Ciri Monigod, an accomplished businessman and writer, has given reasons why companies owned by Africans do not outlive their founders. According to him, this was because, Africans were ignorant of the various methods of operating money.

He also said that Africans were so poor that they have adapted to poverty, and that has caused much mental retardation and degradation of human lives in Africa. Monigod also spoke on a number of issues including what inspired him into writing, among others. Excerpt:

 As a businessman, what inspired you to write this book, Manual of Money?

The level of poverty in the African continent is beyond compare. You see, life is full of deception and distractions. One of the major tools of deception is adaptation.

Africans have adapted to poverty and this has caused much mental retardation and degradation of human lives in Africa. You know, poverty affects mental development negatively. Africans live in the worst state of poverty all over the world.

There are strong visible traces of poverty in the habitation, food, clothing, confidence and all what not about Africans. But the irony of it all is that Africans continue to indulge in self delusion and as you know, success is impossible under delusion.

So to your answer, the Manual of Money was written to put people in the mainstream of money making and save them from poverty. That is what inspired me.

You said Africans are very poor, but we have much rich people in Africa. How do you reconcile the two?

I hope you are familiar with the maxim of a tree not making a forest. The fact that you have a few individuals who are well to do in Africa does not mean that Africans are rich.

It is a well known fact all over the world that Africans are very poor. The people we refer to as rich in the African countries are merely well to do men and women compared with the world class standard of what richness should be.

In your own view, what do you think are the reasons for all these?

It is a culmination of long period of financial illiteracy occasioned by the absence of the manual of money. The manual of money is the hidden secret of the elite countries and the nobles.

Most writers on money write on how to make money, but what we did with the manual of money is on how to operate money. Any duffer can make money. People dash people money and that is money making. But the manual of money teaches on how to operate money.

Remember, you can only operate with what you have. This is the reason we stated at the preface of the book under the advice column that one should have at least a farthing before studying the manual of money.

The farthing in ones possession is more than enough to make one’s own billions after studying the manual of money. Money is a device and only those with the knowledge on how to operate a device stay ahead in its usage and application.

Are you saying that the rich Africans do not know how to operate money?

In actuality, they are totally ignorant of the various methods of operating money. Come to think of it: how many companies in Africa outlive their founders? Once an African man dies, his company dies with him.

There are companies in the elite countries that have stayed for over 500 years. These companies continue to improve the financial structures of their countries.

Three businesses thrive most in the African continent because they have little or nothing to do with how to operate money, but on how to make money. These are politics, banking and religion. Even in these areas too, you find out that once the head of these organizations dies, the business dies too.

There are no sustained political dynasties in the African countries. Ditto: with religion and banking. The fact is that Africans were taught and as you know, a teacher can only teach you what he has chosen to teach you.

Why do you refer to your book as a money machine?

Well, it’s because it can be likened to what a machine does. What is a machine? A machine is an instrument that operates with information. Without feeding information into a machine, it is impossible for a machine to function.

The information contained in the book is the operating system for money making. When you get a copy of the book, you have purchased a life time money machine.

What differentiates it with other books on money making?

The manual of money is 100 per cent factual and incontrovertible. Other writers on money write on optimism, the manual of money is realism. The principles are akin with the laws of the universe and the principles of physics which remains static despite the advancement in engineering.

Do you know that everything in life including life itself has a manual? If the manufacturers of automobile and electronics could devote much time to write a manual on the usage of these devices, certainly money which is the greatest device on earth has a manual.

And you think your book is that user manual for money making?

Certainly, because, it is impossible to operate any device without going through the manual and having a perfect understanding of its manual.