African leadership in general is constrained by the psychology of wrongness

Nov 11, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
In his letter “AFC’s one-eye focus on human rights abuses”, Kaieteur News, Thursday, 5th November, 2009, Osafo Modibo opined: “The AFC cannot show any instance of standing up for Africans. If Ramjattan and Ramsaroop can do it then African leaders can do the same. African votes must not be used against them or only for others! I wonder what my friend, AFC supporter and defender, Linjay Harry Vogelson thinks about his Party’s one-eye focus on human rights.”
Firstly, I cannot determine whether or not his view is based on evidence, assumptions, or perceptions. For, I am certain that in principle, understanding, motivation, and expectations, the AFC is representative of all people. The AFC accepts and believes that “wrong is wrong in any colour.”
Its very significantly diversified support base makes the party inherently obligated to all people. The solid diversity at the AFC’s last convention is an emphatic testimony of this fact. So if it true that the AFC is thriving on African votes then there is a fundamental discord between national voting patterns and activity patterns within the AFC. If the inference is that AFC’s support is the support of PNC’s disaffected votes, then the PNC lost its meaningful diversity.
Secondly, it is interesting that Modibo is consistently targeting the performance of African functionaries within the AFC, but fails to target those within the PPP/C and the state who wield even greater power if not influence. The atrocities, such as torture of the Africans which Modibo listed have all occurred under a government which sports an African Prime Minister, Hon. Sam Hinds, an African Cabinet secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon (seemingly the second most powerful government functionary), African ministers such as Dr. Henry Jeffery, Clinton Collymore, Jennifer Westford, Robeson Benn, mixed minister Clement Rohee, and Presidential Advisor, Lubumba. Note too, that almost all of the senior military and para-military functionaries are Africans.
Is it that Africans in responsible places are so individualistic that they do not recognise the long term social/ethnic costs and political implications of their acts of omission or commissions? Is it that they are ethnically negligent or careless? Is it that their society, or their associations, conditioned them to have low expectations of and respect for fellow Africans? Is it that African leadership harbour demeaning concepts of their identity, to the extent that they consider other Africans expendable? Would the atrocities of the state be perpetuated if the Africans within the PPP/C and the state stood up against them?
It seems that African leadership in general is constrained by a psychology of wrongness. The society has been historically conditioned to be suspicious, critical and even fearful of, the African who identifies with any African discontent or issue. So he tends to drown the issues in wider contexts, or relate to them indirectly to secure personal, social and political validation or favour.
His cultural mind is programmed to believe that defending even legitimate African issues or interests is wrong. Yet, as a consequence of the Christian tenets of his cultural mind, and process for his validation, he identifies with and legitimizes the causes of others.
So if the African personalities in the AFC are ethnically negligent, as Modibo suggests, that is part of a wider phenomenon.
Finally, can Modibo explain to me why so many African men are involved in and victims of the criminal divide, who themselves have little regards for the human rights of others? Can he explain why so many are easily bought across the divide? Poverty is an excuse. Something is fundamentally wrong with their psyche that’s rooted in their socialization. Who benefits from this?
Lin-Jay Harry-Voglezon

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