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Intellectual Slavery, The Most Dangerous Legacy of Colonialism

Western Education Has Fooled Me - Information the west don’t want you to know (Part 1)
Feature Article Intellectual Slavery, The Most Dangerous Legacy of Colonialism
JAN 21, 2016 LISTEN

Attention: African people,
Greetings my African people.
This message is for independent thinking Africans. For Africans who can think for themselves. For Africans devoid of crowd mentality. This part contains revelations into why we the African people are gradually losing our languages, our culture, and who we are as a people. And also how western education control what we should and shouldn't know.

But, before I begin, let me tell you a little about crowd mentality or what Fela Anikulapo Kuti called "Follow Follow" mentality.

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Fela Anikulapo Kuti
What is Follow-Follow?.
Ancient Greek philosopher Socrates taught his students that the pursuit of truth can only begin once they start to question and analyze every belief that they ever held dear. If a certain belief passes the tests of evidence, deduction, and logic, it should be kept. If it doesn't, the belief should not only be discarded, but the thinker must also then question why he was led to believe the erroneous information in the first place.

Not surprising, this type of teaching didn't sit well with the ruling elite of Greece. Many political leaders throughout history has always not liked the independent thinking masses. No wonder Socrates was tried for subversion and for "corrupting the youth". He was then forced to take his own life by drinking poison. It's never easy being an independent thinker!.

Today, the powers that be may simply label such people as extremists, terrorist, or paranoid.

This article is no opinion piece. Rather, it is information opening up buried facts that when carefully read will show you the evil grip on Africa by western education and it's attendant intellectual slavery of Africans.

Of course, there're some of us Africans who have fallen under the hypnotic spell of western powers whom they worship as God. Because these group of Africans are unable to think for themselves, there's no amount of truth that can sway them from their preconceived position. They may even deny something they see with their own eyes.

These groups of people are victims of a psychological affliction known as the lemming effect, a product of western intellectual slavery.

Lemmings are small stupid animals that dart around in forests. This animal is known to be extremely stupid, such that they follow each other to their deaths and into dangers like fire or traps. Lemming hood is an innate psychological phenomenon, present in common people, as well as the most sophisticated and educated elites. Its what Fela Anikulapo Kuti called "follow follow" mentality.

Lemming hood effect is psychological. As such, no social class is immune to its evil effect. A university professor could be a lemming, just as much as a fashion obsessed teenager. One blindly follows the latest trendy hypothesis while the other blindly follows the latest trendy clothing style.

The power to fit in with one's social class can be irresistible. To a human lemming, the logic behind an opinion doesn't count as much as the power and popularity behind an opinion. Humans, like lemmings, behave the same way.

It is this lemming effect that makes the entire continent of Africa lose their sense of judgment, all at the same time. For lemmings, denial is a basic psychological defense mechanism used to not only shield themselves from unpleasant realities, but also to reassure themselves that they still fit within the acceptable range of opinion held by their peer group.

I will continue to try to open the closed minds of my fellow Africans to free us from our self-imposed blindness, but it's not easy. The chains of ideological conformity have too strong a grip on my fellow Africans, and breaking them is a difficult task. With the limited resources at my disposal, it is next to impossible to compete with western lemming-masters (the same old slave masters). Nevertheless, I will continue to speak in my little ways, at least lay the foundation upon which the truth might one day rise in future.

If you're among the "follow follow" group described above, you'll not like what you're about to read, because it questions even your education. But, if you're an independent thinking fellow, I invite you to come in with open mind and join me let's explore the subject "intellectual slavery" something that holds a deadly grip on Africa. Its very deadly because intellectual slavery is the only way western powers ensure neo-colonialism never die.

There are those among us (like myself, Kwame Nkumah, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, and few others) who do have the courage and intellectual capacity to break free of the shackles of lemming hood (western intellectual slavery) and accept the truth when it is presented.

Many years ago, people like Fela Anikulapo Kuti noticed the lemming hood syndrome in African leadership and society and has constantly warned Africans against the habit of “follow follow” or lemming hood. But, Africans has refused to heed to the warnings of those who’ve seen the light, and today the consequence of our action is producing bad fruits.

One of the bad fruit is my inability to find native keyboards in shops.

