LEADERSHIP FOR THE AFRICA WE WANT.

LEADERSHIP FOR THE AFRICA WE WANT.

 “Through our scientific genius we made the world a neighborhood and now through our moral and ethical commitment, we must all learn to live together as brothers or will all perish together as fools” --MARTIN LUTHER-KING JR.   

 This write up is more than a call for indemnity to blacks. It is an invitation to all the people of the world to re-examine their roles in the affairs of the continent and re-dedicate their persons and resources to her growth and development.This is essentially an appeal to blacks both at home and in the Diaspora, to sever our minds from the development of sufficient continental integrity to our erstwhile colonizers to join our movements towards self-sufficiency.  On the other hand, blacks are here called to self-improvement, to build capacity for the future. On the other, those who have foisted unequal relations on them are asked to pay their dues. Let us switch on the light rather than continue to curse the darkness. 

 Africa the most blessed of all continents in the world is the roots/origin of all Negroid on earth. As many of you already know, the colonization of Africa by Europeans which lasted for nearly five hundred years consisted primarily of the whole sale exploitation of our natural resources and the removal of both large numbers of human beings and vast amounts of raw materials. This enormous evil was, and continues to be compounded by the fact that the hallmark of this odious enterprise was that its operation required little or no infrastructure. That is why after centuries of suffering, most of Africa was left with what can only be described as a bare skeleton of the apparatus required for economic development and effective administration.

 However as a result of the balkanization of the continent, the Africa of the European colonial expression persists and the resultant chaos and disorders have equally affected Africans in the Diaspora who as products of European slavery now find it difficult to trace their roots. One of the most enduring legacies of European exploitation of Africa has been the forcible removal of millions of Africans. I am convinced that enslavement of our people deprived the continent of so many of its young people and consequently placed a very low ceiling on our future development potential for many years to come. It is very clear that the future course of African development cannot escape the negative impact of these historical antecedents.

 Taking the example of French colonization in Africa, the French who administered their large African possessions as French West Africa and equatorial Africa-2 countries- were the same people who divided them into 17 nations at independence. In my personal reflections I have always thought of the Afro-Americans as the biblical Joseph who was sold into slavery by misguided brothers who professed to be patriots, Joseph was not unduly embittered, he was later to become the rescuer of his people from the poverty and injustices in which they found themselves. The Afro-American commitment of the African cause has proverbial values. That commitment will not be duly realized until they support wholeheartedly and contribute to the development of their brothers and sisters here in Africa. The struggle for the independence of African nations has started by Afro-Americans. I need not go too much into that history but political independence for a fragmented people has exposed them to worse exploitation.

The Afro-American is strategically placed to help Africa develop towards a profitable future. This is a fact which must be recognized by all and sundry. I am sure the dream of the immortal MARTIN LUTHER KING JR which is indeed an African dream will manifest fully and the black man where ever he finds himself will be able to hold his head high.  We are bound to succeed, let us share the joy of bearing witness to the process; the seed of which Africa has the fountain and reserves to water and nourish, let us make hay now while the sun is shining today much brighter than ever before on our side. The times are in our favor and by the grace of GOD we will get there.

The American heritage dictionary defines Africa as “THE SECOND LARGEST CONTINENT IN THE EASTERN HERMISPHERE” south of Europe and between the Atlantic and the Indian oceans.” Africa is about 11,500,000 square miles and has a population of more than 500,000,000. This definition is merely geographical. It is not possible to discuss Africa without due references to the Africans in America, the Caribbean and other parts of the world. I should therefore not hesitate to state that while the main focus of my write up will be on the African continent, there will be occasions when my emphasis will be on black people generally.

 Africa and its indigenes were always misinterpreted until the latter half of the nineteenth century. The Europeans knew little about the interior of Africa. By then much had been learnt about America, Asia and Australia. Because the Europeans knew little about Africa then, this was why Stanley the British explored the Congo basin, the Stanley falls on this river is called after his name. Most of the inhabitants of Africa are black in complexion and perhaps this was the second reason why the words “DARK CONTINENT” were applied to Africa. One may ask why the inland part of Africa was unknown until about one hundred years ago. Many are of the opinion that this was because the natives of Africa were not friendly towards Europeans. Until then, Arab slave raiders had been enslaving Africans. This made many Negroes look upon all white people as slave dealers. But we must not forget the difficulties in exploring Africa. The Sahara desert, the rapids on rivers and thick forests made traveling very difficult. The damp, heat, mosquitoes and flies caused illness to European explorers at the onset of African nationalism; the primary goal was the attainment of political independence. This objective was self-evident in the now famous statement of the president of Ghana.

 Dr Kwame Nkrumah suggested that we should “seek first the political kingdom and all else will be added unto.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Olajide Ojeniyi is a Creative Writer, Think Tank and a Tech Innovator. He is an Advisory Board member at The Black Policy Institute, United Kingdom. He is a Creative Intelligentsia who has been collaborating with likeminded individuals to take on social-economic problems around Africa. He can be reached at BIGJYDO@GMAIL.COM

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