Africa

PARROT

WRITTEN BY ISAAC ODUGBEMI

Africa

I believe much have been written and said about Africa and Africans. A land that is naturally endowed with much natural gifts and resources than many  continents in the world. The development that is yet to be revealed in Africa is not as a result of the third world syndrome. The resources to make mother Africa the most decorated queen amidst her counterpart is not knowledge derived from the four walls of the white man's education, not the practice of religion without genuine baptism of Christ spirit, not the civilization of military or civilian government, and not the policy of association politicized by British colony especially in West Africa and not the policy of assimilation by the French colonies.

The African race is a beautiful race to behold. The splendor of the strength embided by the blackman helps him to be outstanding and different that America of what it is today needed African hands of labour to enrich herself. The blackman has a colour rich and furnished that needs no balm to maintain a fading skin. Therefore, what is wrong with the development in Africa? She has the strength, vigor, intellectual capacity and yet the ingredients is not complete for the make-up.

In respect to my view as a citizen of Africa, the major problem of Africans is nothing but a little dilemma of consumer mentality. And who is a consumer? He is the end user. He is the eater. The black man was a hunter of his environment before colonialism although he had other skills which helped him to manufacture weapons much of which was to kill animals for his consumption anyway. 

The economy of Nigeria is delabitating under no circumstance except for the virus of consumer habit. Imperatively,  African is  excluded  from  the  philosophical  sphere.  Africa has not  reached  the  ability  to  seize  the  concept  in  its  objectivity  and universality,  because  the  concept  is  expression  and  reality  of the essence. And then colonialism came to Africa. To comprehend the impact of colonialism it is important to put it in the context of the level of African development in 1885. One of the main pieces of evidence for those who favour the conjecture that colonialism was an advantage for development is that Africa was very poor in 1885 compared to the rest of the world. It had backward technology indicative of which was that writing, the wheel and plow were not used in Africa outside of Ethiopia. 

I do not quickly agree with the adversary that the motivation behind her education, political ambition, career pursuit and purposeful living is merely to feed her belly. A student of mine once made a statement that apocalypsed a ravage philosophy of man and essence of an unawakened mindset. The statement caught my attention and for days I ruminated on it although I rebuked him so as not to build his life foundation on that unrealistic expectations. And that is why you hear people boast of building houses and buying cars as if that is all is there to life.

He said, "When I grow up, I will build a mansion, store my house with food and daily sit at the balcony to look at the passers-by." From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 

The above statement was uttered by an eighteen years old boy. When you read that statement, read and read again and you will catch the feeling I had towards the boy. The danger of this kind of mentality is that he will grow up to believe all to live for and by is to eat, sleep and play. I was not surprised at what the boy said because the average Nigeria youth desperatly desires a better life of cruising a car and building a mansion which other developed countries see as children's bread because their government makes the provision. White Fang; a key character of Jack London's The White Fang exhibits this attribute. He was a terrific consumer. White Fang lived only for one purpose; to devour. The Nigerian youth is scattered all over continents in search of greener pastures because his country is underdeveloped in almost all sphere of living. 

When my Sim got lost and I needed a retrieval, it took me more than fourty eight hours to replace it at the telecommunication branch office. The disrespected queue was nothing to write home about not to talk of the sickly service provided by the staffs. 

Leaving aside economic institutions, when considering development, the nature of state and political institutions are also critical. There is need for urgent-progressive improvement in health, education and infrastructure typically require actions by the state and investments in public goods. Yet political centralization lagged in Africa relative to the rest of the world. 

Forgive me if I annoy your philosophical point of view but the problem of Nigeria as a country presently was not the appearance of British colony, not the handing over of power at the earliest of stages where we were still children lacking the right knowledge of governance but a challenge of consumer mentality. This mindset is a devourer of development. The elders opines that other  people’s  wisdom  prevents  the  king  from  being  called  a  fool. Why can't we borrow the white man's mentality in ways to develop our continent. The White man has developed his country so much that many Africans now sell their birthrights to washing toilets, washing corpses, washing plates and prostituting in his country. I close this matter by saying, there is no place like home, let us build our home country and make it a home paradise.

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