How can a Cemetery be Developed?

The statement in the above post that has been in circulation via social media may not have been said by Russian President, Vladimir Putin or reported by Al jazeera; but it is an undeniable fact about Africa.

Some hoodlums who lobbied their way into politics and leadership of African nations have turned Africa to a ghost land, and gradually, well meaning Africans who cannot beat them started dancing to their tunes.

Africans so much love everything about the whites – their goods and services, even the words from their mouth, whether good or bad, that they spend no time to see the rich content of Africa. These hoodlums exploit Africa and Africans to enrich other continents of the world, and yet, they feel so proud of their foolish achievements.

I don’t blame the whites for seeing Africa as a home that needs their charity. Africans boost the economy of the whites by hiding stolen money in foreign banks, by their high dependency and patronage of foreign goods and services; so, the best way other continents can say ‘thank you’ to Africans is through aids and charity. At least they are not ungrateful; they are highly appreciative of the foolishness of Africans.

The question now is: How long shall Africa remain a cemetery for Africans?

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

AFRICA – A POLITICALLY FREE BUT ECONOMICALLY CHAINED CONTINENT

African countries were only granted political independence from their colonial masters to govern themselves; that explains why Africans still live like slaves till date. From the look of things, there is no evidence that Africans are truly independent. After independence, the foundations of exploitation and self depreciation laid by the colonial masters for Africans were raised higher, been painted and furnished by the sequence of African leaders from then till date. 

Before colonization, Africa is blessed with mineral resources, efficient manpower, good political culture and well grounded culture. If there is nothing good in Africa, nothing could have attracted the whites. They spied and saw so much wealth and ability in Africa and craved for it. They therefore came armed, to subdue Africans and exploit them. Africans, being so gullible, became victims of circumstances till date. The whites made away with African treasures and able bodied men of Africa to develop their place so that they can Lord over us. Africans developed Europe and America, yet they remain underdeveloped.

Boateng, Osei once wrote: “The African people so dominant in America’s southern states did not go there as tourists. Their ancestors were dragged screaming and wailing into the ships that took them there as slaves. They were full-blooded Africans whose sweat, tears and unpaid labour built the wealth of the country and empire we now called the United States of America”.

Consequently, Washington Alcott wrote: “The transatlantic slave trade caused the forced removal from Africa of millions of Africans. This number included a large percentage of skilled tradesmen and women from a range of occupations and professions who were making their contribution to African societies. Without them, African societies themselves were weakened”.

Africans have been under pressure ever since and even much more now that we govern ourselves. African wealth has been in circulation among the few smart Africans among whom are not even qualified to be in authority while the unprivileged many wallow in abject poverty. The worst case among them are the unemployed who are neither working to receive their salary nor self employed, as those amenities that encourages self employment like power supply, good and accessible roads, fair policies, etc are not in place. Others are peasant farmers, traders, labourers, house helps, etc. who eat from hand to mouth on daily basis and who suffer so much abuse and humiliation in the hands of government agencies; official and unofficial and in the hands of their masters and mistresses respectively, because justice for them is very hard to come by. To the leaders of Africa, these people don’t exist and therefore, their opinion will not count, yet their votes fix these leaders in their offices. If the educated ones, who are barely considered while making policy are being deceived and exploited during campaign and elections, how much more the citizens who are considered nonexistent?

Any little favour from the government is applauded by most enlightened Africans, how much more those who are menial workers and who do not have access to Radio, TV, not to talk of social media tools. These set of people are only remembered when it comes to population statistics for election engineering, resource allocations and international relations. These set of people are those that frequent prayer houses and churches most because they know that something is wrong somehow with them and to them, it could be witches and wizards from their villages, and curses from their fore fathers that is hunting them. They don’t ever link their problems and suffering to selfish leaders and politicians who have taken over from the colonial masters. At that point of mental imbalance and frustration, they take the men of God or pastor they trust as their messiah; then the so called man of God will complete the evil of exploitation and abuse that politicians and leaders have engineered.

This group that fall in the lowest class is the first to be affected whenever there is a new policy or government decision to expand road, renovate the market, beautify the roads, etc. They are the most affected when flood or any natural disaster occurs. They are always affected in all these without any plan or pre-arrangement to protect them or make sure they get on by. They are usually the ones used as thugs by selfish politicians, they are ones easily recruited into gangs and terrorist groups and when they die, they perish like animals, as if they are not citizens.

African countries celebrate their independence yearly, not minding how these lower class people are fairing. This class of people has over the years been treated by their fellow Africans the same way the whites treated Africans in the time past. It is therefore not wrong to say that Africans generally are politically free from the whites but are still slaves to white men ideology which the smarter Africans have long cultivated and applied to oppress the unfortunate ones.

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

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AFRICA AND THE ‘ANIMAL FARM’ SCENARIO

Are Africans Really Independent?

