Dr. Slaa Delivers Yet Another Outstanding Speech. Calls CCM Tumorous Cancer!
Keynote Address, PURDUE University
April 13, 2015By
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!
