By Abdulrasheed Ibrahim
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria recently took the world by surprise at the gathering of the world leaders at the 2023 United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) in the New York when he asserted: “As for Africa, we seek to be neither appendage nor patron. We do not wish to replace old shackles with new ones. Instead, we hope to walk the rich African soil and live under the magnificent African sky, free of the wrongs of the past and clear of their associated encumbrances. We desire a prosperous, vibrant democratic living space for our people. To the rest of the world, I say walk with us as true friends and partners …Africa is not a problem to be avoided nor is it to be pitied.
Africa is nothing less than a key to the world’s future”. Many historians as well as the students of history and political science will not forget easily what Africa had been through under the reign of colonialism when Europe exploited Africa to its own advantage and development as illustrated by the likes Walter Rodney in his book “How Europe underdeveloped Africa” and Frantz Fanon’s “The Wretched of the Earth”. These were among the books we read during our days at the Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto when we as law students went to borrow courses including the one titled: “African Politics” from the Department of Political Science. Whenever you hear this kind of declaration from any serious African leader, your mind as student of history goes back to what late General Murtala Muhammed of blessed memory said about 50 years ago?
In the 1960s and 1970s when many African countries were struggling for their independences from colonial masters, Angola was caught in a serious political rivalry majorly between UNITA and MPLA in that country. UNITA being seen as ‘Pro-West’ had the backing of America and some western countries against the MPLA that was considered as a “communist movement”.
American President Gerald Ford at that time sent letters to most African leaders asking for their support to line up behind UNITA. While the message was considered a “gross insult” to Africa and turned down. General Muhammed Murtala in swift reaction fearlessly declared in his popular speech at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 11th January 1976 that: “ Mr. Chairman, when I contemplate the evils of the apartheid, my heart bleeds, and I am sure the heart of every true-blooded African bleeds… United States policy makers…decided that it was in the best interests of their country to maintain white supremacy and minority regimes in Africa”. The people’s General went further:
“Africa has come of age. It is no longer under the orbit of any extra-continental power. It should no longer take orders from any country, however powerful. The fortunes of Africa are in our hands to make or mar. For too long , we have been kicked around; for too long, we have been treated like adolescents who cannot discern their interests and act accordingly. For too long it has been presumed that the African need outside ‘experts’ to tell him who are his friends and who are his enemies. The time has come when we should make it clear that we can decide for ourselves; that we know our own interests and how to protect those interests; that we are capable of resolving African problem without presumptuous lessons in ideological dangers which , more often than not, have no relevance for us , nor for the problem at hand.”
This bold declaration made about 50 years ago when compared with the recent one made by President Tinubu at the UNGA has gone to demonstrate the great role of Nigeria in championing the cause of the African continent as a whole. The country’s contribution to the international affairs as well as her leading role in the African affairs has been very enormous but which unfortunately has not been well appreciated by many Africans who have failed or refused to acknowledge the facts of history. Whenever any conflict arises in any part of Africa, Nigeria is always ready to render assistance. For instance when some African countries like Congo, Liberia and South Africa were being confronted with one problem or the other, Nigeria’ security forces were always on the ground to play brotherly role, but rather than Nigerians being honoured and respected in some of these African countries, they are subjected to ridicule and all sorts of maltreatments. The way Nigerian citizens are being paid back in some of these countries is very disheartening.
Despite the efforts of many African countries any Nigeria in particular in the fight against Apartheid in the South Africa which eventually led to its collapse and the emergence of the first black President in the person of late Nelson Mandela. One of the subsequent “rewards” that came in 2015 to Africans, including Nigerians from some ingrate South African’s citizens was in form of XENOPHOBIA (irrational or fear of strangers or foreigners) against fellow Africans. There was a time when Nigeria’s citizens living and doing business in Ghana were being disturbed and harassed. One must acknowledge the fact that while such attitude was not the direct policies of the governments of those African countries but it must be stated that it is their responsibilities to call their respective citizens to order and sanction them for embarking on such transgression against those they consider foreigners in their countries. The governments of those African countries if they do not have, need to introduce the teaching history into their schools’ curriculum for their citizens to understand and appreciate the positive contributions of African countries particularly Nigeria to their liberty and independence.
