Blame the leaders, not the innocent children who benefited from privileged process

New York, September 11, 2005—Based on the uproar within the Nigerian community in the homeland and around the world over the revelation regarding a New York house bought by one of the sons of Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Africans In America, Inc. - a New York based human rights organization dedicated to raise awareness on issues facing the continental African community wish to make the following statements:

Every care should be taken to direct every criticism to the process instead of the young innocent children even though they may have benefited from situation beyond their control.

Misdirecting such criticism could be capable of creating disaffection and frictions between the few Nigerians living in extreme opulence at the expense of the millions of other suffering Nigerians scattered all over the world. Such development will be counter-productive.

African leaders must be encouraged to create opportunities for all young sons and daughters to be able to afford and acquire basic decent needs including luxury houses regardless whether their parents are sitting on peoples’ treasury or not. This must be a right due all African children regardless of parents’ socio-economic status or position in government. When all African sons and daughters are availed of these rights, there will be no rancor when the children of head of governments purchase luxury houses in the western countries.

We encourage African head of governments looting people’s funds to realize that Africans all over the world are more informed nowadays, and stand united with the rest of the world in calling for accountability in the management and distribution of resources. Days of reckoning are fast approaching. African leaders must be ready to give full account of their stewardship.

We also encourage African leaders to pursue policies flowing with nourishing milk of human kindness to reduce the great hardship on the masses.

Africans In America, Inc. is particularly concerned about this development because we want fair treatment and better life for everyone, as well as, maintain unity in the African community.