I’m crashing these new year goals, can you tell? Ha! First post of the year and it’s happening at the end of April, what a slacker. Anyway friends, I’m back again with my unsolicited and unpopular opinions. Let’s get right into it.

On Thursday, I saw a post on bbcnewspidgin where a Chinese businessman Michael Zhang was given a chieftaincy title in Kano State. 

The first thing that struck me was, will this ever happen in their country? No. Why are we so welcoming of businessmen from other parts of the world investing in our countries without protecting ourselves as a people. Investment is needed in Africa but at what price are we willing to obtain that? 

Another article discussed the reasons for the title being given to Zhang because there have been conflicts among the Chinese and locals in Kano, and the objective of this title is to give the Chinese in Kano a voice when it comes to trade in the area. Are you confused yet? 

 The locals however complained about loss of jobs and opportunities to the Chinese which is part of the reason for the conflict. In order to strengthen Chinese businesses in the area and give them a fair playing ground in trade, a chieftaincy title was deemed necessary to be given to Zhang to protect Chinese interests.

I’m sorry but I see so many red flags here. First off, the Chinese have power and influence that the average Nigerian may not have. They have specifically invested in African countries with resources such as oil that will benefit their economy. After all that’s the point of trade is it not? Both parties have to benefit mutually. But should it be a parasitic relationship where the holder of the resources suffers the most? There are so many reasons why we should be skeptical of incorporating them into the traditional system. Chiefs have the power to influence people and giving a foreign businessman that power is not ideal in my opinion. It’s like saying that due to your contributions as a Ghanaian business woman or man in Boston, the state of Massachusetts decides to make you a mayor. Others may argue that the status of a mayor is way above that of a chief but in societies where traditional rulership is given a lot of importance it is not exactly farfetched. 

Now let’s address double standards. There was another incident of a chief installment in the Akwamu Traditional Area in Ghana which I reacted to. The African American actor, Michael Jae White was installed as a chief in Ghana. I have my own reservations about this which I may discuss some other time. A friend of mine asked how is this wildly different. The difference is motive.

The Chinese have given us every reason to be concerned with protecting our own resources. A popular example is the “gifted” African Union headquarters building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia which was allegedly bugged for trade secrets for five years. Although the Chinese government have denied these allegations, the AU has obtained its own servers and reconfigured them after the hack was identified. African Americans on the other hand, are seeking to find their roots. Does this make it necessary for a Hollywood actor to be installed as a chief, I don’t know? I don’t know if he is in the line of chiefs or if these things are handed out on merit. The motive is not the same. 

Blitz Ambassador’s “Burial of Kojo” on Netflix touches on the activities of the Chinese in Ghana especially illegal mining activities that are polluting waterbodies and destroying lands. We’re fond of opening our borders so wide that we do not protect our resources to the point where we are protecting the interest of foreigners over our own. Which part of the world do you see this happening? I do acknowledge that fact that Sino-African relations have opened doors for many Africans to travel to China and get educated and even contributed to the Ghanaian economy as a whole. However, how much more of our country are we willing to trade in exchange for Chinese co-operation and investment? Is it necessary to make them chiefs to protect their interests? 

What are your thoughts on this? Please chat to me in the comments :)