All hail the lier; Africa the Outlier

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At this time, Africa even though not tipped as a hotspot destination in the class of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) remains very potent and full of prospects. But, at least they say we are an emerging economy. I am still waiting for that faithless Thomas to refute this notion. The truth is that Africa remains the hub of untapped opportunities. This is inspite of untold exploitation of the peoples by the forces of imperialism and colonialism who in centuries past milked the "dark continent". My bone of contention today is not to do an expose on the ills of the divide and rule system that was employed by the British Empire. I am not about to slice and dice the harrowing deceit of the French policy of assimilation. The Portuguese exploitation of my African brothers leaves a bad taste in the mouth. I am not even about to debate the downsides/upsides of colonialism. It is a widely held notion by some protagonists that the white man did us (Africa) a whole good by intervening in the affairs of the Dark Continent. They say we were very barbaric and so crude that we needed illumination. (This is arguable. Isn't everything contestable?). It is also of an esteemed moral truth that no man has the right to lord it over a fellow man which is an argument against colonialism. I hope this doesn't appear as a racial outburst. Far from it. I uphold the equality of all men irrespective of their creed, status or gender. Enough said.

Today, my bone of contention is that of a clarion call for the black man to take his rightful place. I am loyal to the brotherhood. My identity as a black man gives expression to my status as member of the global college of homo-sapiens. I am interested in the advancement of the human race but I desire more for the black man at a time like this. The contribution of the black man to the development of human race cannot be over-emphasized. The black man's contribution goes down into history as flawless and trailblazing. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BLACK MAN.

The purpose of this piece is to remind my African brothers and sisters the unequivocal responsibility that is laid upon us at this time. The other day I was reading through the pages of the Voice of Reason by the Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo where he elucidated severally the need for us (Africans) to take our right place. He spoke vociferously on the need for Africa to chart her own course. We must set forth at dawn. We must chart our own cause. We must passionately re-define our lot. We must embrace the virtues of a free people by leveraging on the frontiers that the Creator and nature has bestowed on us for us to be able to negotiate in the global environment from a vantage position.

The future is no longer a distant prospect. We have the opportunity to position Africa as a leading continent. There will be no time when a foreigner will develop our own land for us. Why do we think folks love coming to our continent in the first place? These are interesting times. Africa in the light of global convergence may as well capitalise on the prospects. For us to be able to achieve good life for all, we must pay the price. I have ruminated on a number of factors. These factors are indeed critical to the achievement of a prosperous Africa. A prosperous Africa is one where Africans have an undiluted definition of their identity and an unrepentant poise to determine our own faith. The price of greatness is not for the faint hearted. Our creativity and hardwork will have to embrace excellence and benevolence. Selfishness tendencies and the perpetration of self (Me, myself & I) will have to submit to the dictates of a big heart. In all of these, we will do well to collaborate with well-wishers across board; irrespective of their convictions. I strongly advise that we do not align with any Eastern or Western bloc. Africa must take a neutral position.

I have taken the liberty to list the following as being critical to the mission to position Africa as a leading continent.

1.    We must first and foremost define our identity. Every individual must clearly articulate his/her identity. The role of governments in African states in this order will be to protect the integrity of every African living in Africa and any other part of the world. We have a history and we must re-visit our history; embrace and re-order it for our own good. It is near impossible to chart a new course outside a clear state of identity.

2.    Education in the modern world is not negotiable. The African must be enlightened on the need to be able to distinguish. Respect for human life must become a cardinal virtue. The mind is critical to any meaningful change. Ideological revolution is central to the struggle to liberate us.

3.    Africans in all works of life must activate the economic potentials of already established geographical clusters. The African Union (AU) must re-think it’s organs to reflect the spirit of the day. The organisation must re-invent itself. Africans must respect the rights of Africans and the citizens of the world.

4.    Social Capital. The vices of corruption must be abolished systematically. It is true that sin is no doubt ingrained into man's nature but our value system must be rooted in the deliberate elimination of all tendencies/practices that are anti-developmental and anti-people. From an economic perspective, the breakdown and erosion of the trust quotient is a significant negative for our ability to trade and create wealth. Africans must take on every corrupt entity and bring them to justice. A new style of leadership must emerge.

5.    Entrepreneurship & Capitalism. The creativity of Africans; young and old must be encouraged. Africans must self-exploit their own resources. We must develop our own resources on our own terms. Nations with single revenue centers must exploit other options. Agriculture remains a veritable source for us in Africa. We must seek to leverage modern technologies. Self-sufficiency must be encouraged. We Africans must step up the ante towards becoming creators and innovators of excellence. We must migrate from being predominant consumers to manufacturers. This is imperative in our bid to maintain favorable balance of payment and trade. Africanisation of key strategic sectors should be pursued irrevocably. Inordinate private monopoly must be outlawed. If we must practice capitalism we must play by the rules of open market and free market enterprise. As it relates to attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), we must define the modus operandi. The philosophy in using other people’s money should be protective of the sovereignty of the people of Africa. Whenever a man depends on another for survival, such a situation is tantamount to colonisation. We have succeeded in securing political independence in our continent. Economic Colonisation is with us today.

The historical antecedents of the people of Africa especially our travails in the hands of our colonial masters must propel us to chart a new course for ourselves and our generations to come. We must never be in denial of our past because it no doubt defines us. We must be aware of the woes of new colonization.

Africa must rise up and chart her own course. The future is no longer a distant prospect.