A Note On Africa: The Conspiracy Theory

"In Africa, you often see that the difference between a village where everybody eats and a village where people starve is government. One has a functioning government, and the other does not. Which is why it bothers me when I hear people say that government is the enemy. They don't understand its fundamental role."  

- Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America

I have often pondered on what is it about Africa that has held us back, that seems to render us incapable of ‘turning-the-page’ and joining the rest of the globe in the twenty-first century. I mean, why is Africa home to the world’s poorest people despite its abundance natural and human resources?  Why is Africa the only continent in the world where life expectancy is less than sixty years; and declining in some countries (life expectancy in Swaziland is a paltry thirty (30) years) despite the fact that roughly 50 per cent of Africa’s population is quite young – below the age of fifteen (15) years? 

Do you know that, as at July, 2012:

• Since 1996, eleven (11) African countries have been embroiled in civil wars. (namely Angola, Burundi, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leon, Sudan and Uganda)  Civil war is defined as an INTERNAL or internationalized  internal ARMED conflict with at least 1,000 death a year.[i]

• 50 % of Africa is under non-democratic rule.

• Africa is still home to at least eleven (11) fully AUTOCRATIC regimes namely: Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, The Gambia, Mauritius, Rwanda, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

• Three (3) Heads of State (dos Santos of Angola, Obiang of Equatorial Guinea and Bongo of Gabon) have been in power since 1970s (having ascended to power on 2 December 1967, President Bongo recently celebrated his 40th year in power!)

• Five (5) other 'Presidents' have had a LOCK on power since the 1980s (namely: Compaore of Burkina Faso, Biya of Cameroon, Conte of Guinea, Museveni of Uganda and Mugabe of Zimbabwe).[ii]

• Of the ten (10) bottom countries on the Global Peace Index, four (4) African states are among the LEAST peaceful in the world (in order, Central African Republic, Chad, Sudan and Somalia)- which represent the most of any one continent.

• According to the 2012 Failed State Index[iii], 6 out of the top 10 failed states hail from Africa (in the order Central African Republic, Zimbabwe, Chad, Sudan, Congo D.R., and Somalia)

Map of Africa

While many have argued and are still contending the validity or otherwise of some of the reports and stats above however, one thing is clear; Africa, alone among the continents of the world, seems to be locked into a cycle of dysfunction. Africa seems to be running a programme of self-destruct. It is obvious we can no longer afford to go down this path of self-destruction. 

In a bit to proffer solutions to Africa’s plethora of problems, many commentators have claimed that it is all a result of a failure in leadership. Many are of the opinion that most African leaders are universally incapable, genetically venal, corrupt and ruthless. While I agree with many that politicians across Africa are an integrity deficient lot and have failed woefully because they seem unprepared; they do not understand the times and seasons like the biblical 'Sons on Issachar' and are unaware of the challenges facing the continent in the twenty-first century. However, I think we all have contributed, one way or the other, in sabotaging the continent. In my opinion, I think both governments and people of sub-Saharan Africa have connived, directly or indirectly, to truncate our collective destiny. We simply lost a golden opportunity to 'build' something worthwhile out of the independence wave that swept across the continent in the late 50s and 60s.

Two events of last week left me pondering about the future of Africa. I was saddened with the news of the gruesome murder of a Zambian driver (enroute Congo) by a Congolese mob which burnt him alive, last Wednesday. The Zambian truck driver identified as Derrick Chanda of Ndola was burnt to ashes when the truck he was driving, which was carrying cement, ran over two pedestrians who died on the spot.

In the same week, there was a report from Accra, Ghana about government officials allegedly clamping down on Nigerian traders for operating illegally within the country. According to the report, the Nigerian traders said their shops were closed because they were said not to comply with the government ‘policy’ which requires them to have an initial capital of $300,000 and employ 10 Ghanaians before they can start any business in Ghana regardless of the size of the business. Before anyone starts to point an accusing finger at the Ghanaians, let me remind you of the famous ‘Ghana Must Go’ campaign in Lagos in the 70s whereby many Ghanaian professionals and artisans were forcefully ‘sent-packing’ by Nigerians. Did I hear you say it's 'pay-back' time? The experience from my first trip outside my home country was to Ghana (in January 2010) and that trip remains my worst international experience ever but. . . that is a story for another day.

Africa

"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now."

-- Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) American black leader.

Another sterling example of the sheer stupidity and wanton immaturity prevalent across sub-Saharan Africa was the recent shameful diplomatic row between Africa's two leading economies earlier this year. On Thursday 1 March, 2012 a diplomatic row between Nigeria and South Africa occurred when some 125 passengers enroute Souht Africa, including some members of Nigeria's National Assembly (political heavyweigths, as we call them), were deported for what the South African Authorities believed to be “improper documentation for Yellow Fever clearance”. As expected, the action produced public outcry from many Nigerians who obviously seemed fed up of the South Africans antics on Nigerians over the last couple of years. Nigeria's Foreign Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru blamed the deportations on xenophobia, although many South Africans blame Nigerian immigrants for rising crime in the country. Exactly a week after, an apology came from the South African Authorities after their Nigerian counterparts had retaliated by deporting close to the same 125 passengers over 3 flights back to South Africa.

