African Elites & Whiteman's Syndrome: Abati responds to reports that GEJ’s aides will be screened for Ebola

 

Part of what we have to overcome as a people is the inferiority that laces the mentality of most of our people. It hurts that the white world has to take care of Africa as if Africans are perpetual children.  But then, the reality is that Africans have demonstrated that they cannot take care of themselves.  What does it take for an African president or prime minister to know that they have a responsibility to work and make their countries better than they found it?

I have been thinking about this “Summit” for a while via colleagues and friends in the States.  It makes me bow my head in shame, as I do not see a reason to be jubilating about it.  A summit where Africans would be more humiliated as the Whites talk down on the African participants, telling them what is wrong about Africa, things already known by a primary six African child......

The time has come for African universities to teach their students and the elites, African Pride. I pray that the day comes when such a Summit is not necessary because Africa is pulling its own weight in the world. 

 The president’s spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati has denied reports that President Goodluck Jonathan’s delegation to the United States for the African/American Leaders Summit was screened for exposure to the dreaded Ebola virus on arrival at Washington DC.

Although members of the President’s advanced team arrived the US on Friday and Saturday, Jonathan and other top government officials arrived the US on Sunday, 3 August for the summit billed for Monday, 4 August.

President Barack Obama had on Friday, 1 August, said that some African participants of the summit from Ebola-ravaged countries that have even a marginal risk, or an infinitesimal risk of having been exposed would be screened for exposure to the dreaded virus.

However, shortly after his arrival in the US, Dr. Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, revealed on his Twitter handle that no member of the President’s entourage had been screened.

Abati tweeted photographs of the President taken on his arrival at the airport while being received by top US and Nigerian government officials, after which he was asked by a Twitter user, Okunola Bukky, to confirm if any of the delegation was screened.

He responded saying, “Nobody took any Ebola test, please.”

Another member of the President’s advance team also confirmed that no one was subjected to Ebola screening, saying, “Why will we be screened? How? By who? There is nothing like that. At least, nobody screened me.”