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My search for native keyboard.
I have a project I want to execute, the project requires writing in native African languages like; Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Efik, Fulani, Bini, Zulu, Bantu, e.t.c. I cannot do the project without writing in native African languages. But, problem is the native keyboards are no way to be found. For 2 years the project has been suspended, because I couldn’t find the required native keyboards. As I speak, I'm still looking for an Igbo keyboard, Yoruba keyboard, Hausa keyboard, e.t.c to no avail. I’ve been to different shops and markets, but came back empty-handed. And nobody knows where I could buy them.

Surprisingly, I discovered I can easily buy Arabic keyboards, French keyboards, Spanish keyboards, Chinese keyboards, German keyboards, even Russian keyboards. I felt sad upon this realization, and as a scientist I began asking questions. Then, I came up with some hypothesis and I decided to research it, because I wanted to know “Why”.

Why is it easier to buy an Arabic keyboard in Africa?.

Why is it easier to buy a French keyboard in Africa?.

Why is it easier to buy an English keyboard in Africa?.

Most importantly, Why are Africans themselves not worried, even when a Chinese man coming to Africa for the first time bothers?.

Why does a Korean man coming to Africa for the first time worry about the above questions, when Africans themselves do not bother?.

I will let you know the answer, if you keep reading.

Most Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese people visiting Africa for the first time are of the impression they will not be able to find keyboards or computers in other languages. They assume because we Africans are a unique people, we will therefore have our own writing symbols, different than English, French, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. They get shocked when they get here for the first time only to discover we have nothing unique, technologically, intellectually. They discover we’ve imported everything we use from them. At that point, they begin seeing us as simpletons and people without intellectual capabilities, because they can see for themselves why we were enslaved and colonized for too long. They then wish they were the one that also colonized us, and that we all were speaking Chinese or Korean to avoid language barrier, since the British and French enjoy such privilege. Therefore, they look-down on us and start belittling us.

Below is a conversation between an Indian living in Africa and his brothers. This conversation ensued when the expatriate told his brothers he wanted to come to India for holidays.

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For your information, this is generally the reason foreign experts into Africa do not respect Africans. They see us as people who do not have intellectual capabilities of our own. So, in case you’re one of those working in offices and complaining about how Indians, Koreans, Chinese, e.t.c disrespect you, the above is the real reason, though they’ll not say it. They may still respect you though, but before they start respecting you, you must have personally proved to them over the months/years that you’re indeed an intelligent person. Once they know this, they will begin respecting you unreservedly.

Why native keyboards cannot be found in our shops.

My findings reveal that Africa is in a new covert form of slavery called intellectual slavery.

Intellectual slavery is different than the slavery suffered by our ancestors centuries ago, but it is more dangerous. It is more dangerous because it turns us Africans into self-replicating robots creating more slaves by ourselves. The slavery suffered by our ancestors in the past was mostly physical than mental. But that wasn’t the end. It was mostly physical because, if you were caught you’ll be the only person to suffer. But, in intellectual slavery, if you’re caught you’ll catch many other slaves. As I explained in part 2, there exist modern forms of slavery; such as technological slavery, economic slavery. But, intellectual slavery is the worst form of slavery.

What is intellectual slavery?.
Intellectual slavery is the state of being bound to academic servitude by someone controlling the knowledge base of such academic pursuit. Intellectual slavery is targeted at academia in Africa and other third world countries. Its goal is to totally control what is knowable by a person or a group of people via satellite entities. Intellectual slavery didn’t begin today; its just that its such a silent killer. It is so silent that nobody see it. Intellectual slavery was encoded in colonial model of education to limit what we Africans can know, and how to know it. Western education was created to indoctrinate the minds of Africans to think in a particular way only beneficial to the same old colonial masters. Therefore, one of it’s resultant effect is to stop us from questioning our system of education itself!. It also stops African scholars and students from questioning established western theories. It belittles your mind and stops you from challenging western scholarly views, ideals, values, e.t.c. More than a slave not owning his/her body, intellectual slavery have a deadly grip on the mind of Africans, and other third world countries for that matter. Intellectual slavery is targeted at students, pupils, elites, scholars, educationists, intellectuals, from third world countries. This makes it very dangerous as it has the potential of doing more damage to a people in the long run. Western powers through intellectual slavery have installed the wheel driving neo-colonialism and left. And to keep this wheel turning, it is being oiled by African teachers, scholars, elites, educationists. That is, it literally have us expanding neo-colonialism forever, all by ourselves.

