill across color lines for the benefit of their people.

We are aware of the story in New York Times about cronies and the well connected getting contracts. There is also television news about a luxury vacation ship getting paid for services under-provided. If you are curious about where some American trained Nigerian businessmen learned their skill, now you know. While the US Congress is looking into how these contracts can be efficiently executed, they must also direct the big contracts to the majority of the people affected. This is the time for inclusive free enterprises not exclusive club of the rich and powerful.

Partnership should be encouraged and created where African expertise may have been shut out. In spite of the cry that Africans would survive Nixon Administration, he created the minority business office that some people benefited from. Anytime billions of dollars are at stake, you find powerful sharks swimming around. We are less interested in their donation to charities after the fact; include Africans as part of the action now.

Law and Order

There is no doubt that everyone in New Orleans is on the edge these days. The Mayor is tasked to full capacity, the Police Chief resigned and the head of FEMA had resigned. Whenever the situation is this tense, Africans have to watch out; they usually get the short end of the stick. Tough on crime, yes but do not pick on Africans as examples.

I have seen coast guards at work. There are soldiers helping their Country in time of calamity. There is so much for soldiers to do these days that they are stretched. If they need any help, Nigerian soldiers are idle. They do not know what to do with themselves. They have been limited to either their barracks as staff in molue buses or retired into mufti ruling the Country in agbada. Once in a while they take out their anger on “bloody civilians” as they call us. There are other times when they have gone ballistic on other members of the Armed Forces.

Recently, it was another turn of the police to get a taste of their anger. They actually gave us a preview of what to come. In Surulere, they threw grenades into police barracks and destroyed vehicles then blamed it on area boys. A couple of my neighbors lost their lives as bystanders. Some years ago, I tried to get one of my sons to transfer from his college to a Nigerian law school. He looked at me and asked if I wanted to get him killed. He caught me unawares. I had been so proud of our participation and impute into our Jakande’s school as a model; I had bragged that my kids attended. That experience has vanished from his memory replaced by negative news about Nigeria.

Nigeria is very generous when it comes to peace keeping. We are well represented all over the world. When some of them misbehaved in Congo recently, they were recalled and punished. United States can have some of them at New Orleans. I may personally “grant- ee” (no guarantee) US Government that they will not go AWOL!

As for the police, I am not sure which is worse, New Orleans Police or Nigerian Police. One friend of mine in another US city who tried to bail his friend out of trouble was dealt with sometime ago and warned that he was lucky that he was not dealing with Nigerian police. Anyone who thinks Rodney King syndrome is behind us did not watch New Orleans police dealing with a respectable retired African teacher. I always tell my friends to stay away from the police even in the days of – I am black and proud. This Million More rally is for economic justice.

In a crowd of white people, if the police see a black doing the same thing as everyone else, it is like showing red flag to a bull. They will charge at you. So, I am not surprised that a respectable 64 years old man who quit drinking 25 years ago, was labeled rude and a drunk. He was lucky they did not see a “shining” object in his hand. Everyone in that area of Hurricane Katrina is on the edge these days.

African must Remain in New Orleans

Our history of displacement goes way back but that is another topic for a different day. Suffice to say that it is transcontinental. If the African leaders in New Orleans do not put their feet down and insist on the composition of enterprises, historical land marks, residential and recreational buildings, Africans will be displaced again. Speculators are never far away from “rehabilitated” areas.

Many of our youths in Africa mother land do not realize this in the so called greener pastures. They have all kinds of wild success stories at home, until they saw Hurricane Katrina in action. My brother even told me one about a classmate of his who was looking for a job. During the interview, he met a professor who had taught in Nigeria. As soon as the professor noticed that he attended University of Ibadan, he asked him about Professor Sosoandso. That was how he got the job. Bull!

Africans live in certain areas of the major cities in the US. My first amazement was in St. Louis, Missouri. As certain point, most of the people in the bus were whites. As we got to another point, most of the passengers changed to blacks. African unemployment rate is about twice that of whites and big contracts have been eluding us since quota and affirmative action became bad words. So the chances of renovating or maintaining their houses are not as great. If they are driven out of New Orleans, they would move to less expensive or less desirable area. The developers and big contractors would take over and rebuild. Only those with good income from big contracts and good jobs would be able to afford the rebuilt areas. Africans must be economically viable to remain in New Orleans.

Nigeria needs to create the same economic zones outside of the big cities to attract our youths who are willing to work hard. Cooperative societies have always worked in Nigeria. Agriculture is a good stating point. Today, food is a weapon. Africans who are desperate and running from hunger at home are thrown into Moroccan desert to die. They are willing to die by bleeding to death from the wounds of barb wires fence in Spain’s Melilla and Ceuta than return home. What does that say about our leaders at home?

Hypocrites complained about Robert Mugabe uprooting people from the slums in the Cities while they are doing the same thing in France where Africans die in substandard housing. They are thrown outside to live in the Parks if they are legal, deported if they are not. They have no jobs or big contracts to employ each other but live on generosity of passersby. Cunning politicians use their plight to cultivate conservative votes.

African Leaders Conference

I wonder if African leaders world wide do not compare notes. They meet in different fora but keep on making the same mistakes since slave trade era. But then, some would argue that slave trade is not over. It is now practiced between willing partners for the same selfish gains. There are more Africans outside the Continent willingly than ever. Foreign embassies in Nigeria are a sight of shame where we gather and we are dehumanized in our own Country. All this is for the sake of three square meals a day for the family:1-1-1.

One would expect that those who are educated and well read would lead the way. The answer is that it degenerates into political squabbles. As for African military leaders, their experience in Europe and America is pampered, skewed and narrow. They live on full scholarships, estacode and full salary. They never actually experience the daily life of gburu and work their way up against all odds.

There are also some of us that worked our way up but decided to change from the oppressed to the oppressor. I once asked a member of American Wives club about the difference in their life style in Nigeria compared to that in America. She confessed that she had no intention of suffering all her life as she did in the USA. You blame her?

It reminds me of a Rev Father who saw a guy he knew from the time he was a devoted religious worker for the poor. He was driving a Cadillac, so the Rev asked – didn’t you promised to work for the poor? He said: yes but did not promise to remain poor all his life. That is the difference!

We have to admit to ourselves that we have been outfoxed too many times and economic success as a people has passed us over and over. How can you explained the case of a continent as rich as Africa; yet creative financing is used to exploit the riches for the benefit of outsiders? How many Million More rallies and where, will solve that?

Nigeria has about 29 billion dollars in foreign reserve working to generate jobs and income for those who have no vested interest in the Continent. We are all scared that investing it at home will fall into the hands of kleptomaniacs, and we can not invest it where we want outside. A little of that in New Orleans and other minor Cities around the world including Nigeria may be a good start.