Black Power. The time as come'' 4 us to come unite and reason together as 1..united we STAND divided we FALL.
For centuries now, there have been series of unending debate on how Africa can make progress in its developmental effort. More than a million people have come out with blue prints; with others suggesting varied political ideologies for various African countries. Nonetheless, not a single of these expert minds, quasi expects and critics have debunked the argument on the need for Africa Unity. Even the greatest critics as Edmond Young put it, “those who live no turn unstoned,” are speechless on this fact of Africa Unity.
Now if all hearts seem to fall for the need for Africa unity, then what is Africa waiting for? Is it that African leaders are adamant on the call for Africa unity or they do not see the urgency of the call? Maybe there is no clear blue print drawn for action or worse still the A.U is now comfortable than ever with the situation on the continent.
Stirring at A.U’s face are traumatizing facts and figures gathered on the continent. Coupling with enormous solar potentials and mineral resources, it is found out that, Africa alone harbours 40% of the world’s potential hydroelectric power leading Europe and North America which has 10% and 13 % respectively, but it is sad to know that less than 1% of the resource has been developed.
If you ask me this question, “Why must Africa unite?” I will throw these three questions at you as a typical African man.
- Does Africa want to be taken seriously as a world power?
- Does any African country have the economic and political muscle to attain first world status?
- Do African countries ever want to have unbridled independence and peace in pursuing their development agenda?
Your answers to these questions might be as right as mine. Yes! Indeed an emphatic YES!!! If it is rather the otherwise, then I’m sorry. I beg to differ. You might be as oblivious about the nature of the situation on the ground as the ancient monarch who after been told by her subjects that the people had no “bread and butter”, asked them to go get “cake and cheese.”
Nothing comes easy, so says the old age adage. To attain such level of economic and political autonomy does not come on a silver platter. Certainly the world powers of today shall perpetually be there to “kick away the ladder” so we never reach the top.
This is confirmed by the words of The Greatest African of the Millennium, Kwame Nkrumah that, “Never in the history of the world has an alien ruler granted self-rule to a people on a silver platter.” It certainly has to be fought for if we ideally need it.
Carl Marx in his Communist Manifesto said, “Workers have nothing to lose than their chains. They have everything to gain. Workers in this world unite!” Standing on the cross roads of a brighter and a more prosperous future and that which is gloomy, uncertain and bleak, Africans have nothing to lose than the shackles of neo-colonialism and sheer imperialism in the struggle for our full political and economic independence.
The west today is invariably having Africa by the balls. They seem to be going by the advice of Niccolo Machiavelli to the Prince in his book, The Prince, “have them by the balls and their hearts and minds shall follow.”
Today it’s an open secret that, when the West sneezes, the rest of us in Africa catch cold. African countries have for years either been coerced or cajoled into certain economic agreements or been made to adopt policies which defiles their own developmental purpose and rather resulted in their economies been crippled and left vulnerable to the “storms of the West”.
In waking up and to resist this oppression and hostile paternalistic foreign policy towards Africa, African leaders need teeth which are strong enough to bite the fist of the western forces off our balls which they tightly hold. Having known this, Africa has no option than to unite. In unity lies our strength to resist any form of foreign domination and oppression. In unity lies the socio-cultural, political and economic development for which we clamour. In unity marks the threshold of our journey from third world to first world. In unity lies our strength, the strength of Africa; the world’s awaiting power.
It would have being better if Africa had united centuries ago but I speak unequivocally to say that, the best time for Africa to unite is now!!!
There is no need for us to reinvent the whale. History makes it glaring that some of the world powers we have today were even worse off centuries ago before they could dust off their pants to forge ahead for development.
Firstly, the union between England and Scotland in the 17th Century was seen from all angles as extremely impalpable. Invariably, the quest for military, economic and political stability and invincibility made the English fight on until the final union in 1707 which brought forth to the present day Great Britain.
Moreover, the struggles faced by the U.S in the 17th & 18th Century within its territory – between various, ethics, religious, political and economic groups – and with other countries, made their call for unity utterly imaginary. Nevertheless, the value of a united America, made a whole century struggle looked like a day to the ambitious founding fathers of the United States of America.
Until 1949 when Chinese Communist Party won the civil war and established The People’s Republic of China (PRC), China was engulfed by series of wars among the various provinces. But before the PRC could think aloud for development and progress, it first had to settle down to unite the various provinces within its territory.
Finally, Europe after 30 long years of brutal war and antagonism among the various countries therein, with Hitler of Nazi Germany gruesomely baking over 6 million Jews to mention but a few, has finally succeeded in forming the European Union – a Union which is openly rejected today by some European countries.
What actually should stop Africa from uniting at once? Borrowing from the statement of Carl Marx, in his book the Communist Manifesto, Africa has nothing to lose than our chains. We have everything to gain in this struggle for socio-cultural, political and economic unity.
Abraham Lincoln in his struggle for the Union of the United States of America said in his letter to Horace Greeley, “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it…”
African leaders must know that, Africa Unity is primary. It shall not be the climax of Africa’s achievement and glory but rather the start line of Africa’s development and progress.
African leaders! Rise up now or forever perish!!!
Africa must unite now!!!
credit goes to ISAAC ADUSEI - AFRICAN YOUTH ADVOCATE -GHANA.