I will never forget George Orwell’s book titled Animal Farm because the message it contains never seem to go out of season. In the novel; Animal Farm, George Orwell exposed a lot about stages of slavery like: how common people are being exploited, People’s awareness of enslavement and their desire to be free, and when that freedom is achieved, their experience of the real slavery in a romantic like setting, etc. People who read that book must have understood it as animal folk tale, cartoon, battle between animals and humans, etc.; but I saw Africa in that novel. Almost all the countries in Africa were colonized by those stronger than them. On the grounds of International Relations, Africans were exploited and African treasures were looted to countries mightier than it. For the blood sheds, the pain and bitterness they felt, the toiling in vain, and all they went through in the hands of their slave masters, Africans fought for their freedom and they have all achieved that freedom. At Independence, every African country celebrated their independence and still celebrates same on yearly basis as a memorial for their day of freedom. The question now is: Are Africans really free?

Buy The Truth And Sell It Not

Achieving independence is a different thing from being free. It is certain that man can never be free because we are either serving people or being served. But there is a level of freedom man need to attain in order to be happy. Ignorance is the problem of Africans. Africans are not physically lazy but they are mentally lazy. Africans don’t reason. Africans don’t seem to connect different phenomena to draw a reasonable conclusion that will guide them in their decisions. In the novel Animal Farm, The animals achieved the freedom they fought for and made simple rules of equality among themselves to guide them; but a greedy and selfish Napoleon arose among them and deceived them into believing what they know is wrong but are not sure. Napoleon gradually deceived or brain washed the rest of the animals until they chased out the leader who meant well for them. Napoleon also gradually changed their freedom laws to laws that will enslave them the more. Yet, even though they know the truth, they kept playing the ignorant fools. Africans are independent from their colonial masters but are still rooted deep in slavery.

Why Sell Your Birthright?

During elections, Africans prefer to vote in the person who shares money, rice, etc that lasts for a while than that person with humanitarian values and principles. African attitude to voting has kept so many good leaders away from the political field. We claim to be independent yet, we remain slaves to our greedy and selfish leaders; who have copied everything they said is not right with our colonial masters and even added their own capitalist attributes. Little wonder, all African countries have issues in their governance structure.

Freedom For Slavery

This is not the Africa that David Diop envisaged when he wrote the poem ‘Africa My Africa’. Then, he saw Africa as a continent suffering in obedience to her colonial masters. He saw African continent as a strong and mighty tree that will grow someday to take shield under itself. He never expected an Africa that will turn back to stand against her progress after her great war of defense. Unknown to David Diop, that freedom he so much dreamt of has ushered in another era of slavery; a modernized and grammatical form of slavery coated by ‘the more you look, the less you see apparel’, whereby the masses have become victims to political slave masters and MMM pastors. Africans lost hope in their leaders and resorted to church and prayers; but instead of finding refuge in the building called church, they are been exploited the more because the so called men of God or pastors have turned the church buildings to MMM offices; no thanks to ignorance and inability to reason that has continued to enslave the Africans, hence, she has continued to exchange her freedom for a different level of slavery.

Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis

Till date, all most all the African countries are still underdeveloped because of bad governance and self imposed slavery. According to Sun Newspaper of December 15, there is war going on in Cameroon and the Cameroonians are fleeing from their country. The Sun Newspaper reported that it began last year as peaceful protests by Anglophone activists against Cameroon’s Francophone-dominated elite, when the former perceived a sign of marginalization by the later. Consequently, Sun Newspaper noted that the English speakers make up less than a fifth of the population of Cameroon, concentrated in former British territory near the Nigerian border that was joined to the French-speaking Republic of Cameroon the year after its independence in 1960 and that French speakers have dominated the country’s politics since.

Wake Up Africa

From the ongoing in Cameroon, it is clear that even though Africans celebrate independence, she has not really gained total freedom from her colonial masters. When will Africans be free from Anglophone and francophone interference in her governance? When will she concentrate and focus on her development, making do with her own culture, resources and manpower? When will Africans get rid of her mental clumsiness and wake up to build her continent? Every humiliating step we take will always land us in the territory of slave masters. If Libyans can treat Nigerians as slaves and if South Africans treat the rest of Africans as outcasts, where else will Africans be free? Africans need to take a step of freedom and be free, as she is the one enslaving herself with the chains of ignorance, greed and selfishness. She needs to learn to be free. She needs to equip herself mentally to take the right decision that will guarantee her freedom. Then, she will be valued and respected anywhere in the world.

