For quite a long time , African leaders have become adept at externalizing blame , holding others responsible for Africa’s failures. However , truth be told , African leaders – not a lack of capital , access to international markets or technical know how are solely to blame for the continent’s underdevelopment .It’s ironic how ideologies like equality , free education for all and economic development for the majority were chanted restlessly before most of the African states attained independence . Fast forward to 2018 , this clinchè is over , reality is creeping in. Corruption ,mass killing of our own , terrorism ,economic recession , so this is freedom?.
To begin with , it should be clearly understood that the political elite which benefits from the status quo is the main obstacle to reform in Africa. It is very pathetic that these African leaders have been surpassing every limit in order to lure Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) , which however seem to be farfetched , they use that as a scapegoat to justify why masses are languishing in poverty .This is quite paradoxical because it doesn’t mean there isn’t local players who have the capacity to inject money and transform the economies . The only predicament is that the private sector is often not private at all . It is rather an elite-linked system of rent-seeking . Even if to some extend there is a degree of private sector independence , government’s attitude toward genuine private businesses range from suspicion to outright hostility. As an aftermath , once again economic development is stifled . It then leaves one to wonder ‘ if this is freedom ‘.
Furthermore , it’s quite nonsensical and myopic to ascertain that Africa is poor because it lacks natural resources compared to other parts of the world . The uncontested truth is that the African continent is rich in natural resources from agricultural land , precious minerals to wildlife and hydro power. However the misfortune of underdevelopment and poverty lies on the fact that all these resources are being used to only enrich elites , spread corrupt practices and divert development energy and focus . It is therefore this cancer that the African community need fight if freedom is to become a reality , otherwise for the majority it will remain a ” pie in the sky ”
To elucidate further , there has never been the right time for the African community than now to become fluent in the language of action . Africans need to demand action , expect it and when by chance they are offered words instead of action , then they must brush them aside for the worthless distractions they are . Africans should refuse to be docile and hoodwinked, but rather take up the watchdog role which used to be only a preserve for the media. Absurdly, the media to a greater extend is failing to expose the corrupt tendencies of the leaders by shielding them under ” cheque book journalism”. If the masses also take up the watchdog role , it will make it difficult for ” Uncle Toms who succeed in pleasing none in a bid to please everyone” to dice with the En masse’s lives , swinging them swiftly like a pendulum, for this is not the freedom that Africa want.
To add more , the barbaric unfolding of events in Africa resembles that of the biblical Tower of Babel where God imposed confusion amongst the people by making sure each one of them spoke a different language . This was because when building the tower ,they had wicked intentions. Likewise , the African continent has also become a hub of state sponsored terrorism , civil wars . The gist of the argument to all this lies on the fact that African leaders don’t realise that “ Africans are on their own “ . Nobody , but Africa itself will solve it’s impending problems. It however becomes problematic , if Africa tortures , kidnaps and kills it’s own.No wonder why the African continent is still lagging behind in terms of development. As the so-called revolutionaries chant “ divided we fall” , Africa is indeed falling, and whoever is benefitting from this incapacity will make sure that Africa will not rise and develop its own capacity . As for how long this charade will go on , nobody knows , but time will tell!
Today's Truths 