3 Reasons For Africa’s Underdevelopment– Part 3

Before the advent of colonial rule in Africa, three core values were the main drivers of cultural development. These were Language, traditional democratic governance, and traditional rule of law and justice. These strong key cultural components of Africa were intruded and eroded away and replaced with foreign values leading to misunderstanding, confusion and corruption.

First and foremost, language is the key instrument of development because it is a means by which two persons can interact and take action. Africans had their own languages and interactions were made through these local communication system. Any form of education, decision making and social gathering was done through local language. However, with the intrusion of foreign governance with focus on Indirect Rule and French Policy of Assimilation, foreign languages were imposed on the West African colonised countries. This made communication very complex and difficult. Today in the 21^st Century, examiners frustrate students in English and French Language studies, with employers becoming more concern with employee’s ability to communicate excellently in English or French. Our own Ghanaian Languages are not given attention, the curricula of our educational institutions and almost every facet of communication is now in Foreign Language. I still cannot understand why Africans and Ghanaian Examiners for that matter will fail their own children for enable to express well in English or French Language. This is indeed, an irony. Until we use our own Africa mother tongue as our Official language of communication and interaction, we will continue to battle with development challenges, because no matter how we try and try, understanding a foreign language has no influence like Nelson Mandela once said, if you speak to a person in a language he/she understands, s/he takes the information by the ears, but if you speak to him/her is his/her mother tongue, s/he takes it by the heart.

Also, our enviable African traditional democracy and traditional governance has been eroded and replaced with foreign democratic principles and governance system. Before Indirect Rule was imposed by the British, Chiefs were democratically elected and enstooled or enskinned. The process of identification of royal families, eligibility, appropriateness, and rightful person for the throne was always adhered to. The person nominated for the throne was always shown to the entire kingdom for their endorsement or otherwise by their council of elders, the chief priest and king-makers. Indeed, the process was so democratic and just to the extent that, the lands and other natural resources were entrusted in the hands of the chiefs and kings for the benefit of the entire membership. Every member of the kingdom recognises the legitimacy of the king and accords him/her that ultimate respect and honour. Unfortunately, the imposition of Indirect Rule saw to the collapse of these legitimate processes. The Foreign government forcefully nominated and imposed certain gullible persons as chiefs in order to get their policies of the foreign governance to the people. The traditional democratic system broke down as a result, and the post independence governments contributed significantly to the wrongful enkinment and enstoolment of many chiefs in Ghana. This has been the root cause of many chieftaincy conflicts in Ghana and other African states since post independence.

Finally, traditional rule of law and justice system has given way to foreign imposed rule of law and justice. The traditional rule of law which was administered by Chiefs, Elders, Clan and Family heads was so enviable because it was completely focused on reconciliation and compensation rather than punishment. There was always the feeling of “We are, but One” and so what we need was to reconcile the two conflicting parties rather than punishing one. In many of the justice systems, truth was the hallmark and both parties were given fair hearing before any judgement was passed. At the end of every adjudication process, there was always joy, happiness, re-unity, togetherness, love and above all fair justice as conflicting parties are made to share drink, food, collar, and shoulder embrace. However, since the advent of foreign court system in Africa, Africans have no peace, no unity, no reconciliation and no forgiveness. In fact, innocent people are on daily basis being jailed for crimes they do not commit. The modern law courts are based on convict and jail, no mercy whatsoever. The judges sitting on the cases are corrupt, and so poor and less privilege people cannot access justice. The rich and educated elite who can afford to hire any lawyer turn to commit heinous crimes and their lawyers defend and free them. This is unacceptable in a democracy. Yet, Africans are made inferior by their own decisions because of gullibility, corruption and selfishness.

How long can we continue to be in the bondage of so-called modern multiparty democracy when ordinary individuals cannot express themselves freely, when innocent underprivileged persons are being jailed, When elite and rulers of this great continent abuse the rights and dignity of their own citizens, when women and children have no voice, when a culture of disrespect and vilification of elders are breeding, when our lands and natural resources are being destroyed, when our selves do not see eye to eye and are killing one another, when our mother land is being forced to drink the blood of innocent citizens? I cry for myself, I cry for mother Ghana, I cry for Africa and I cry for the Blackman.

Until the Old man who created Africa come to the aid of Africans, we will continue to battle our development challenges because Africa is like a prisoner and I don’t see how a prisoner can development him/herself without the help of the prison officers, which is not possible. So we can not continue to be imprisoned by the dictates of foreigners and expect some positive to happen. I pray not, but it will be very difficult for Africans to get our development arcs rights until we free ourselves from foreign influence.

Writer’s email: [email protected]
The Writer is a Community Development Practitioner (CDP) and specialises in issues that affects the development of local communities.