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

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Readers Are Leaders

If Africa must be a developed continent then Africans need to grow up . This growth is about maturity. Growth is not about covering our naked bodies with expensive and fanciful wears, it is not about driving expensive cars that are built to manage Nigerian roads, it is not about being able to afford medical treatment abroad, it is not about getting education in a foreign land developed by human beings like us; growth is about the quality of knowledge that we have acquired and able to apply for our own good, it is about our ability to reason and bring about mental revolution. The revolution that will tell us that when we build our roads well, we will spend less in transportation. It will teach us that when we equip our hospitals, we don't need to waste our money going for medical treatment abroad. It will teach us that when we invest in education and employ the right teachers, our certificate will be valued anywhere in the world and we don't need to spend too much money schooling abroad. This mental revolution will only be achieved when we read with understanding and task our brain to reason.

I can't help but share the speech below made by Dee Lee, Harvard Financial Educator. No matter how wise, intelligent and smart we claim to be as Africans, we are not there yet until we get there. The truth must be told. Read on!

Dee Lee is a CFP Harvard Financial Educator

THEY ARE STILL OUR SLAVES

We can continue to reap profits from the Blacks without the effort of physical slavery Look at the current methods of containment that they use on themselves: IGNORANCE, GREED, and SELFISHNESS.

Their IGNORANCE is the primary weapon of containment. A great man once said, “The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book.” We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the opportunity to read any book on any subject through the efforts of their fight for freedom, yet they refuse to read. There are numerous books readily available at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com, not to mention their own Black Bookstores that provide solid blueprints to reach economic equality (which should have been their fight all along), but few read consistently, if at all.

GREED is another powerful weapon of containment. Blacks, since the abolition of slavery, have had large amounts of money at their disposal. Last year they spent 10 billion dollars during Christmas, out of their 450 billion dollars in total yearly income (2.22%).

Any of us can use them as our target market, for any business venture we care to dream up, no matter how outlandish, they will buy into it. Being primarily a consumer people, they function totally by greed. They continually want more, with little thought for saving or investing.

They would rather buy some new sneaker than invest in starting a business. Some even neglect their children to have the latest Tommy or FUBU, and they still think that having a Mercedes, and a big house gives them “Status” or that they have achieved their Dream.

They are fools! The vast majority of their people are still in poverty because their greed holds them back from collectively making better communities.

With the help of BET, and the rest of their black media that often broadcasts destructive images into their own homes, we will continue to see huge profits like those of Tommy and Nike. (Tommy Hilfiger has even jeered them, saying he doesn’t want their money, and look at how the fools spend more with him than ever before!). They’ll continue to show off to each other while we build solid communities with the profits from our businesses that we market to them.

SELFISHNESS, ingrained in their minds through slavery, is one of the major ways we can continue to contain them. One of their own, Dubois said that there was an innate division in their culture. A “Talented Tenth” he called it. He was correct in his deduction that there are segments of their culture that has achieved some “form” of success. However, that segment missed the fullness of his work. They didn’t read that the “Talented Tenth” was then responsible to aid The Non-Talented Ninety Percent in achieving a better life. Instead, that segment has created another class, a Buppie class that looks down on their people or aids them in a condescending manner. They will never achieve what we have. Their selfishness does not allow them to be able to work together on any project or endeavor of substance. When they do get together, their selfishness lets their egos get in the way of their goal Their so-called help organizations seem to only want to promote their name without making any real change in their community.

They are content to sit in conferences and conventions in our hotels, and talk about what they will do, while they award plaques to the best speakers, not to the best doers. Is there no end to their selfishness? They steadfastly refuse to see that TOGETHER EACH ACHIEVES MORE (TEAM). They do not understand that they are no better than each other because of what they own, as a matter of fact, most of those Buppies are but one or two pay checks away from poverty. All of which is under the control of our pens in our offices and our rooms.

Yes, we will continue to contain them as long as they refuse to read, continue to buy anything they want, and keep thinking they are “helping” their communities by paying dues to organizations which do little other than hold lavish conventions in our hotels. By the way, don’t worry about any of them reading this letter, remember, ‘THEY DON’T READ!!!!”

Brought to you by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

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International Relations: The Nigerian Factor

Does size count?

Recently, I traveled to my home town to feel the breeze of a village atmosphere. In our compound we have some domestic animals and I love watching them display their skills. A particular fowl caught my attention. Its two legs are bent front wards making it walk with its knees, which are behind. The interesting thing is that this local fowl, which is small, fights the big agricultural fowls to enable it eat as much as it can. The bigger fowls have to think twice before coming close to eat the food that is kept for them because they are afraid of what this small disabled local fowl will do to them. Funny, isn’t it?

Is it by Size or the Content?

