Irish aid must not nurture Africa’s ‘plague’ of corruption

THE Government should take notice of rock star Bono’s call on the international community regarding the scourge of corruption, GOAL said yesterday.

GOAL boss John O’Shea said: “Bono is again to be congratulated on putting his finger exactly where the problem lies.

Endemic and institutionalised corruption is the greatest impediment to the safe delivery of aid to the Third World, especially to Africa,” Mr O’Shea said.

The aid official added: “We have been calling on the Irish Government for decades to end all government to government aid to corrupt regimes — but to little avail.

“As long as corruption exists at its current level in some African countries, and as long as donors continue to look the other way, foreign aid will simply serve to keep corrupt administrations in power,” he added.

Bono speaking in Abuja, Nigeria claimed that corruption is a plague as deadly as the HIV virus in the Third World.

He told finance ministers in Nigeria that they must strive for “more transparency, not more bribes”.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer, but many of its people say the oil profits fail to trickle down.

The U2 frontman added that Western nations need to keep their pledges of debt relief, malaria eradication and education for Africa.

Bono’s 10-day tour of the continent that has included stops in South Africa, Rwanda, Lesotho and Tanzania. He will also visit Mali and Ghana.

Meanwhile, Bob Geldof was honoured by the Houston Holocaust Museum with a humanitarian award for his work organising 1985’s Live Aid concert.

Geldof, who received the 2006 Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award last night at the museum’s annual dinner, told the audience that he was humbled by the award.

“I can honestly say I feel fraudulent standing here [among survivors of the Holocaust],” he said.