Just in case you still don’t get it, let me give you an example of the fruits of intellectual slavery in simple practical terms.

Names of parts of the body in English

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As you can see above, you can comfortably name parts of the body in English language, and those of us from Francophone countries would comfortably do same with ease in French.

But, wait a minutes!. Can you name the parts of the body in your native language?.

Name the parts of the body in your native language

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When you try naming the parts of the body in your native dialect you would discover you suddenly find it hard to write, even to name. My research shows 99% of "educated" Africans cannot name, and write parts of the body in their own native languages!. My people, that's intellectual slavery at work!!!. Western education have stripped you of your innate power to know your own self!.

Another example I can give you is this. What do you call Click, Download, Upload, Database, Website, Homepage, in your native language?.

I can bet these words have no native words in your language, because we don't create knowledge in Africa. Rather, we just copy what whiteman say. And therefore, we call it what whiteman call it. It happens in Anglophone and Francophone countries as well. Knowledge creation has been outsourced to western nations. Therefore, they control what we should know and what we shouldn't know. If this's not intellectual slavery, I don't know what is!.

Yet, another example I can give is the scenarios below.

(i). You want to write a letter to your mother or father who lives in the village, but instead of writing him/her in your native language you still wrote in English. Why writing a letter to your mother or father in English?.Answer: intellectual slavery.

(ii). Why writing a letter to your mother in English?. Doesn’t your mother speak your own language?. If yes, why?.Answer: intellectual slavery.

(iii). Is there anybody is your village that doesn’t speak your native language?. If no, why speaking English and jotting down notes in English in your village meeting in Abuja?.Answer: intellectual slavery.

The above tests and scenarios are clear samples to prove the manifestation of intellectual slavery,but I’m not done yet.

I will give more examples later, on how intellectual slavery affects even the so called highly educated people in Africa, like; Wole Soyinka. And it bothers me so much that this’s happening all over Africa, in both Francophone and Anglophone countries.

But, it's not like that in Japan, it's not like that in Russia, it's not like that in China, it's not like that in Korea. In these countries every educated person can name parts of the body in their native language, they can also tell you the meaning of download, upload, website, homepage, database, in their various native languages. I'll tell you why it's not like that in those countries, if you keep reading.

Back to my search for native keyboard.
I went to the market the other day at Ikeja, and I asked a shop keeper about the native keyboard. He replied me saying‘’nobody buys it, that's why we don't sell it’’. He then went on to ask me; ‘’what are you doing with it anywhere’’?.

I wish you were there to see the expression of disdain on his face, because I asked for a native keyboard. I was so annoyed by that question, and I just looked at him, shook my head and walked away.

But, this continues to worry me and I keep asking more questions.

Why are we not aware we’re in a new form of slavery?.

Why are we not aware we’re being gradually re-colonized?.

At least our ancestors knew they were in slavery and they rebelled against slavery. Our fathers in the 50's and 60's also knew they were being colonized and they fought for their freedom.

So, why are we not putting up a fight against intellectual slavery?. Is it because it seems harmless?. Well, it is just as harmless as the disease cancer in it’s early stage. It takes many years to mature to deadly sickness!.

Why intellectual slavery appear harmless.
What is it about intellectual slavery that makes it apparently innocuous?. What makes intellectual slavery appear harmless?.

Intellectual slavery seems harmless because we begin acquiring it from school. It begins right from the first day little boy Kunle start learning “A” is for Apple, instead of “A” is for Akwa (Akwa is Igbo for egg). It begins right from the day little Kunle begins learning “B” is for Bell, instead of “B”is for Boli (Boli is roasted plantain).

Kunle goes to school

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Two years later, little boy Kunle comes back from school and runs into the waiting arms of the happy mother and father, and the father asks little Kunle; what did you study in school today?.And little Kunle replies; “Pussy cat, pussy cat where have you been. I’ve been to London to look at the queen”.

You’ve been to London?
To look at the queen?.
Really?.
This is not education!. Because, English is not the standard for learning!.

Why couldn’t little Kunle go to Ife?.
Why couldn’t little Kunle go to look at the Ooni?.

Unfortunately, nobody ask these questions. Nobody ask questions because the western education we acquire makes us a classic case of "the more you look, the less you see". Instead the happy mother and father, a product of same brainwashing colonial education inherited from Britain and France, claps their hands for little Kunle, beaming with joy because they assume little kunle is acquiring knowledge, when in reality little Kunle have just began the preliminary task of learning how to un-learn what makes him an African.

