Calls CCM Tumorous Cancer !
Keynote Address, PURDUE University
April 13, 2015
By Dr. Wilbrod Slaa
Over a year and a half ago, I visited
Indiana, toured various places, met different state and federal officials,
visited various learning institutions and also toured Perdue. At Purdue, I met
Dr. Suresh Garimella and other faculty members and could not have been more
impressed, with what I learnt in this institution, and your willingness to
support education in Tanzania, and that’s why when I received an invitation to
come back, I felt privileged.
To the Dean of School of Agriculture,
Jay Akridge, faculty, staff, students, invited guests and the public at large,
accept my appreciation for the special welcome you have accorded me along with
my delegation. You have made us feel at home away from home.
I have rather brought with me
greetings from people of Tanzania; Men, and women children who have been
walking for more than five decades to a new world of social economic
liberation. Tanzanians are almost seeing a new dawn, and needs your prayers and
moral support
Along with me, I have also brought
you greetings from CHADEMA Party chairman, Mr. Freeman Mbowe, and his
co-principals in the new economic liberation alliance called UKAWA. Notably,
Prof. Ibrahim Lipumba, of CUF, Dr. Emanuel Makaidi of NLD and James Mbatia of
NCCR Mageuzi respectively
In the year 1869, a visionary man,
who understood the importance of education, decided to give part of his wealth
back to the society, by establishing an academic institution which would become
one of the best agricultural and engineering school in the world.
This visionary business leader, in
West Lafayette, Indiana, realized that for America to compete in the global
arena, for America to have comparative economic advantage, it had to have its
own educated population in the field of Agriculture and Engineering that could
turn the soybeans into various final products. Thank you to John Perdue
Today, in Tanzania the interior part
of Tanzania, at Selian Agricultural Research Center, Mbulu, Endallah villages
John Purdue’s name is living on, The institution he established is doing all
possible to make the world a better place by imparting and sharing the
knowledge and expertise with the rest of the world.
For
decades now, the global community has been talking about 'New World Order', and
the like, and the irony of it all, is that, most of this talk does not go
beyond the Conference rooms, and or ended on the Shelves of bureaucrats. At the
same time,
Erick
Reinert, A Norwegian Economist in his publications categorically stated that,
While rich and developed first world get richer, third world countries get
poorer
Prof.
Reinert says that, Rich countries such as, Holland, England, and Italy,
developed through rounds of diversification, and industrialization protected by
government intervention. Holland followed the process through shipbuilding.
England on the other hand started with wool, and later cotton, coming to
dominate the European clothing markets.
Each
country realized that selling finished products was more worthwhile than
selling raw materials, and used tariffs and sanctioned monopolies to protect
their early industries. It was England’s planned shift from selling raw wool to
selling finished cloth that set it on the road to development.
On
the other hand, the proponents of the “New World Economic Order” have been
imposing on developing nations something we would consider abominable and
oppressive. Poor nations are encouraged and even forced to gear their whole
economies towards raw materials.
Poor
nations are encouraged to focus on one trade-able commodity, like coffee,
rather than diversify. They are forbidden to use tariffs, subsidies, and other
forms of market protection to develop any kind of manufacturing industry.
In
the modern global society that is on a daily basis becoming a village, this
imbalance is inacceptable. Especially if we genuinely believe on rhetoric’s
that we are all Children of same Loving, Generous and all encompassing God,
The
situation of a huge global population living in abject poverty is unacceptable.
And this is not a question of reverting back to old theories of
"communism" and or " Socialism", It is a question of being
consistent with the principles of "equitable Trade" and comparative
economic advantage.
We
in Africa and indeed in Tanzania are not looking for Meritorious Treatment but
rather we would like to see a World Economic Order that adheres to principles
of fare and equitable Trade.
My
American friends,
Tanzania
is endowed with abundance of all sorts of natural resources, from fertile
arable land, that can feed half of the Western hemisphere to the world finest
beaches of Zanzibar. Tanzania has immense variety of flora and fauna that could generate high-class tourism; I am
talking of Serengeti National Park, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Selous game Reserve just
to name a few.
