Afrika’s Failure

Why do we keep failing ourselves?

A while ago, I saw a meme on Facebook by someone I really don’t know,  but the title of the meme is “Robert Mugabe Quotes”. The quote says:

“When they move from Europe to Africa = Voyages of discovery.

When we move from Africa to Europe = illegal immigrants.

A group of Africans in Europe = Refugees.

A group of Europeans in Africa = Tourists.

A group of Africans in the bush = Poachers.

A group of Europeans in the bush = Hunters.

Black people working in a foreign country = Foreigners.

White people working in a foreign country = Expatriates.

The world has failed Africa.”

Certainly, all of the above are just the tip of the iceberg of some of the many issues we face as Afrikans especially in relation to the world. And by the world I mean nations that are not in Afrika or those that are not Afrikans.

To speak the truth, I think the entire world has wronged Afrikans one way or the other and there is need for changes. But the bigger truth for me really is that Afrikans themselves are the very problems of Afrikans. I know this claim will not go down well with many, especially because I do not have luxury of a huge space to give lots of examples. But let me start by saying, we Afrikans simply hate and undermine our own Afrikaness and thus whatever the white man or yellow man or even any other “color man” does to us is nothing compared to what we do with and against ourselves. This is my opinion and I think I am entitled to one.

As an Afrikan, if you have traveled around Afrika, you will notice that the very same ill-treatment Afrikans receive when they go out of Afrika to either Europe, America or any  where else, is the very same one we as Afrikans give to ourselves. Somehow, it’s like Afrikans are even helping non-Afrikans to hate Afrikans like themselves. It sounds very weird but a closer look will show you these things.

If you want to understand more of what I am saying, post on your Facebook timeline something like “As an Afrikan, which is the best or worst Afrikan country you have traveled to?” You will be surprised at the volume of hate and bile pouring out from Afrikans against themselves in response to such question.

Personally, these things make me wonder if Afrikans even understand that no matter which Afrikan country they are from, it is the same problem of lack of development, globalist agenda to re-enslave them, the constant push by the foreign nations to steal their resources or even exterminate them that they all are facing. All Afrikan nations are dealing with the same issues of weak and compromised governments and the one sure way that Afrikans in Afrika can make changes or create anything meaningful out of the Afrikan narrative is to work together. Afrikans need to create what they want and not that mindless bile and hate they throw at each other.

They love when we fight ourselves

The other day I saw an article that was talking about some young Ugandans and Nigerians working together to create a children’s animation series that will be premiered on  Disney sometime in 2023 or so. I was so excited that such a collaboration is happening. I love such collaborations not because they have anything to do with Disney (of a truth we should have our own Disneys and Netflixs or any other name we choose by now) but because Afrikans from two different regions (East and West) saw the beauty of working together and they are actually doing it. It was refreshing to know of such collaboration and I tell you of a truth, we need more of such. Why is this important? The best way to steal land or anything from a family or a people is to keep the siblings fighting themselves. This is the true nature of divide and conquer and also why the “wars” and terror groups in Afrika don’t end.

For while Afrikans are fighting themselves in the cities small airplanes are taking minerals out of Afrika through hidden airstrips in the jungles.

Recently I read from different sources that rich Afrikans are running out of Afrika to buy citizenship outside. While we run away to the false greener pastures, we leave open the real greener pastures in Afrika for hyenas to ravage.

Why do we hate our differences?

I remember when I first came to Kenya in 2016, I had issues with the food at first. I was used to the Nigerian recipes that use quite a lot of spices like pepper for meals unlike the Kenyan food that lacks those spices. It was hard at first but after a while, I got used to it. The question now is this. Did the Kenyan food change in order for me to like it? Not at all. The only thing that changed was me and my mindset. I simply grew up. I simply realized that God enjoys our diversity and that’s why He made us different and it will be nothing but foolishness on my part to use my difference as tool for bile and hate. So for me, lots of people need to grow up and realize that their biases and mindsets about a thing or against others does not make them so.