This episode between Nigeria and South Africa, although now resolved, was not only a threat to African unity but also a bad example to the rest of the continent even as it ridicules Africa before the rest of the world. Need I say that it was a shame that a minor misunderstanding between the two African giants that could have been resolved amicably was allowed to unnecessarily strain relations between the two countries to the point that Nigerian legislators allegedly asked the Federal Government to suspend relations with South Africa and close the embassy in Pretoria. Many have found the arrogance of South African immigration officials nauseating.

It is worthwhile to note that majority of the behaviors outlined above are usually perpetrated by ordinary citizens but of course, in some cases, with the 'help' of the government of the day.

If you want to be incrementally better: Be competitive. If you want to be exponentially better: Be cooperative.

Some have argued that we are ruled by babies! Only a baby doesn’t understand the magic of synergy; that the fruits of our collaboration and cooperation is greater than the sum of our individual efforts. But of more concern is the growing disconnect between the leaders and the led across Africa. I dare say that Africa’s problem is not only one of a failure of leadership but also the failure of followership; the acute shortage of responsible followers. According to Calestous Juma, a professor of the practice of International Development at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Africans, Nigerians especially, are tough followers. That is a school of thought we are yet to explore. Could we, ordinary African citizens, have contributed to the fall of our leadership experience?

It still beat my imagination why African countries cannot cooperate or synergize beyond regional blocs. I wonder why majority of African countries still don’t have a central border or immigration control system like they do in Europe. It is no longer news that traveling within and across Africa is the most difficult in the world. I mean, what does a country benefits from making life difficult for nationals of its neigbhouring countries from its region and/or continent. Why can’t a West African citizen form Accra, Ghana take a ride to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in East Africa without the shackles of diplomatic red tape and bureaucracies. Afterall, we are all have, in common, equal measure of poverty, corruption, decaying infrastructures to mention but few. And even the few rich countries need to understand that a rich man among numerous poor neighbors is but a poor man. It is only a matter of time. It seems to me that there's a conspiracy theory between governments in Africa and its people to run the continent aground. The stance of Northern Africa is a different kettle of fish entirely.

Whatever thrives in a land will be cultivated therein.

Our tool of respect is faulty, as Africans! We, as a people, have cooperated with and encouraged corrupt governments when it favor us and have surrendered our people-power cowardly at the feet of clueless and corrupt governments. We have helped to reinforce the wrong values and have celebrated thieves who loot our national treasures and even honor them with chieftaincy titles. Instead of insisting on building sound institutions, we have fostered the emergence of many icons; people I would like to call 'One-Eyed Kings' in the land of the blind!

Africa is reputed as having many icons and heroes but has never been known to build sound institutions. Heroes and icons are good but sound institutions are better! A hero in a warped, corruption-ridden, systematically faulty and rigid institution is like a man dredging a sea using a tea spoon! It is not only a waste of valuable time; it is also not sustainable. Africa is known to have excellent traditions but lacks a tradition of excellence.

The present wave of change sweeping across the Arab world lends credence to the fact that we are in an era of change. It is either we sieze the momoent or sleep on our opportunity like we did in the past. This is our time to turn the page; to rethink our national values and repair our alliances. This is our time to choose to be that generation that would re-write the history of the continent; that generation that will drive Africa's realization of its full potential.

It seems each time we take a step forward in the right direction, it is usually followed by two wrong steps backwards. Africa's common challenges are REAL and undeniably STARK! As Africans, our personal quest ought to be how to find a sustainable solution to Africa's numerous challenges. And it is so easy to do; let each one of us become an agent of change in our sphere of influence. That is my personal quest. . . That is what keeps me going.

My dream is to see an African continent that would take on the world and I believe you and I have what it takes to make it happen. This is a call to act!

Let’s go back to work and make Africa work again. . . We are the CHANGE that we SEEK; we are the ones we've been WAITING for!

Wale Salami

For: ACDGG

About The Author

Wale Salami  is a youth development and policy enthusiast, democracy and good governance advocate, community organizer and a highly sought after speaker with over 6 years experience which cuts across Oil and Gas, non-profit and inter-governmental organizations with focus on project incubation and execution, policy development for youth organizations and government agencies.

References

[i] 'Armed Conflict Database' of the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo.

[ii] Polity IV database

[iii] 2012 Failed State Index http://www.foreignpolicy.com/failed_states_index_2012_interactive

. . . Conversations of a MASTERMIND series | WS008 

Mornind Dew | Monday 9 July, 2012