My
country is blessed with both renewable and non-renewable sources of energy.
From large deposits of Natural Gas (proven reserves of 47trillion cubic feet), large
rivers; critical sources for hydropower, to abundant sun and wind for renewable
energy
Tanzania
has large deposits of all kinds of minerals and gemstones imaginable to man.
Uranium, coal, iron-ore, copper, bauxite, diamond, ruby, nickel, tanzanite,
sapphire and many others are all found in Tanzania. In abundance.
Yet
the paradox is that despite all this reaches Africa and indeed Tanzania, still
fall within the category of world "poorest Country". Sadly, enough, my
sitting president has gone into the record books, as the only head of state, in
the entire world, to state in the glare of cameras, that he had no clue as to
why his country was ranked one of the poorest.
A
very sad and embarrassing statement from a head of state
Maybe
the president was embarrassed to tell the truth to the world, that the country
had been suffering from a fifty-four year old, cancerous tumor also known as Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). A political pandemic that has been ruling
Tanzania since its inception; a party synonymous with corruption and mismanagement,
and had no time focus on comparative economic advantage, instead focusing more
on begging that workings towards adding value to the country raw resources.
It
is the CCM pandemic, which has stagnated economic progress; killing country’s innovation
spirit, by flooding our domestic market with dangerous, substandard and
unreasonably cheap goods from Far East
It
is this CCM, a cancerous tumor that has killed Tanzania’s quest for industrial
revolution
It
is this CCM, a cancerous tumor that has killed Tanzania’s dream to agricultural
revolution
It
is the CCM, a cancerous tumor, which has turned Tanzania into a minefield, with
millions of young people’s dream, quashed, and now have become time bombs.
It
is the CCM a cancerous tumor that has killed Tanzania’s health care system, educational
and economic dreams. CCM has ruined the
lives of our people, and rendered the country into a charity case instead of being
a global economic player.
CCM
is a party without morals. It is a gang of rulers who plants into their own
people dangerous elements of division based on religious and ethnic lines so it
can remain in power despite the possibility of disintegrating the society.
It
is only in Tanzania of today, where a poor man stealing a goat to feed his
family, is likely get a life sentence, yet drug lords, economic criminals, and
poachers (killers of elephants) are well protected behind CCM party walls;
those that steal billions of dollars from public coffers are walking with state
security protection; A practice so common with corrupt and totalitarian
regimes.
This
is the party that brands those that are fighting for their country, and who
simply oppose their views, TERRORISTS. It is the party that uses the police and
security organs, not to protect the population, but rather to suppress their voices
of descent.
Once
you become a member of an opposition party, you are an enemy of state, and subsequently
a target for police and the entire security apparatus brutality.
The
media has not been spared either; many newspapers have been banned, and some
banned because of a cartoon. Many Journalists have been arrested and even
brutally murdered by the police because they write stories that threaten the
interest of the rulers
Undoubtedly,
this is a primary contradiction that needs to be seriously addressed by us the Africans,
and Tanzanians first with the support from Partners and friends like you. We
need your help in getting rid of the cancerous tumor CCM-party so we can join
the global economic community as equal and not as beggars. We need
international community’s support to Tanzania of CCM Pandemic
Given
the enormous natural resources it is endowed with, Tanzania cannot permanently
remain a beggar that depends on the international community to fund its
educational system, while gold from our land is airfreighted to foreign countries. We are not
against selling our gold to the rest of the world, we are rather, want Tanzania
gold be processed in Tanzania so Tanzanians can have jobs.