And that’s why when I see educated people speak or write mindless things or casting shade about the natural differences in others, it makes me wonder if what they really have is education or mis-education.

To back up to what I was saying about Facebook posts and the responses of Afrikans to themselves, I saw one where a similar question was asked on a group. There were so many responses and you could tell that most of those responses were nothing but the ignorant responses of those who are too small in their minds to see the wisdom in differences. For instance, some Kenyans were saying that they like Nigerian movies but hate the spices in their foods. In my mind I was thinking, are these Kenyans even aware that Mombasa, which is one of the oldest counties in Kenya is known for its spices, both locally and internationally? In fact, there is a section in Mombasa’s main market where spices are sold. If you were blind and stepped into that part of the market, you wouldn’t need anyone to tell you that you were in a spice market. So what could be the basis for the Kenyans hating the Nigerian spice when it’s the same very same spice that is in Mombasa. I could not figure that out. But it shows one thing, we argue and fight among ourselves over things that simple thinking , a renewed mind and wisdom should resolve and then complain that the white man is against the black man. It’s absolutely unthinkable for me and a great slap on the Afrikan intelligence.

Afrika’s problem is Afrikans

Yes I am very aware of the evils that are done by foreign powers behind the scene of every problem facing Afrika, but I am also aware that no man can steal the property of a warrior except the warrior was first bound and then his goods stolen. And this obviously, is where the aspect of the compromised governments in Afrikacome to the forefront. There are lots of examples to speak of concerning this issue. Take for instance,Boko Haram in the Northern part of Nigeria kidnapped a group of young girls from a village some years ago. Some of the girls were found but some are still missing. A few weeks ago prior to writing this article, a 27 year old American named Philip Walton was rescued by a group of American special forces from the hands of extremist captors. He was captured at his home in the neighboring Niger Republic  but was rescued in Nigeria. Based on the various stories flying around, it appears the Nigerian government and military was not aware of the rescue mission until the entire operation was done. But how true this aspect is, I am not very sure.

The story was in the news for a few days and it quickly died away just as it came. But my question is this, how is it possible that the Nigerian government and the military could not resolve the issue of Boko Haram after all these years but the American special forces knows exactly where to go and then rescue one of their own citizens? Could the security issues in Nothern Nigeria be one of the many results of the compromises of the Nigerian government or some other hidden agendas? I really don’t know.  But one thing I know is that, there is a limit to what can happen in Afrika without the help of the Afrikans themselves. Either for good or for bad.

Take another example, every now and then you hear cases of foreigners coming to remote villages in Afrika to set up research centres where they use the locals as lab rats for such research. You wonder how they manage to get such permission and land for such evil projects. But that brings me to another question. Who is sabotaging the greatness and rising of the Afrikan people?

What about visas for Afrikans within Afrika?

A while ago, my wife and I were talking about the issue of visas and immigration matters in Afrika, and how hard it is for Afrikans to move arroundAfrika just because some people sat down during colonialism and drew imaginary lines in their heads and then called them national borders on papers. We made a joke about how easy it is for animals in the Mara or Serengeti to pass through multiple national borders during their migrations without any immigration officers asking them any questions. In fact, the animals are even protected by national laws against illegal hunting or criminal poaching. Humans from all parts of the world, including Afrikans come to view these massive migrations, paying crazy amounts of money for such viewing. In my head, I am thinking that this is nothing but foolishness and a waste of useful thinking. How did we even as Afrikans get to the point where animals have more rights of movement  acrossAfrika and free border crossing than humans. It just does not make any sense to me. We may say “How else are Afrikan nations going to make money from tourism?”. My answer is simple. Tourism or animal watching  was never supposed to be an avenue for making money, if we had been faithful with the other underground natural resources we were given by God. So I completely agree with Bishop Maponga when he said that (not quoting verbatim) tourism is what happens when foreigners come to Afrika to see the very same things that they have destroyed in their own countries. But what about Afrikans paying out of their noses to cross imaginary borders across Afrika?

Absolute nonsense! We have to change that.