Three years later, little Kunle, if he’s smart would have established knowledge on how to recite the English alphabet, but without learning how to read the Yoruba alphabet. He doesn’t even have any idea its possible to recite in other African languages, like Igbo, Hausa, Efik, Bini, Ibibio, Igala, Zulu, Bantu, e.t.c. As a matter of fact, these other languages are hidden from him by his teachers. Our scholars, elites, intellectuals, educationists, turn a blind eye, because they too are a product of same brainwashing colonial education inherited from Britain and France. They have no idea the same education little Kunle is receiving is also subliminally telling him that English language, views, ideals, value system, is superior to that of our native Africa.

What African educationists fail to understand is that by bombarding the minds of our little children with those sorts of words and images, they’re also subliminally teaching them western values, as well as imposing feelings of inferiority complex on them. Example; that London and the queen are more valuable than Ife and the Ooni of Ife.

Therefore, right from kindergarten and primary school we start learning how to un-learn our African value system in exchange for western values. This happens no matter what subject you study in school.

We go to school in Africa to literally give up what makes us African, and then assume an inferior foreign identity. In the process, we abandon our native African language and ideals in pursuit of what, and who we’re not. Therefore, the same education we pursue, then becomes the same education that is eroding our native languages. The same education we pursue, then becomes the same education that is silently destroying our cultures and who we’re as a people.This is the reason I could not find our native keyboard in the market!. We have destroyed our languages via western education. Therefore, keyboard in our native languages is completely useless. Why?. Because, you cannot eat your cake and have it!.

It is not like that in China!.
It is not like that in Korea!.
It is not like that in Japan!.
It is not like that in Russia!.
It is not like that in Iran
Even Indonesians and Malaysians have grown up.
It is no longer like that in Indonesia!.
It is no longer like that in Malaysia!.
It is no longer like that in most countries of the world, except in African countries!.

Let me warn us Africans that education does not mean speaking English fluently. Let me warn us that education does not mean speaking French fluently. Because, if education means speaking English and French fluently, that would mean that Japanese people are not educated, that would mean Russians are not educated, that would mean Koreans are not educated, that would mean Chinese are not educated, that would mean Germans are not educated.

Let me warn us that education does not mean acquiring or holding bogus certificates, because I have none, and I can square up with any scholar/intellectual any place on earth!.

Education means the schooling of the mind (whatever the subject), but according to the value system of a given society. How and what to learn, or not to learn, will depend on the value system of a given society not upon a standard set in Europe or America. Otherwise, our scholars and educationists will keep doing this “copy and paste” in our schools. You do not copy and paste in education, rather you create knowledge, and you keep on discovering and refining what would be more valuable for the education of people in your own country. African scholars, intellectuals, educationists should stop being like a car running on the engine of a different car. Like a Mercedes Benz running on Volkswagen beetles engines. Let me explain what I mean here with this bitter leaf analogy.

Bitter leaf

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Every African knows what bitter leaf is called in our various native languages. Therefore, in a Botany class for example; there’s no need teaching an African child what British man or French man call bitter leaf, unless in pure English class. That an English man calls bitter leaf scientific name "Vernonia" will not add anything meaningful to the child’s concept of bitter leaf. The best way to have a child understand and conceptualize the subject is call it and teach it with the name given to it by the society, and the education would be more meaningful to the child. For example; when I checked the semantics of bitter leaf in my native Igbo language, I found out it is more intuitive in my native dialect than in English. Bitter leaf in my native language is called Olugbo and it literally interprets as Olu (that bitters) + gbo (from early) or just early.

The semantics includes the following.
(i). That bitters from early.
(ii). Bitter from creation.
(iii). Born to be bitter.
(iv). Bitter from the beginning.
(v). Always bitter.
That is how it should be!. Because, any knowledge acquired this way will naturally be with you, and you’ll not need to cram to answer questions on it in an exam.

We can of course study the plant's properties ourselves. That's what true education is all about.

You don't need any white man's opinion to study the plants and leaves in your village, unless you're comparing your findings. Knowing the botanical name or what white man call it; is brainwashing fake education installed by Britain and France to control what Africans should know, what we shouldn't know, how to know it, how not to know it, e.t.c. Thereby, they control the world of African scholarship millions of miles across the ocean, removing African view point, culture, history, intellectual contribution, e.t.c. This is intellectual slavery, and that's why Africa is where we're today.