Instead of exporting raw
coffee, we need coffee processing factories in Tanzania, for us to be able to
export finished products. Tanzania need Comparative Economic advantage and
subsequently equitable trade and not AID. Tanzania is potentially
a self-sufficient country, and also a potential donor than aid receiving
country
Tanzania’s
economic liberation can only be realized, if we Tanzanians, come up with ballot
box revolution strategy that would dislodge the corrupt CCM-regime and its
likes across the continent as the only way to realize comparative economic advantage,
whereby our people and the country can benefit from their resources,
As
the case is today, Tanzania has become a dumping ground of basically all
commodities including substandard products from China. Quite embarrassing is
the fact that, we are even importing toothpicks simply because we cant make out
own, yet exports to them very valuable commodities at a throw away price.
Tanzania
ranks third in the world when it comes to the number of cattle; yet we are
importing all kinds of shoes. CHADEMA administration will ensure we process our
cow hides domestically into brand name shoes, instead of selling our hide
cheaply and buy it back as expensive designer leather handbags.
A
classical example of resource mismanagement, bad decision-making, and lack of
focus. We would like to turn this around in all areas where we have the
comparative advantage.
My
American brothers and friends
CHADEMA
party and its partner political parties of Civic United Front (CUF),
NCCR-Mageuzi and NLDP have formed a partnership to rid the country of CCM pandemic.
Through
our partnership (UKAWA) we are determined to restore Tanzania’s lost glory.
CHADEMA party and its friends are interested in turning Tanzania from being a global
charity case, whose head of state is constantly going around the begging than
focusing on developing his country’s wealth, to being a sufficient country and global
economic player.
As
I have always said, CHADEMA has its priorities, and its priority number one is
education, priority number two is education, and priority number three being education
Critical for Tanzania’s economic development is creation of human resource.
Economic Aid is not in CHADEMA interest!
America
and the West are boasting economic prosperity due the emphasis your countries
put on education. You are boasting
advanced agriculture and food security due to your policy maker’s emphasis on
education.
America’s
technological and industrial revolution resulted from your many years of investment
in Education. Without emphasis on education world class Institutions like as
Purdue, would be in existence today.
CHADEMA
and its partner parties are determined to modernize Tanzania’s education system
in order to fuel growth of our economy, by fully utilizing all such areas where
we have the comparative advantage. We want to add value to our raw resources
whether in mining, or in agriculture
We
need a proper application of Comparative advantage principal, which will not
only benefit Tanzania, but also our genuine friends and Partners. The more we
move into light and medium industry, the more we will raise the purchasing
power of our people. This is the only peaceful means of making the world a more
peaceful and prosperous
It
is time we work together to pull the world out of abject poverty by truly practicing
what we preach. We need a very balanced trade between our countries.
It is not in TANZANIA’s interest to be showered with
shipments of donated food. It is rather in our interest to receive your support
in building our local human capacity; Educational support. We need the transfer
of skills. We need partnership between our higher learning institutions. And
instead of inventing the wheel, lets share the skills and innovative technology.
To you the younger generation and leaders of tomorrow, I must
tell you, that, Pioneers never live to see or enjoy fruits of their labor, they
establish new trails so you can all safely pass through.
We are living in a new era. Era of “New World Economic Order” an era whereby
where only the strong survive!
Even though my days have numbered, my struggle for equality
between stronger and weaker nations will never stop. My struggle for fairness
between nations will never stop. My Struggle for comparative Economic
Advantage, and social justice will live on.
I may never live to see my beautiful country enjoy its
comparative economic advantage, but my children, my grandchildren and millions
of young people in my country, fed-up with lifelong corruption, mismanagement
and social injustice will. This is what, I m living for. I am living for Economic
and social liberation
To you my American friends,
Little did you know, that, after one hundred and forty six
years later, in the rural part of Tanzania, in the middle of nowhere, thousands
of Miles away from Indiana, would Dr. Purdue’s name and legacy reach.
Well, this is what pioneers do!
Equally, come to Tanzania and work with us in finding new
paths. Bring us your brilliant minds for the sake of humanity. Come out and
fight for a Just world, come and fight for fairness, come and fight for new World Economic order. Come out in the
field and turn our deserts in cornfields, in order to Keep John Purdue’s legacy
alive!
Thank You!
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