It is an irrefutable fact that Africa had and continue to experience ethically and lawfully unjustifiable forms of socio-economic and political torture in the hands of the Western World, notably Europe and the USA. This continuous torture as History had taught us, started from slavery, then colonialism and post-colonial conspiracies to eliminate perceived competent leaders that are capable to usher Africa to a new dawn. However, more than fifty years of the so called “independence’’, the African continent is far from being able to cut her umbilical cord with its torturer. Even though scholars like Samir Amin, Frantz Fanon and Walter Rodney have spectacularly contributed their intellectual quotas to the “deliverance’’ of the agonising people of Africa. Our past and present leaders have failed us in this endeavour. In fact, Frantz Fanon said “Imperialism leaves behind germs of rot which we must clinically detect and remove from our land but from our minds as well.” But is Europe and the US the cause of our socio-economic and intellectual backwardness? Are they the ‘’invisible hand’’ behind the ethno-religious crisis we have been experiencing for decades (if not centuries)? Can we blame them for the greed, corruption, incompetence, cluelessness of present crop of leaders? In my humble opinion, the answers to the above questions are both YES and NO. YES, because we did not invite them to Africa to come and “civilise” us as it is purported in their literatures. The fundamental and arguably only reason why Europe sailed and eventually invaded Africa, was simply because of imperial motives. The objectives were attain: the continent was raped and balkanized, the people were traumatised, the soil was exploited, and the cultural values were changed. Everything was changed including our identity. As Frantz Fanon observed “they realize at last that change does not mean reform, that change does not mean improvement.” NO, because it has been more 5 decades since Africa is said to be independent. By independent, I mean self-governed. For the past 50 years, can we say that Africa is a better place than it was during the colonial? Are Africans happier, healthier secured and better educated than they were under colonialism? If we can be objective to ourselves, then, the answer is NO! why? The many leaders that governed us from independence to date, are either greedy, corrupt, incompetent or simply Western puppets. They have failed us abysmally. And those of them that a vision were either assassinated (Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara, Murtala Muhammed) or forced out of power (Kwame Nkrumah et Sekou Toure). As for the current African leaders, it is just a shame!. They are callous, immoral, incompetent, hypocrite, greedy. They have bastardised the word LEADERSHIP and GOVERNANCE. Most them seek political offices for self-aggrandisement. African leaders, their families and cronies have shamefully turned the State to a private enterprise. And the ordinary citizens are unhelpfully experiencing poverty, insecurity and lack basic amenities in their daily life. It is pitiable! Africa´s images has been tarnished, and Africans living elsewhere are suffering of racism and denigration. It is not late for us to chane the status quo. if China can, then WE CAN! “What matters is not to know the world but to change it.”
Posted on: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 23:11:46 +0000
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