International politics shouldn’t be on the basis of size or population. It should be about the wisest, smartest and the strongest. International relation is the relationship that exists between states, non-governmental organizations, multinational co operations, etc. It calls for the need to address the mutual relationship among the various entities in the international community. Nigeria was a founding member of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and has oftentimes channeled major policy initiatives through that organization. As the most populous country in Africa, with population of about 186 million, Nigeria is one of the most visible African states in the international community. Nigeria was seen as the Giant of Africa because of its strength and resources and therefore was expected to play a big brother role in its relations with other African countries. Nigeria has thrived to play this role in the time past as the giant it was known for and is still playing this role in the recent times, but on a maintenance, cover up and defense capacity. Nigeria ought by now to quit relying on its size that makes it the giant but to concentrate on adding value to its size. Other African countries are coming up and there is no law that mandates them to keep bowing down to a Goliath with empty threats, who was defeated after all by David’s sling.

Can we take the bull by the horn?

Nigeria’s international relations is guided by certain principles which are spelt out in section 19 of the 1999 constitution; but like all other laws and guiding principles, they are just theories and are not being put in practice.

One of the guiding principles is the Promotion and protection of national interest. From the look of things in Nigeria, selfish interest is rather being promoted. Ignorant Nigerians sing praises to their lords who do nothing but seek every possible means of diverting public funds for their private ambitions. An Igbo adage says: “The one whose house is on fire does not pursue rats”. Between African nations, Nigeria ought to be in the fore front in terms of International politics, it is expected, but she should first promote and protect its national interest. Nigeria’s pride and reputation is at stake in international relations and politics and need to be redeemed. Nigerian youths are running away from this country, not for international relations purposes but to run away from unending struggles; which exposes them to more dangers. Yet, Nigeria thinks they are fit to interfere in international politics or matters. A country; whether Nigeria or another, where official armed robbers, thieves, kidnappers and murderers arrest, prosecute and sentence to death the unofficial ones is not fit yet to feature in international politics.

How many errors can we cover?

Consequently, another principle is the promotion of African integration and support for African unity. Any African country that has failed in promoting the integration of its tribes is not fit to interfere in the matters of African integration. Presently, Nigeria is thriving in the leadership of hate, vengeance and discrimination. Nigerian politicians smile and open their palms to everyone, irrespective of tribe, only when election is approaching. After the elections, all favours and considerations go to the domain fraction of the government in power. Presently, Nigerian government in power is bent on giving major national appointments to those from his national fraction, who he believes are the wisest. What good can this leadership contribute to the promotion of African integration or to support African unity? Recently, President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed that all Africans wishing to visit Kenya be issued with Visas, Rwanda is doing the same. Where is Nigeria? While Nigerians are busy living in their past glories, priding under the weight of giant of Africa, other African countries are busy strategizing to take the lead.

Peace is very costly

Moreover, Promotion of international cooperation for the consolidation of universal peace and mutual respect among all nations, and elimination of discrimination in all its manifestation is another guiding principle. Nigeria has enormous resources and great manpower, enough to stand out in international relations but her leaders, past and present has failed her again and again. With all the money embezzled by Nigerian leaders, looted out of the shores of Nigeria, and used to build idle castles and empires; both known and unknown to the citizens, Nigeria should be rubbing shoulders with America and Europe if those funds were put to good use, but this is not the case. Our leaders travel to the developed countries so often, with their entourage, to make the outside world believe that it is okay when in fact it is far from being okay. They travel for conferences, vacation, and funny enough for proper medical treatment and education, which they have denied those they govern. For these reasons and more, Nigerian’s hope of being among the top participants in international relations is far from being realized.

It’s not by Words

On the other hand, there is “respect for international law and treaty obligations as well as the seeking of settlement of international disputes by negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and adjudication” in Nigeria’s guiding principle of international relations. How can Nigeria achieve these with leadership of theories? Where were all these grammar of negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and adjudication when IPOB were agitating for referendum? What happened to those grammars in the case of Niger Delta insurgency? Have our leaders been able to address the Fulani herdsmen war against the indigenes of the communities they parade freely to feed their cows? What about the deadly Boko Haram sect? All these matters are being treated or handled sentimentally, and based on favoritism and selfishness; so how can we solve the similar issues as relates to Africa and international community?

Is this realistic?

I am sure that the remaining guiding principle which is that of “Promotion of a just world economic order” will not be realistic for Nigerians as long as the Sharia or Islamic banking system is in place.  The Islamic banking system is a religious financial system and in Nigeria and the world at large, there is no one religion. With it in place, Nigeria cannot boast of her ability to promote a just world economic order. To be able to promote a just world economic order, a country’s economic system ought to be free from any religious, ethnic/tribal, etc bias.

Yes we can

It’s high time Nigeria stop boasting about size and start working on improving its manpower through quality, consistent education and creating enabling environment that encourages investment and development. Our foreign policy should be geared towards promotion of our cultural image and dignity, then, Nigerians shall be fit to compete with the international community. It is achievable today if we stick to the laws of Nigeria without prejudice and selfishness.

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi