To address the disproportionate age/social security and tax ratio in nearly all Western and EU countries, be rest assured that the best minds graduating from African, Asian, and Latin American universities, will continue to receive lucrative scholarships for postgraduate education in the West/EU.
The systems in these countries will make it possible for them to work whiles schooling, earn extra income, but pay disproportionate taxes on their extra earnings, pay social securities and health insurances they may never benefit from in the long term, to enable these countries pay for the health and pensions of their aging populations.
If I were a Western leader, I would do same. And so from a Western perspective, it is a rational choice.
My problem, however, is with us the student immigrants who decide not to return home after school, because there are no jobs back home.
When we choose to stay for so long and even move our families here, become citizens, and live the rest of our lives here, we re-enforce the notion that, Western scholarships are modern disguised forms of the trans-Atlantic slavery.
Slavery took the strongest, smartest and healthiest away by force to build Europe and North America for 400years.
Western/EU scholarships today are taking away the best young brains coming out of our universities in the 100s and 1000s to the West to this time, sustain the economies of these countries, by just as in the olden days, doing the menial jobs. Only that this time, it is not by force, but by enticement. Anyhow, the first and second class uppers are harvested like mangoes and shipped en masse across the Atlantic every year.
Prof Patrick Lumumba estimates that every year the US grants scholarships to 800 first class/ upper students from the finest Kenyan universities to study in American Universities.
On the outside, it looks like a great blessing, and I think it really is.
However, we need to be more conscientious.
I do not see how Africa can fulfil Agenda 2063 when its finest brains from its universities are leaving for the West like armies and not returning, but only sending remittances.
It is a sad reality, but we have and continue to lose our best to the other side of the Atlantic.
My thoughts are that for those of us who have come outside to study, we need to think like Kwame Nkrumah, J.B. Danquah, Kwegyir Aggrey, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, Nnamdzi Azikiwe, Akufo-Addo, J.A Kufour, Atta-Mills, Mahamadu Buwumia!
It is fine to stay for one, two, or three years after school to make some money and all.
However, return home to build the nation which gave you seed education.
Dr. Godfred Bonnah-Nkansah
Interpreting a living in the West, and citizenship of a Western country as your achievements, and hence a reason to daily lambast Africa and its leadership as failures like Twene Jonas does, is to completely misconstrue why you were born, for instance in Ghana.
Do you honestly think you were born in Ghana, schooled in Ghana, taught values and morals, educated with all the government subsidies in our secondary and tertiary institutions, only to spend the rest of your life after school in a foreign land? Why would God do that?
We were born in specific countries and into specific cultures for a reason connected to our divine purposes in this life.
I know that we come to this side of the Atlantic to learn and improve our skills in order to go back and develop our communities.
However, when for economic reasons, we decide not to return to Africa, we disrupt God’s plan for our personal lives and our nations.
And the evidence is that you are never truly happy nor truly accepted there, and Africa also continues to struggle.
Let us have a solid plan to return home and help build the countries and places on earth where we truly belong and are accepted.
That loneliness, discrimination, and racism you continue to face is for a reason. It is to remind you that you do not belong there.
Why are you forcing yourself to be accepted? You do not come from there; you are not one of them; go back home.
Do not stay for too long. Plan to return and help build your nation.
Africa needs you more; I am convinced about that.
Here, you are only working to pay taxes and support the system.
I know 90% of my readers in the diaspora may disagree with my philosophy.
Some do not even want to hear about a return.
As for the young ones in Ghana who are eager to come abroad, what I have written is absolutely nonsensical.
But one day, everything will make sense.
When I am in Ghana, I do not remember that I am black or inferior.
I feel like a human being who is loved, respected, and appreciated.
My vision is clearer and motivation is 100%.
Let me pause for now.
What are your thoughts on the challenges and opportunities associated with returning to Africa to contribute to its development?
Written by: Dr. Godfred Bonnah-Nkansah
Excellent, excellent, excellent! Africa needs us more!
I am deeply touched, truly Africa needs us
Its a very educative, inspiring and purposeful article as it speaks on the line of reserving the best resources Africa have, so we can use for developing our continent. nevertheless i have a concern which has to a question.
1, In which system should the diasporas return to work in?
2, what is African leadership doing to retain or even benefit from their citizens in the diaspora
3. What systems are we creating to invite them back home.
This narrative will take a very long time before it can be achieved, it’s one of the strategic developmental decisions African leadership should make but they are making our life’s seems miserable without the western\ EU countries.
The issue is not only about African best students rather anything good in Africa receive value in the Western \EU environment.
The best farm or raw materials are exported from Africa.
The best athlete earn good salaries and incentives in the Western world.
Our political leaders borrow money from international organisations established by the Western world. The list can go on and on.
At this juncture am of the view that your article is a one sided lense rather it should also speak on what should be done by the African leadership.
This generation of African leadership are those who don’t care of what happens to the Youth. They trade the future of their countries for western honary. They implement the deviant or immoral western value’s. They don’t think sustainability when embarking on national projects. Their patriotism is to their political parties than the nation etc.
Anyway I equally wish our brothers and sisters will come home but to come and experience, observe and be hearing the merse that surrounds the African people its better to live a slave life in good economic conditions.
Excellent thoughts penned as thought provoking conversation for the African youth and worker.
We are indeed the very seeds planted to bring about that critical dream change we want in our various countries and economies.
We either push the same energy we would have used there into building our solid desired future in Africa.