AFRICA. IS THERE REALLY A SILVER LINING AHEAD OF US?

Growing up as a young boy in Lagos Nigeria, I often read in a book most educated Nigerians read too, ‘Mastering English’, published probably by Macmillan. In the book there was a comprehension passage that headlined “Africa the Dark Continent”, whenever I read the passage I was very angry and always questioned the decision to label Africa the dark continent, although I never asked anyone, but growing up, interacting with the outside world and fortunately leaving the country for greener pasture, I’ve seen the reason(s) why Africa was, is and still would be called, The Dark Continent. You can hate or love me for my conclusion but I’ll give you facts as a scientist to toe on my line of thinking. Other continents have their own problems but I really don’t care because Home is the Best, why care for others when clearly your home isn’t safe, it all amounts to hypocrisy or total contempt.

Africa a land so blessed by God, but appears cursed and destined for failure by the actions of its inhabitants especially its leaders past and present, it’s often said Greed, Corruption and Bad Governance are the ills that has plagued African Leadership I duly agree to that fact. The earlier we realize that the head means a lot the better, one can be paralyzed but with a proper functioning brain or head can still make it in this life, but an insane person cannot simply because his/her brain is almost useless, same applies to leadership not only in Africa but elsewhere applicable in the world.

The problem with leadership in Africa, is that the leaders fail to realize that Governance is the interactions between the public and private aimed at solving societal problems and creating societal opportunities. Once this realization sets in the things would be better. Politics in Africa is seen as a dirty, deadly and disastrous game which ought not to be, History, past and present occurrences attest to that known fact. To admit that we both love the way Africa does things would be a huge lie and the greatest form of foolishness (deceiving oneself).

In my beloved Africa, election season= Blood shedding season, hardly would an election take place in Africa with no fewer that 50 people dying of election related violence. Why? In fact that is the main purpose of this write-up. Countries like Yours truly Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Somali, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and most recently the trios of Egypt, Ivory Coast and Libya, have all pushed us to the brink, and as humans we cannot telepath so we have to fight back which is what my Middle-Eastern counterparts are presently doing. Although I personally don’t approve of protester using heavy weaponry to fight the government, it’s pure stupidity, the President is the Grand Commander of the Armed Forces and has pool of resources both men and machines to call upon to rid rebels off the streets, as is seen in the case with Libya and Ivory coast.

The failure of leadership in Africa cannot be over-emphasized , the roads, economy, education, mental state, health status and general well being of its people is a just recompense of the leadership, however must people continue to suffer for a sin they knew nothing about? Kenneth Minogue, said Politics is the activity which the framework of human life is sustained though it is not life itself. This in its entirety cannot be denied, the drawbacks of the continents can be placed squarely on bad-leadership but also bad-followership is also a concern, Africans are too scared to speak out, the West are hell bent on co-operating with these bad leader provided they play ball.

With current event unfolding in the region, there seems to be no –way out, the reason why I asked if realistically there is a silver lining beyond the cloud of distress and despondency? Let posterity judge me and my words, I’ve always been a pessimist ( seeing is believing) in many issues about Africa and in this case I still am, however in another part of my mind I exhibit optimism that things would get better in no time, but for now I’m adopting an approach described by a great Statesman Late Chief Bola Ige as the “siddon dey look approach”. However if change is to occur it must begin with you and I. below are some reason why I asked that question, is there really a silver lining ahead of African? I use current events in various African countries as a tool of measurement, an index to what becomes of our future; it’s often said look at the past you can almost tell the future.

NIGERIA: The most populous black nation on planet earth, with an estimated population of over 150 million people, with elections being around the corner, pardon me this piece was originally written last year on the 14 December 2011, so I’m adding some latest development to it. The election(parliamentary) was originally scheduled to take place last week but circumstances within our control disallowed that, watching the event on Cable Network News (CNN) last week, CNN’s Anchor Jonathan Mann was stupefied and kept asking why INEC made such a big mistake blaming it on the relief efforts to Japan, what correlation exist between both events? The previous election was tainted with electoral malpractice, disenfranchisement through coercion and threat of violent activities or death, stolen mandates, some of which were returned to the rightful owner after months, years in and out of Courts, people like Dr Rauf Aregbesola of AC, Olesugen Mimiko of LP, Rotimi Chibuke Amaechi of PDP, Peter Obi of APGA and others whom I can’t recall. Already PDP has already positioned its rigging machinery in place, first it distracted the populace with ZONING, something not seen or found in the 1999 Amended Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria, it’s a PDP thing but the polity was filled with it, the idea of zoning by the PDP is sheer stupidity and immaturity it mean no one is read to serve why argue that this ethnic group has ruled for too long and need to give way for another governance is a mission not a vocation, yes the South of Nigeria has been marginalized especially the South Easterners but is that a criteria for the job? No I don’t think so, the South Easterners are the architect of their own downfall. As United States Greatest president puts it Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people, anything over or below this isn’t democracy. Translating people should be able to chose their leader irrespective of ethnic affiliations, attachments or geo-political locations whatsoever. However it must be noted that pre-election violence appears to be at its low presently how post-election remains so.

KENYA: the pre and post electoral violence in that country was one like never before but Zimbabwe and now ivory coast both dwarfed it. It rocked the entire continent and East Africa as a whole, clashes between supportersof incumbent president Mwai Kibaki and incumbent Prime Minister Raila Odinga . the situation was so tense that Kenyans had to seek succor in neighboring African countries, all because two out of all the men in the country wanted to rule the country, I must stress a known fact “if a man wants to really serve his country violence shouldn’t be seen as the last means, he is obliged to seek election and taken any grievances he has against the result to an Election Tribunal Court.

Good news seems to be oozing out of that region, recently 6- top rated men in Kenya were made to stand trial before an the ICC in the Hague Netherlands, at least monkey don go market no return, other Africans causing havoc watch out. 

ZIMBABWE: almost same situation with Kenya only that it took its own to the next level by heavily clamping down on the political gladiator and his troops, Opposition leader and current Prime Minister Mr. Morgan Tsvangari was dealt with, in so much that he had to be hospitalized, was it President Robert Mugabe that sent his attackers, it remains to be seen, one day monkey go go market e no go come back. Inflation rate in the country is at a record high, only the extremely rich can afford a loaf of bread, poverty engulfs the whole nation, what baffles me is how Mugabe reduced himself to this state. He came in as a Hero, a Moses to lead his people to the Promised Land in the year I was born and since then has done little to redeem that image, and right now he’s equal to Zero, maybe he wants to die in office like my late President. African leaders simply don’t know when to vacate office and leave power to other people, power corrupts, however absolute power corrupts absolutely.