Chief M.K.O Abiola, the late winner of the June 12,1993 Presidential election in Nigeria that was annulled by the Military Junta under the leadership of General Ibrahim Babangida, used to be one of the few Africans that was championing and clamouring for the Reparation for Africa by the Europe for the years of exploitation perpetrated against the African continent during the period of colonialism. One is not surprised that President Tinubu being one of the Abiola’s allies during the aborted Third Republic in Nigeria was coming up with such bold declaration by telling the world leaders that “We desire a prosperous, vibrant democratic living space for our people. To the rest of the world, I say walk with us as true friends and partners …Africa is not a problem to be avoided nor is it to be pitied .Africa is nothing less than a key to the world’s future”. When this is reconciled with that of General Muhammed : “For too long it has been presumed that the Africa need outside ‘experts’ to tell him who are his friends and who are his enemies. The time has come when we should made it clear that we can decide for ourselves; that we know our own interests and how to protect those interests; that we are capable of resolving African problem…” you will agree that the problems of Africa can really and truly be solved by African leaders that are honest, bold and patriotic to the cause of Africa. The independence of Africa will be meaningless, if African leaders are looking outside the continent for the solutions to their problems rather than looking within Africa.
It is very unfortunate that from certain events that have occurred in African continent, those who hold the belief that the problem of Africa are the African leaders have been vindicated. The spate of coups in some African countries are the products of bad governance and sit tight attitudes of some African leaders who have been in power for decades with no intention to leave offices or allow transparent and credible elections to take place. This has led to serious crises and conflicts that have consumed lives of many innocent Africans. If Africa truly desires a prosperous and vibrant democracy, the African leaders through the African Union (AU) must be ready to speak frankly to one another against dictatorship and sit tight syndrome that is becoming a vogue in the continent. We cannot be talking about decent democracy in Africa and at same time be encouraging those African leaders that have perpetuated themselves in power for so long or accepting a situation where upon the death of a father, his son is allowed to succeed him without passing through democratically electoral process or tolerate a situation where elections or constitutions are manipulated in favour of such successors or incumbents all in the name of a sovereign nation cannot interfere in the affairs of another sovereign nation.A sovereignty that is inimical to the peace and stability of a sovereign nation should not be a sovereignty.
Many European leaders are not sometime very comfortable with serious minded African leaders that are not ready to be their puppets which is the reason why some good leaders could not be in power for too long . Some superpowers in the Europe are very tactical in effecting regime change through the enemies within who are always unnecessarily very ambitious and greedy to play the devils’ advocacy by losing their sense of reasoning. Many still hold the belief that if European leaders do not like any particular leader in any part of the world, they can do anything to scheme the exit of such leader. There is this belief that the likes Murtala Muhammed of Nigeria and Thomas Shakara of Burkina Faso, both of blessed were victims of Europe’s hatred. Despite their gruesome assassinations, they still live positively in the minds of many Africans. While Dimka and his cohorts paid the heavy price for the assassination of General Muhammed, Blaise Compaire who is now a fugitive in exile is having a death penalty sentence by the Burkina Faso’s authority hanging on his neck for the assassination of Thomas Shakara. This should be a great lesson for the enemies within who are always ready to play the devils’ advocate.
