To
review chapter one of the book tilled …. Even when the topic says…. But the
author cross carpeted to other angles as he discussed about
1. The scramble of
African
2. The British colonial policy
3. The France assimilation policy to mention but a few
but the main fact is that all discussions in the chapter gears toward
development in African states which Nigeria is not left out.
It all started when four European countries scramble
to colonized African state. These four
main countries are the main countries that ruled African state. There are
British, France, Belgium and Portugal, among them France adopted the policy of
assimilation and association
The
European studied the problem of the third world countries which African was
included.
The
major characteristics of these countries include the fact that they have
a. A non
–industrial and non technological culture
b. High rate of illiteracy
A notoriously bookish type of education
Abundance of unskilled or semi-skilled labour high rate of unemployment or
unemployment they are generally poor
economically and political instability
Even when their
major objective of colonizing
African states is for economic exploitations.
Another
characteristic is that given the high rate of illiteracy, the masses often lack essential information for operating in modern
society, and because of their ignorance
they do not participate actively
or fully in national development as a
result of their lack of confidence in
themselves and in their abilities.
As I earlier said, that all discussion in this
chapter gears towards development of African state, development must not be seen narrowly here.
Some see development as
economic progress, political
stability , proliferation of social organizations and
cultural institution, but development is
more than all these. It is also about
the overall quality of life and
especially the achievement of self fulfillment goals by the individuals being able to participate actively in structural and restructuring of their own affairs their total environment and the decisions that
affect their life daily . it therefore
involves an attitude of mind an
approach to life in which may accepts to be
considerable extend that he is the master of his own fortunes and
therefore can personally actively participate and intervene in social engineering in order of
attain his socio – economic , cultural
and political objectives as a citizen. In this vain, I would like to conceptualize colonial
leadership and development.
It is the structural
changes and liberation of man
from exploitation and oppression
“perpetrated by international
capitalist bourgeoisie and their
internal collaborators. Real development
involves a structural transformation of
the economy, society, polity, and
culture of satellite that permits the self generating and self perpetuating use and
development of the peoples potentials (Offiong , 1980)
African
states are not developed,
there are underdeveloped according to
Charles Anderson the prolific American writer and (Offiong ) that what makes a country under development is how long a
country remains as a backward capitalist system, mass cleavage widens rural urban
inequalities increase, city slums
grow, unemployment increase,
agricultural production stagnates, birth
rate remains high, diseases on high
side and many others.
As
Walter Rodney rightly
remarked African under development can be answered
at two level. Firstly, the
operation of imperialist system earns
major responsibility for African economic
retardation by drawing African wealth and by making it impossible to
develop more rapidly the resources of
African nation.
African
nations commemorated the historic rights of the early 60s
when the colonial flags were lowered, and in their places new ones whistled accompanied by anthems, clearly
audible in the heat of the sun. Thus
they had independence and freedom was there’s one would have expected that the demand for independence was prompted by a waviness I self government as a basic human right,
that self determination was supposed to guarantee a mutually beneficial
relationship amongst all African state
and the rest of the world, and that demand for
independence was indispensable
with the desire for development but
as most African countries enter into the threshold of their third decade, as
independent nation, I have enough evidence to prove that political independence was indispensable with the desire for
development. But as most
African countries, enter into the threshold of their third decade
as independent nation, I have enough evidence to prove that
political independence has not yet come
to the realization of African dream.
This great failure becomes glaringly
manifest when we consider the roles
played by African nations to underdeveloped Africa.
In
the main an analysis of party politics in African nations will reveal a preponderance of political
instability. Beginning with black
Africans first military take over in Togo in
1963 , through the subsequent
dozens of violent seizures of government in the
intervening year, to the more
recent event, of the same like,
in Liberia, Ghana , upper Volta guinea and Nigeria.
The
refrain of charges of corruption,
economic mismanagement , degenerate self
interest, among the ruling class,
criminal neglect of the under Рprivileged and massive electoral fraud, has become as original as an over worked clich̩
But
if these admittedly culpable misdeeds
are sufficient grounds for over throwing a constitution, then the mind boggles
as to how many of the mind boggles as to
how many of the worlds democracies deserve to be under military rule
The saddest problem that has successfully
hindered political maturity in Africa, quite apart from the frequent wastage
of experienced leaders in the resultant
lack of continuity, brought about by sudden unpredictable switches
in directions . Just when it
seems that a country is setting down,
something goes bang! And at come crashing continent . secondly, one has
to deal with those who manipulate the system and those are
either agents or unwitty accomplices of
the said system.
Certainly,
there is no doubt that
the western world has played and
are still playing tremendous part in the
exploitation and under development of Africa for the development of Europe.
African
nation themselves played some roles to under developed Africa down. I will
ponder a little over Buhari and his regime, an officially sanctioned
report stated that the Buhari coup
promoted a plot by younger officers to sieve power. This at a time serves as
the political cultures of most African states. Hence for political cultures reflect a peoples temperament and sometimes
may be the cause of under development.
The
quest to development Africa many role
where played by African nations to develop Africa OAU are not left out, its interest are for the co-existence among all African states non interference in
the internal affairs of African nations and respect for the territorial
integrity and sovereignty of African states,
have in one way of the other fallen victims of the selfish and unbridled political ambitions of some African
nations
Furthermore,
the contemporary history of Africa
is release with causes of Africans gaining political power through the
assistance of their external allies.
As
we look back into the history of our
continent , we cannot escape the fact
that we have for long been the victims
of foreign domination. African nations have failed to realize this simple
fact. One would have thought that a change in the status quo will come about
when the African countries come together to take a common stand against
their exploiters . but as of
today the African nations are backanized, thereby making the divide and rule policy of the rich and powerful nations very successful.
With
a very few exception, it is sad to admit that Africa is ill –served by the
current conglomeration of what posses for leaders through the continent . when asia and latin America
produced great leaders who inspired and incited the imagination not only of their compatriots
within their borders but of all the rest of the world, including
the developed world, Africa has produced only one
Nyerere and maintained him in power
while we have hindered the lumumbers, the murtalas and exiled or
locked imperialists , our donors
, our money- lenders, our patrons masters and
our trading partners” (national concord , Dan 9th 1984)
The government of Nigeria has passed from one hand to the another and when a nation finds itself
careered from one style of administration to another, it cannot harmonies the
sustained desired of
its people with its style of response. Many Nigerians who
have attained the age of
awareness of rational analysis would classify their experience sicne independences, as
unsteady and traumatic . they have
passed from heights of hopes to depts.
Of disappointments
This
from one stage to another in Nigerians development, leaders have been
unable , due to the turn of events, to give and sustain a lasting answer
to the question: What
is Nigier and where is Nigeria
going?
Infact,
I have enough reasons to believe that the trouble with Nigeria and African in
general is simply and squarely a failure of leadership (Achebe, 1983) our underdevelopment stems from the fact that
our leader are unable or unwilling to rise to the responsibility hall mark of true leadership.
The African should understand that no great
and stable nation can be built on the slippery slope
of permanent uncertainty.
Our
leaders and all Africans might of
necessity take a critical look at
the individual and collective roles we
have played in putting Africa in such a terrible state.