If you're not an independent thinker, you may not understand what I'm talking about. But, many years ago, Lord Kwame Nkrumah noticed the problem I’m talking about. Nkrumah knew there was a big problem with the model of education in Africa, and he knew exactly what needed to be done. He knew the model of education throughout Africa needed to be overhauled, but he didn't have a lot of time to change education in Africa for good, before he was blackmailed out of office by western powers. He just had enough time to win our political freedom, but not enough time to fight for other things.

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Lord Kwame Nkrumah
Nkrumah observed that colonial missionary schools curriculum was Euro-centric, and that it carefully excluded African religion, culture, and history. After noticing this, he said ''under such a system of education the youth of Africa is not prepared to meet any definite situations of the changing community except those of the clerical activities and occupations for foreign commercial and mercantile concerns".

And he concluded by saying "any educational program which fails to furnish criteria for the judgment of social, political, economic, and technical progress of the people it purports to serve has completely failed in its purpose, and has become an educational fraud".

Therefore, if our curriculum and system of education in Africa is giving priority to western value system and ideals, though it's still education, but it's no longer the education of an African mindset. This is why people like Wole Soyinka, even though he is educated, lacks the ability to contribute to the literary development of his own native Yoruba language. This is why people like Ms. Chimamanda Adichie is writing for the west, instead of writing in our native Igbo language.

Chimamanda Adichie

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(American author)
Real Americanah
Western education have stripped her of her innate powers to contribute to the development of our own native Igbo language!. But, William Shakespeare, the great English writer invented more than 2,000 words and lots of phrases for his own English language. I will make this point clearer later.

But, let me tell you something.
Wole Soyinka would have still been a great writer, if he wrote in Yoruba language!. If Soyinka wrote in Yoruba language he would still have been an outstanding writer, and he would have still won a nobel prize in literature!.

Chinua Achebe would have still been a great writer, if he wrote in Igbo language!.

Ms. Chimamanda would have still been a great writer, if she wrote in Igbo language!.

Can people win noble laureates writing in their native language?.

The answer is “Yes”.
I was able to make a chart of all nobel prize in literature winnings by country. See below.

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List of nobel prize winners in Literature, Countries & Language.

The different countries and languages above proves there’s no level you can’t get to, even if you write in your native language. Hundreds of authors have won noble prize in literature writing in their native languages.

To be specific, books written in the following languages has won nobel prize in literature; German, Spanish, English, French, Swedish, Italian, Russian, Polish, Danish, Norwegian, Chinese, Greek, Japanese, Arabic, Bengali, Czech, Finnish, Hebrew, Persian, Hungarian, Icelandic, Occitan, Portuguese, Serbo-Croatian, Turkish, Yiddish.

Thousands of authors in world write in their native languages before translating and publishing in English or French or to other languages. Writing in your native language naturally gives you more power. As a matter of fact, Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda, would have been bigger and better writers, if they had studied Igbo and Yoruba respectively, and wrote in our native languages. Sadly, they could not do that because the monster called intellectual slavery stood on their way.

Please, take a second look at the chart above. There's something I want you to know that the west don't want third world countries to know. You may enlarge it by clicking on it.

If you look closely at the chart, you’ll see there’s a correlation between education in native language and wealth. Example; you can see that countries with authors writing in their native languages are wealthy nations with GDP more than that of African countries.

On the other hand, you can see clearly that there’s a correlation between western education and poverty. The nations with authors writing in languages other than their native languages, are all poor nations (I underlined them in red), they are also the same nations that suffered slavery or and colonialism. Therefore, without mincing words, its safe to say; western education makes Africa and other third world countries poor.

What has language got to do with education?.

From the beginning of mankind, people naturally had need to communicate themselves. Therefore, different societies naturally developed the language suitable for them to communicate themselves.The name of any language that evolved in each society, also later became the name of that society or tribe. Example; people that spoke Igbo became known as Igbo, people that spoke Yoruba became known as Yoruba, people that spoke Hausa became known as Hausa, people that spoke Zulu became known as Zulu, people that spoke English became known as English, people that spoke Dutch became known as Dutch, people that spoke French became known as French, e.t.c.

Interchangeably, the name of each tribe or society that evolved, also became the name of their language. Example; a tribe from Japan became simply known as Japanese, and a tribe that evolved in Korea simply became known as Korean, a tribe that evolved in China became known as Chinese.