Africans will not also forget easily the great and wonderful Pan Africanists like Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Leopard Sedar Senghor of Senegal, Dr. Nnamid Azikwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello of Nigeria among others who fought for the independence of their respective countries. Although Muammar Gaddafi of Libya was a benevolent dictator that brought prosperity to his country but because of envy he was brought down through the conspiracy within engineered by some Western countries. The great lesson from the rise and fall of Muammar Gaddafi is that no matter how great or well performing a leader is while in power, he cannot be greater than his people and it is always good to quit when the ovation is louder for others to continue with the legacy of such great leader . The fall of Gaddafi in Libya was not without a price for his country as well as many African countries, Nigeria inclusive having continued to battle with terrorists who are having access to the weapons used against or by the displaced soldiers loyal to Gaddafi but later found their ways to other African countries and going about perpetrating all sorts of terrorist acts.
The recent series of coups in Africa particularly in those French speaking countries colonised by the France have exposed the great extent to which these countries have been exploited by their former colonial masters despite their claims of being independent. It has been revealed how largely the mineral resources (i.e Uranium) in the Niger Republic were being explored and evacuated to the France with little or nothing being paid to that country in return for such exploitation. This is exactly what is happening in other parts of Africa where many foreign companies are engaging in illegal exploration of African mineral resources with little or no check on the part of African leaders. This attitude is very uncaring on the part African leaders because such resources ought to be properly managed and earnest towards the development of their respective countries but are being allowed to be illegal taken away. The mineral resources in Africa is enough to make it a superpower contrary to what it is today. To borrow from the words of President Tinubu: “Africa is nothing less than a key to the world’s future”. This can only become a reality, when we begin to have in Africa, leaders that are brilliant, competent, selfless, visionary and truly patriotic to the cause of Africa.
President Tinubu’s declaration at the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) has been applauded in different parts of the world including Africa. According Olisa Agbakoba, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA):
“Never in the history of UNGA has an African President spoken for the entire African continent , asserting that we are not beggars but equal partners with the geopolitical bloc of the world.Not since Kwame Nkrumah and his vision for a pan African agenda for development has any African leader delivered a speech on behalf of the 54 nations of Africa. Let all of us in Africa rally our collective energies and declare to the world that we are awake and not beggars but partners.”
The contemporary Africa can only claim to have truly come of age this time around if African leaders live up to expectation and the yearning of the Africans for good governance that will enhance the progress of Africa.The sit tight and hereditary system of government mistaken for democracy and being presently practised in some part of Africa such as Cameroon, Togo , Chad, Ugadan , Equitorial Guinea, Rwanda among others are not in the best interest of those countries. Even in countries where military junta have recently taken over the governments like in Burkina Faso, Mali , Niger Republic and Gabon effort must be made by the Africa Union (AU) to ensure quick return to civil rule through well organized credible elections within very short time possible . Situations where the military leaders will be allowed to manipulate the system to remain perpetually in power as was done for instance in Egypt and some other African countries must be avoided.Africa must be fully democratized by African leaders by respecting the term limit and allowing others to have access and aspire for leadership of their respective countries. A country that is not ready to abide with the true spirit of democracy should be sanctioned and isolated.
The rich African soil with visionary leaders is capable of positively transforming the continent for the benefit of Africans rather than allowing African to into modern slavery as a result of bad governance in Africa. Professor Patrick Lumumba of Kenya has rightly put it this way:
“When we judge Africa, we must ask ourselves from whose lens are we judging Africa.The colonisers left (Africa) but never left. Africa is the only country that is still being referred to as francophone or anglophone. We were enablers of the first industrial revolution when our ancestors were taken to the work on farms in Europe.We enabled that revolution.
“Right now, we’re enabling the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions which is why there are talent visas because they’re taking our talents. If it is not nurses, it is our IT experts or our engineers.We are gleefully letting them away. When I see our heads of state say we have signed the contract to take our workers to Saudi Arabia, (it is) modern slavery.”
The revolution that is needed in Africa this time around is not bloody revolution but the revolution in term of the kinds of leaderships we desire in Africa that must be very brilliant,competent, selfless and visionary to really make Africa a key to the world’s future.
NOTE : Anyone is at liberty to disagree with my above submission as I will surely appreciate a balanced, fair and objective rebuttal.
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5th October 2023
