Madam, - Your paper has recently carried several articles on overseas aid. One of these, John O'Shea's look at the greatest barrier to development in the countries of Africa, particularly merits close scrutiny (Opinion, December 9th).
Is Mr O'Shea right when he refers to a seven-year period when $114 billion of overseas aid to sub-Saharan Africa was abused? He maintains that giving aid to corrupt regimes is worse than useless and is of no use to the poor. He has a litany of complaints directed at corruption and atrocious management.
It is quite sickening to think that we are continually exhorted to raise our contributions when all we may be doing is subsidising corrupt regimes without making much headway in helping the ordinary peoples of Africa to help themselves.
Of course we realise that charities and aid programmes are now considered big business. Only last week in England nine charities came under investigation for malpractice of funds for overseas assistance.
Nevertheless, is John O'Shea correct in his assertions? Or should we believe our Government and politicians when they tell us about foreign aid?
Also on December 9th, you also carried two letters on aid. One, "Shortfall in Overseas Aid", seemed to be more interested in political point-scoring, which was borne out by a reply the following day from an opposition TD. The other, "Elections in Mozambique" dealt mainly with what is going to happen to our aid allocation of €116 million or a million a day, and meeting the former US President Jimmy Carter. Not much of a contribution and really no help whatsoever.
John O'Shea has a very good pedigree for his work in Africa. He has wide experience and expertise of problems concerning the poor in Africa. Should he be listened to when he maintains that "paying aid to corrupt regimes is no use to the poor in developing countries"?
This is serious stuff and perhaps one reason why sub-Saharan Africa has gone backwards in the last three decades. - Yours, etc.,
Brother MARTIN
J. MURPHY, SJ,
St Francis Xavier's
Community,
Upper Gardiner Street,
Dublin 1.