BBC Focus on Africa Magazine

	Leslie Goffe's article on Barack Obama's US presidential chances elicited this month's Star Letter

You do not need to have anything in common with Barack Obama in order to support him.

Previously, Americans have had Shirley Chisholm (1972) and Jesse Jackson (1984 and 1988) as African-American presidential candidates, yet African-Americans did not vote overwhelmingly for them.

Obama has weaknesses, just like any other individual and obviously cannot satisfy everybody. However, if you think he has something to offer, not only to African-Americans, but to Americans in general, then vote for the brother.

Joyce Leeghoi Quayesam, Accra, Ghana

Western profits, African diseases

A Zambian newspaper recently reported that over 70 per cent of African businesses are adversely affected by malaria, with 40 per cent suffering severe consequences.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also says that Africa needs US$2 billion to finance malaria control, recommending that ten per cent of this amount be spent on long-life insecticide and 70 per cent on medical products to be manufactured in Western countries.

This figure is enormous and provides very profitable business for the Western countries earmarked to manufacture and deliver these products. The question on everybody's minds should be, "Is it cost effective to produce these medical products miles away from the population it is intended for?"

Of course the answer is no.

There are some pharmaceutical companies being established in Africa to manufacture drugs, but the United Nations agencies do not purchase drugs from them.

Why not? If the existence of these agencies is to help reduce poverty, then African companies should be used to manufacture and supply drugs.

Aubrey K Chindefu, Lusaka, Zambia

Rotating power

Columnist Gamal Nkrumah has a tendency to either misrepresent or exaggerate facts in order to make contestable claims.

On Gamal Nkrumah's column  He would have us believe that the recent general elections in Nigeria presage the ascendancy of a democratic Islam.

In the April-June 2007 edition of your magazine, he not only perpetuates the Muslim-as-victim narrative but would also have us believe that the recent general elections in Nigeria presage the ascendancy of a democratic Islam.

That the main contenders for the Nigerian presidency at the polls were Muslim is not an indication that Muslims are finally becoming more politically active. In fact, they always have been.

Since independence, most of the country's military and civilian leaders have been Muslim. Rather, after eight years of a southern, self-professed, born-again Christian president (Olusegun Obasanjo), the north which is mainly, though not wholly, Muslim, has succeeded in campaigning for power to be rotated back to it.

This is with the tacit understanding of the nation's political class that presidential power will, again in eight years from now, return south.

Eniola A Ladapo, Lagos, Nigeria

Wrong impressions

I strongly disagree with the literary legend Chinua Achebe's views on the state of affairs in Nigeria.

The revered professor cannot continue to dish out ill-conceived comments about Nigeria when he refuses to come home and help with nation-building.

All economic indices show that we are doing well at the macro-economic level. Inflation is at an all time low of six per cent, GDP is US$145 billion (the same as Malaysia, one of the top 20 economies in the world), and agriculture grew at 11 per cent last year.

Although there may be security challenges we are, at least, still alive.

I am fully aware that poverty is high but there is a possibility of solving it since macro-economic indicators are fantastic.

My dear professor, do not create the wrong impression of our beloved country.

Mac-Edwin Ifeanyi, Obi, Abia State, Nigeria

Out of touch with power

On Tanzania's President Kikwete  Little do African presidents realise that their country's development starts with a steady power supply.

What could be more shameful than the reply made by President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania to Joseph Warungu and Solomon Mugera's question in the last Focus issue about whether there are times that State House is in darkness due to power rationing?

President Kikwete responded by saying, "Well, at least we have a standby generator."

This statement aptly reinforces his incompetence and irremediable stance on his country's power situation.

And he did not have an answer either to the question: "What about those who can't afford a generator, such as your neighbours in Dar es Salaam?"

In countries like Nigeria and Sierra Leone, governments have also failed in the power sector. The popular slogan for standby generators in Nigeria is "I beta pass my neighbour", or "I am better than my neighbour".

This slogan was what Tanzania's president made public in his interview.

Little do African presidents realise that their country's development starts with a steady power supply.

Okey Nwafor, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

African e-world

The 3G HSDPA is the greatest digital revolution to sweep through Africa in recent times as highlighted in the "3G Generation" article (Focus April-June 2007).

African countries should learn from the example set by South Africa, the first country to test the ground for 3G services in sub-Saharan Africa.

Although there is a huge demand for internet on the continent, most users are frustrated by the snail-like dial-up speeds offered by the typical African internet café. It is high time that Africans have broadband internet connections to their mobile phones.

I applaud President Paul Kagame of Rwanda for creating a strategy to make Rwanda a paperless world and it's encouraging that mobile phone provider MTN will be screening live footage of the 2010 World Cup from South Africa onto the screens of high-end handsets.

Shun ignorance Africa, we aren't far off from the e-world!

George Gatume Waweru, Nairobi, Kenya

This is a small selection of letters published in the July - September 2007 edition of Focus on Africa magazine.

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