Monday Eze 
The recent rating of President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria and other African countries by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) is fallacious; and it gives out the OCCRP as a pretentious neo-colonial outfit used for smear campaigns aimed at cowing African and developing countries into silence, to allow further criminal exploitation of those countries by the Western powers.
As a progressive Nigerian, I have my reservations about the way President Tinubu is managing the public trust of Nigeria. While not absolving the President of some allegations of corruption and mismanagement of Nigeria’s national resources, it is absurd, unrealistic, bizarre and extremely unacceptable for OCCRP to label any African leader among the most corrupt in the world!
If OCCRP’s mission is truly to investigate and report on organised crime and corruption with the goal of promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance, one wonders what the group feels about the corrupt, inhuman and evil enterprise of Britain, France, USA and other colonialists which was initiated at the Berlin Conference which held between November 29, 1884 and February 26, 1885.
This was the colonial conference where Africa was partitioned among European countries. The conference was attended by 14 European countries, including Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway, and the United States.
The conference aimed at regulating European colonisation and trade in Africa, preventing conflicts among European powers. The Berlin Conference marked the beginning of the Scramble for Africa, where European powers rapidly colonised and partitioned the continent.
The conference established rules for territorial boundaries, trade, naval activities, and more, paving the way for European colonisation of Africa. Colonialism and neo-colonialism have had profound and lasting negative impacts on African countries in the following areas:
Colonial powers exploited Africa’s natural resources, including minerals, timber, and agricultural products, for their own benefits. Colonialism disrupted traditional African economic systems, imposing foreign models that prioritised export-oriented production over local needs.
The perpetrators of colonialism and neocolonialism have largely enjoyed impunity, with none being held accountable for their crimes
Neo-colonialism perpetuated economic dependence through debt, conditional aid, and unfavorable trade agreements. Colonial powers imposed their languages, cultures, and values on African societies, eroding traditional identities. Colonialism disrupted African social structures, including family systems, community organisations, and traditional leadership.
The imposition of foreign cultures and values led to the loss of African cultural heritage, including languages, customs, and traditions.
Colonial powers drew arbitrary borders, often dividing ethnic groups and creating artificial nations. Colonialism imposed authoritarian governance systems, which perpetuated power imbalances and hindered democratic development.
Neo-colonialism perpetuated underdevelopment by maintaining African countries in a state of dependence on foreign aid, technology, and expertise. Colonial powers exploited African labour, often through forced labour and slavery.
Colonialism was maintained through violent suppression, including massacres, torture, and forced relocation. The historical trauma inflicted by colonialism and neocolonialism continues to affect African societies, contributing to ongoing social, economic, and political challenges.
Colonialism and neo-colonialism have led to the exploitation of Africa’s natural resources, including deforestation, pollution, and climate change. The imposition of foreign agricultural systems and exploitation of natural resources have disrupted Africa’s ecological systems, leading to loss of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation.
The negative impacts of colonialism and neo-colonialism continue to affect African countries, perpetuating underdevelopment, inequality, and social injustice. Addressing these historical injustices and their ongoing effects is essential for promoting sustainable development, peace, and human rights in Africa.
Colonialism and neo-colonialism which emanated from the Berlin Conference can be, justifiably, characterised as organised global crime and corruption for the following reasons: The Berlin Conference involved European powers partitioning Africa without the consent or participation of African leaders, violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of African nations.
The conference disregarded the human rights and dignity of African people, subjecting them to forced labour, land expropriation, and cultural destruction. Colonialism and neo-colonialism have been characterised by the systematic exploitation of Africa’s natural resources, labor, and markets for the benefit of European powers and later, multinational corporations.
The imposition of foreign cultures, languages, and values has led to the destruction and erasure of African cultures, identities, and histories. Colonialism and neo-colonialism have been marked by corrupt practices, including bribery, embezzlement, and nepotism, which have undermined African economies and institutions.
The exploitation of Africa’s resources has led to massive illicit financial flows, with estimates suggesting that Africa loses over $100 billion annually through such flows. Colonialism and neo-colonialism have created transnational crime networks, involving European powers, multinational corporations, and African elites, which have facilitated the exploitation and plunder of Africa’s resource.
The perpetrators of colonialism and neo-colonialism have largely enjoyed impunity, with none being held accountable for their crimes. In conclusion, colonialism and neo-colonialism can be justifiably characterized as organised global crime and corruption, given their roots in the Berlin Conference of 1884/85 and the systematic exploitation, plunder, and corruption that have followed.
If OCCRP is sincere about its mission and objective which are to investigate and report on organised crime and corruption, with the goal of promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance, it should begin by beaming its search lights on the occupants of Buckingham and Élyséé palaces, 10 Downing Street, the White House and other western countries with a view to exposing their complicity in the evil corruption and exploitation that have been going on in African since 1885.
Until OCCRP does that, it will remain a hatchet jobber for the criminal and corrupt western powers; and so, has no business blackmailing African leaders.
The plaques for the most corrupt leaders in the world deservedly belong to Queen Camilla of England, Keir Starmer of UK, Emmanuel Macron of France, Joe Biden of USA and other fringe western powers whose crowns and palaces were respectively made, built and sustained with gold and other resources stolen from Africa.
