It is rather unfortunate that Africa, Africans and African Businesses, must always come out second best, in everything.
Is it not a wonder that it is in our sad history that Africans sold themselves into slavery, for a bottle of Gin and a piece of glass?
Is it not ridiculous that it is the same Africans that went on raids and pillaging of fellow African villages? The raids and pillaging was not for food, for territory expansion, or conquests. They were just to sell their brothers to Europeans as slaves? Were the Rulers/Leaders responsible then? Yes They were.
Little wonder why Africa remains “backward”
Over the centuries, has anything changed? No.
This inhumane behavior has taken a different hue now with the present African Leaders and rulers towing the same path to another ignominious slavery. This time, we have our leaders selling us all out to the new imperial Chinese.
With the new influence of the Chinese on the continent Africa, our leaders has re-invented the old African betrayal of fellow Africans, for their own selfish end.
The African landmarks is filled with an influx of Chinese, basically taking away our jobs, which were not enough in the first place, and putting Africa in debts that won’t be paid for by only the next 2 generations, thereby putting African future in perpetual debt, but also killing the little efforts of businessmen and professionals.
The trade agreement our government are making with the Chinese are not benefiting average Africans, and still killing African businesses. Our skills are no more enough, with ordinary technician from China to lord it over our highly skilled engineers here.
Further to our government not being able to protect local businesses and workforce, we now have these Chinese setting up one man businesses here in Africa, and further short changing us.
The story of Diana Chen broke some weeks ago, and it was a sad one, that our leaders should have found a way to resolve. Apart from the fact that she is illegally, spitefully and craftily monopolizing the GAC brand of vehicles in Nigeria market, it is also on record that the Nigerian workforce working for her are under slavery.
Reports have it that Nigerians under her employ does not receive Letters of Employment, thereby making it impossible for them to have any benefit. There are Labour Laws in Nigeria. There are Immigration Laws in Nigeria. Nigeria is a signatory to the United Nations Human Right Charter.
All these do not apply in the relationship of Ms. Diana Chen and her Nigerian staff. Yet, our Government has chosen to sell Nigerians into slavery once more by not taking a care.
As much as Nigerians laments the state of insecurity, it is also sad that genuine efforts of Nigerians to put bread on their tables has been met with betrayals once more from the people we chose to lead us to prosperity and wealth.
We hereby call on the Nigeria Minister of Labour and the Immigrations department to take a formal look into the activities of Ms. Diana Chen and her Chinese cohorts in the country. Nay, all foreign owned companies should be investigated, contributions from Nigerians should be collected, and their findings made known to the public. Concrete actions against selling our relations short once again should be immediately put in effect.
In the interim, we will continue to identify all these anomalies while we try to get the Nigerian government to do what is right. We need to work with better local content policies. We will continue to petition our politicians to do what is right by Nigerians and Nigerians interests.
Adetayo Adegbemle is a public opinion commentator/analyst, researcher, and the convener of PowerUpNigeria, an Electric Power Consumer Right Advocacy Group, based in Lagos. (Twitter: @gbemle, @PowerUpNg)
