Lawrence Freeman: Western financial system absolutely detrimental to Africa

Press TV has conducted an interview with Lawrence Freeman, an African policy analyst from Baltimore, to talk about the 2nd Regional Security Summit in Abuja which is intended for discussing the ways of impeding Boko Haram’s empowerment in the West African region.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: The Western countries that are participating, namely France, in the summit are accusing in a way, directly or indirectly, the country, that is Nigeria, of corruption and failure to maintain security and this is at a time that some analysts and political observers claim that it is the Western countries that are causing in a way directly if not indirectly both corruption and insecurity within Africa, particularly in Nigeria. What can you tell us more about that?

Freeman: We know that for many many years, decades, the Western financial system has been exploiting Africa and has been exploiting Nigeria... They have basically allowed money to flow into corruption based on the oil industry and you have the major oil companies such as Royal Dutch Shell and others involved in creating essentially a slush fund, which is used by certain individuals in Nigeria and is formal corruption. What has not been done by the West during this period of time is they’ve not promoted and invested in infrastructure and economic development; and this has been probably one of the biggest factors in the recruitment of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad base in region where the states of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon are all suffering from these attacks.

So I would agree that the Western financial system has been absolutely detrimental to Africa as a whole and Nigeria in particular, in developing these countries, so they could actually not only resist Boko Haram but dry out the swamp from which Boko Haram recruits.

Press TV: Clearly the Westerners have had a history of colonial interest in the region, namely in Nigeria, that is a certain fact and it is clear that they still continue having and enjoying those interventionist policies and interfere in certain African countries’ internal policies and politics, but to what extent do you think the local rulers and leaders of these countries such Nigeria and Mr. Buhari can also be held responsible and accountable for the mistakes and the failures in maintaining descent measure of stability and security in the country?

Freeman: President Buhari has been waging a non-stop fight against corruption and against Boko Haram for almost a year. He took office at the end of May last year. I was at the inauguration as well as the election last year. I have known President Buhari for many years and there is no question in my mind that he is an honorable, honest leader who is doing everything is his power to actually fight corruption and essentially dismantle Boko Haram, but it is a very large task because what you have had now for probably since 1980s, when the International Monetary Fund came in and destroyed the Nigerian economy... Nigeria has never economically recovered plus also the major international oil companies like Royal Dutch Shell and the British financial system are constantly exploiting and using the difficulties in Nigeria, especially its lack of ability to refine fuel to manipulate prices and cause... on the international system by the amount of oil that is sold on the international market.

So I would say that in a year that President Buhari has been in office, he has probably done more than most people expected. Now he has a huge task ahead of him. And the other aspect is … the Lake Chad basin... poverty and destitution up there is massive, and this will only be changed when we actually rebuild and refurbish the lake, which is a program I am working on. But the West supports no economic development. The West supports no economic infrastructure. The Chinese are leading; a country in the world promoting infrastructure. Other countries are joining India and China, but the West has full responsibility for not developing any economic policies for North Africa or the whole of Africa for the last forty fifty years and they have to take responsibility for that.

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