POSTCOLONIAL DEMOCRATIC KLEPTOCRACY IN AFRICA WILL ONLY HAMPER DEVELOPMENT

In pre-colonial Africa, our forefathers were traditionally managing their own affairs. Although the modernization theorist term those periods as the dark days of Africa due to what they call “primitive living, irrational thinking and unscientific activities; yet Africa will be proud that even in those periods, there was some form of sanity in the society. The strong belief in supernatural deities and the fear of theocratic judgement scared many people from the act of corruption, immorality and lawlessness. In their so called primitive living, they maintained some sanity in the society. The monarchical form of traditional governance never led to Kleptocracy─ yes I mean Kleptocracy, thus “a government ruled by thieves─ rulers who seek their personal gains and wealth rather than the welfare of the people by stealing state resources. (i.e. congenital thieves)

I can confidently say that pre-colonial African traditional systems managed to refrain from “kleptocratic monarchy” The Malian Empire, Songhai Empire, the Ashanti Kingdom, Ethiopian Dynasty; the Libyan Kingdom etc. were powerful as far as African pre-colonialism is concern and are Africa's pre-colonial civilized pride. Even the cradle of world civilization─ Egypt can tell a great story during the reign of their Pharaohs.

Suddenly, a great revolution occurred in the west after the evolution from the renaissance, enlightenment and the reformation age. From the horse and buggy period, the west (Europe) entered into another dispensation called the “industrial revolution” where men began to invent automobiles, machines, sophisticated equipment and later the building of factories. Western Europe had the brain to invent machines but Africa had the resources to ignite the machines by providing raw materials. In short, natural minerals, cocoa, coffee etc. was in our very soil but unfortunately we knew little about its relevance. Therefore, what we experienced in Africa was European expansionism and imperialism that eventually led to colonialism. After a long period of war, the west succeeded in dismantling the pride of African governance system. Our form of government now became an alien determination. Indirect rule succeeded in corrupting our traditional leaders into forceful human trafficking i.e. slave trade. Because of the so called scientific and technological equipments that the Europeans had to offer our leaders such as guns, schnapps, mirror, western clothing, formal education etc. (which were good materials though); our traditional leadership became corrupt in the hands of the colonial power.

Indeed, “God made man and man began to make slaves but since all men are made equal and needed to be free, Africa was finally set free”. Kudos to pan-africanism that set the entire African continent free!!!

The first and the second wave of African decolonization were in the 1960's and 1970's respectively. It was a great political healing for Africa beginning with Ghana in the year 1957 and ending in 1994─ the collapse of Apartheid in South Africa. The question to ask is whether decolonization brought some economic healing to Africa?

In my first article online [entitled Ghanaians “the victor in peace, unity, stability and development”] I stated that the shadows of imperialism influenced African post-colonialism. For instance in Ghana, ─“She gained independence in 1957 from western imperialism and colonialism into a united native-controlled Ghana. But six years (correcting the earlier 7years) after the republican day of 1960, the shadows of imperialism supported some indigenes into the execution of the first ever military coup on February 1966 (correcting the earlier 1967). The pillar surrounding African “Socialism, Nkrumahism and Pan-africanism” finally fell like a tree…” (Published: 20-10-2012/ modernghana.com)

African postcolonial legacy began well under Nkrumahism and other freedom fighters but suddenly other political elements began to turn the light into darkness. Our postcolonial periods has been marked by civil wars, corruption, militancy, political instability, “Kleptocracy”, malnutrition; “refugee-ism”, military coup etc. and we are still counting the woes. The consequence of post-colonialism has been very pathetic. All the regions of southern Africa, the west, the eastern part and north have one way or the other been politically traumatized. Civil war in Darfur, Monrovia, Mogadishu, Kinshasa, Nigerian-Biafran war of the late 1960s, Dari Salam terrorist attack, other kinds of war in Chad, Niger, South African Apartheid, Rwandan Genocide, Burundi etc. This has been the appalling legacy of African post-colonialism. Many will perhaps say that this is the past─ but what about present day Mali and the “Toure” Rebels, “Al-Shabaab” in Somalia and the deadly “Boko-Haram” in Nigeria. Africa needs a better postcolonial legacy.

But for the positive, Africa is experiencing new developments and reforms today. Democracy is growing well and even causing great revolutions such as the recent Arab spring in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, although they came with a painful cost. Institutions are also gradually shifting from “strongmen” into laws and ideal bureaucratic structures.

Although democracy has been tested and tried as a best form of government for the people among the other forms; what will happen if our leaders hide under the umbrella of democracy and become kleptocratic. What will happen if African democrats become kleptocrats by draining tax payer's monies and putting them in their personal international bank accounts? Mobutu of former Zaire did same when he was in power. It was even alleged that the former Zairian president was richer that his own country. The resource that emerges out of a democratic regime is for the people and must be used to promote their welfare.

Africa is recovering from the darkness of post-colonialism into the shining light of a democratic welfare state. Every African leader must be ready to promote that course. Africa indeed needs a better postcolonial legacy. A postcolonial legacy that will promote democrats and not kleptocrats─ a form of leadership that will put the welfare of its people first before any other thing─ a solid heritage that will bring back the sanity of pre-colonial Africa in the face of secularization and the endorsement of probity, responsibility, accountability and the rule of law in the face of liberalization. African leadership need to change, African people need a better thinking and living. African militants need to be baptized with pan-africanism in order to save them from the intoxication and hypnotization of militancy and “rebelism”. (emphasis on Toure rebels, Al Shabaab, Boko-Haram etc.)

Africa needs no Kleptocracy in this present democratic revolution “because democratic Kleptocracy will only hamper development”. It will only confiscate the resources of the masses and illegally hand it to the few oligarchic rulers.

Democratic Kleptocracy must go to jail. Democratic Kleptocracy must be given a life sentence in prison. Africa must vote against any kleptocratic form of government found among the member states. Ghana need to vote against Kleptocratic government in any general election, Nigeria must vote against it, South Africa, Ivory Coast, and Egypt among others. Democratic Kleptocracy must be voted out of Ecowas, AU and even in the UN!!! Africa must vote against Kleptocracy because Kleptocracy in democracy or even in autocracy will only deepen African woes of dependency and forever hamper our development.

By Samson C. Agbelengor
Government Tutor, Dega Senior High School
New Longoro, Kintampo North District
Email: [email protected]