In attempting to explain African poverty, Adam Trimingham is guilty of the same simplicity of which he accuses Bob Geldof (The Argus, July 8).

Citing Ghana, he explains Africa's poverty solely in terms of corruption but how much does he know about this country?

It gained independence less than 50 years ago. Its original government was overthrown by a CIA-backed coup, not because it was corrupt but because it was a little too Left-leaning for the comfort of the US government.

Ghana experienced several more coups, which replaced unpopular, military governments, as Ghanaians struggled to regain control over their own destiny.

But by then, the country was in debt and had to borrow from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which imposed strict conditions, such as trade "liberalisation".

Many studies have shown other countries which have liberalised the most have seen the biggest increases in poverty.

Ghana has a democratically-elected government and qualifies for 100 per cent debt relief because it is implementing policies approved by the World Bank, IMF and the UK Government.

There is a passionate and highly educated civil society in Ghana - vital for a thriving democracy - but they have not been consulted on HIPC, PRSPs nor on the attempted privatisation of water, which was backed by the UK's Department for International Development.

Undermining the Ghanaian democracy has been achieved by elements outside Ghana's democratic government but which are still interfering in its economy. This has been the case time and again in developing countries throughout the world.

The above outline may be simplistic but it hopefully gives a more detailed picture of how Ghana has, in many ways, not been allowed to follow its own development path.

Yet Mr Trimingham suggests it is all down to African corruption, which is dangerously simplistic.

The rich world demands that poor countries prove themselves responsible enough to be handed back a fraction of what has been taken from them through debt repayments, trade barriers and exploitation of natural resources.

Yet none of the G8 countries themselves have deigned to ratify a UN convention on corruption.

Yes, corruption is a problem but to concentrate on African corruption as a simplistic explanation for poverty is to miss the point and acts as an easy escape from our own responsibilities within our own democracies.

It also airbrushes out a lot of pertinent history about how rich countries gained their riches.

Africa is not a passive victim awaiting eight white men to solve its problems. The fact many people see the world this way is, in itself, just as large a problem.

There are many African solutions for African problems. The question is, do we really have the courage to stop imposing our solutions on Africa?

We need a change of axis for our distorted world view and then, perhaps journalists such as Mr Trimingham will be less guilty of the naivity and simplicity he accuses others of.

-Tom Reilly, Hove