Ghana

President of Ghana John Atta Mills died July 24. Though never officially confirmed, it was said that he suffered from throat cancer and he went to New York several times for medical treatment. The immediate cause of death at a military hospital was cardiac arrest. The chief justice immediately swore-in as president the former Vice president, John Dramani Mahama. He will serve until the regularly scheduled December presidential elections. Tragic though the death of Atta Mills was, democracy and the rule of law in Ghana has worked. There has been no succession crisis, and the constitutional provisions have been scrupulously followed. The episode is a salutary reminder that democracy is alive and well in Africa, even if it is not as widespread as its friends would hope. In a Journal of Democracy article that has just appeared, author Kennedy Ochieng’ Opalo posits four types of African political systems: ‘electoral democracies’ (of which there are 8), ’emerging democracies’ (5), ‘ consolidating/consolidated autocracies’ (21) and ‘ambiguous’ (12.) His base year is 2010. In the electoral democracies, he places Benin,  Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius and South Africa. Mali, obviously, no longer fits. But the rest do. It is striking that all of them are small in population, with the exception of South Africa (about 50 million) and Ghana (with 25 million.) Of Africa’s largest countries by population, he rates Nigeria as ‘ambiguous’, Ethiopia and Congo as ‘consolidating/consolidated autocracies.’ There is always room to quibble about in what category a country should be placed it. But such typologies are helpful for thinking about governance.

This is a guest post by Jim Sanders, a career, now retired, West Africa watcher for various federal agencies. The views expressed below are his personal views and do not reflect those of his former employers. Why am I  running a guest post on a Nigerian church in Alexandria, Virginia?  We sometimes overlook West Africa’s growing and vibrant social and cultural influence in the United States.  Jim Sanders recently visited a Redeemed Christian Church of God parish and interviewed the Nigerian pastor. The conversation provides fascinating insights into a Nigerian community in suburban Washington, D.C. and  also into aspects of Nigerian religious sensibility at home. His post  provides an opportunity for we Americans to “see ourselves as others see us.” Lagosian Shina Enitan, pastor of Victory Temple, Alexandria, one of 12 Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) parishes in Virginia, spoke with “Africa in Transition” on Sunday afternoon, following services. Roughly 80 percent of the congregation is Nigerian, with Sierra Leoneans and Ghanaians comprising the majority of the remainder. Young couples comprise more than 50 percent of the parish. The majority of people here face problems associated with immigration, Pastor Shina explained. Having grown up in Nigeria, but now living in the U.S., many experience culture clash. A key role of this church is to help them handle their transition to a “new reality,” particularly in the areas of marriage, parenting, and careers. However, he stressed Victory Temple’s growing outreach to local charities such as Carpenter’s Shelter. Pastor Shina noted that he had not attended a seminary (although he will eventually) and therefore has no theological education. Instead, the RCCG offers in-house training in leadership, pastoral care, and discipleship. Preparation is practical, focused on carrying out the Bible’s teachings. “Leadership by example, not by doctorate,” he said, represents the main thrust. "Do the word you preach," is a guiding principle. Strong influence by American missionaries, who provided Bibles and other materials, helped build interest in Christianity. “In Africa, we are ready to read the word, and do the will, then we come to this country only to find Americans very relaxed,” Pastor Shina confided. “Those early missionaries sowed the fire and we are here now in the U.S. doing what they did for us then in Nigeria. In the U.S., the RCCG envisions having a church within a ten minute drive of every American, so that when people turn back to God, they will have a place to go immediately.” When asked whether a common thread links church bombings in Nigeria with events such as the Colorado theater shooting, Pastor Shina drew attention to Biblical descriptions of the End Times, of which such incomprehensible tragedies are characteristic. But he added that “people just don’t fear God anymore,” and that fear is what restrains us from evil. Moreover, removing prayer from schools also removes a young person’s moral compass. On Nigeria’s future, he said: “It is a great country, but going through a birthing process."   Update: I received an interesting email from a retired army chaplain, Roger Dill. He writes: "Jim, I  wish everyone had your spirit to be open to going where few go.  I was  blessed to grow a refugee congregation in the midst of an old and dying church  in Louisville several years ago.  They were from both Liberia and the  Congo, and they were the heart of the worship in that church and my joy in ministry.  We as the Church in America are not where we need to be, but  thank God , we are not where we used to be. Grace for the  journey."

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Johnnie Carson is leading an eleven day trade mission to Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria and Ghana, with a brief stop in Kenya, starting on February 6. The focus of the mission is to look for opportunities for U.S. companies to invest in power generation. The mission is co-sponsored by the Corporate Council for Africa, a private organization that brings together potential business partners as well as seeking to raise Africa’s profile among American investors. According to a State Department announcement, participating U.S. companies are Anadarko Petroleum, Caterpillar, Chevron, Energy International, General Electric, Pike Enterprises, Strategic Urban Development Alliance LLC, and the Symbion and Zanbato Group. In addition to the assistant secretary, the delegation will include a vice chair of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, representatives from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and from the State Department’s Bureau of Energy Resources. Companies cover the cost of their participation, not the U.S. government. This is a high profile delegation and reflects U.S. eagerness for power generation investment opportunities in Africa coupled with the African view that increased power generation is essential for economic development. International development agencies regularly cite Mozambique, Tanzania and, especially, Ghana as African governance and development success stories. In Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan has made increased electric power generation one of his most important political priorities. Though the trade delegation’s focus is on investment opportunities for U.S. companies, it also will be warmly welcomed by the host states as a visible expression of U.S. support for their governments and confidence in their economic potential. As such, this trade mission has an important political dimension.