As you can see, you cannot separate language from a tribe or culture, neither will you separate a tribe or culture from a language. If you manage to separate a tribe from their language, you will destroy their culture in the long run. That’s why language is the center of any culture. That’s why language is the center of any civilization. No language no culture!. No language no society!.

If you destroy the language of a people, you'll destroy who they're in the long run. This's because the DNA of a culture is written in and with it's language. Therefore, the easiest way I can get you to understand anything is to speak to you in the same native (natural) language you grew up speaking. In your mother’s tongue!.

Have you ever watched a TV program made in your native language?. Have you ever listened to a radio program in your native language?.

Have you ever listened to news on TV in your native language?.

Have ever listened to news on radio in your native language?.

Do you know that feeling of clarity?.
Do you know that feeling of completeness of understanding?.

Do you know that feeling of being heart-to-heart with the newscaster?.

That’s what native language does!.
Whether it is listening to news or learning in school, native language naturally does the same thing for you. It helps you understand better!.

If you learn in school in your native language; you’ll get that same feeling of clarity from the teacher. This’s why kids in countries like Japan, Korea, China, learn faster. They learn faster because, most of their comprehension problem has already been solved to a large extent by their native language. This’s explained in details in part 2.

Speaking to you in your native language is the most natural way I could get you to conceptualize complicated ideas without leaving you confused, especially difficult scientific principles. Native language is a natural capital, not just for easy communication but also for learning. If something is difficult to explain (like scientific concepts), the most natural way to get you understand it is to explain it to you in your native language. Therefore, teaching you in school in your native language will boost your innate power to learn. Again, this is because, the DNA of any culture is written in and with it’s language. If you destroy the language of a people, that culture will collapse over time. That’s why if you live too long in a particular country, you will gradually and subconsciously develop and adopt their way of behavior. In fact, if you live too long in a country you will gradually start losing your own culture in favor of your host's country, especially if you have no community in that country who speak your own language. This initially manifest as feeling of home sick for a new visitor, until he/she out-grow it and begin the gradual accumulation of the host's culture.

Due to the fact we Africans place priority on English language and French in our schools, we also subconsciously adopt western ideals and value system and lifestyles in our own lands. Yes, that’s how powerful a language could be!.

A friend of mine, who have lived in Togo republic for 20 years, speaks Ewe (their local language) very fluently and he believes Togo is the best place on earth to live. He’s married there and unable to leave Togo.

Another brother who have lived in the USA for 30 years believes that’s the best place to live on earth.

Yet, another friend has lived in Russia for 18 years. He now speak Russian very fluently, and he said he have no plans of leaving Russia, despite the extreme cold weather there. Anytime this friend of mine comes to Nigeria, he behaves like a foreigner. In fact, when he comes its like he will start learning how to behave like a Nigerian again. He can’t even stay in Nigeria for over a week, otherwise he’ll become home (Russia) sick.

All these are possible because the culture of those countries have sunk deep into them through their native languages that they speak. It would be easier for them to leave those countries, if they didn’t speak their language. Language ties you to a land and makes you become part of that culture, that’s why some countries wouldn’t mind giving you citizenship, if you speak their language fluently. After all, you have become one of them!.

Unfortunately, it doesn't matter whether you acquire the knowledge of speaking the language of others in your country or in their country. The moment you make a foreign language a priority in your life, it's only a matter of time before you also start behaving like those who own the language.

Think of the powerful influence a language could have on an individual as the same as the influence a job could have on a person or group of people. If you take up a police job, within weeks you'll start behaving like a police man. If you become a doctor you'll start behaving like a doctor in a matter of time. If you become a politician, you'll start behaving like a politician pretty soon. If you become a journalist, within months you'll start behaving like a journalist. The list goes on. Language have the same effect of on an individual or group of people over time.

Back to topic………
The effect of intellectual slavery is very adverse, and it looks at no faces. Everybody is a victim.

Emir of Kano, HRH Sanusi Lamido Sanusi once said “Every African is a victim of colonialism”. That's very true!.

Intellectual slavery is one of the tools of neo-colonialism. It is modern slavery and everybody is a victim. Its like the black-hole, nothing escapes it. From the lowest man in the streets of Africa to presidents, everybody is a victim.

Even Wole Soyinka is a big victim, because as I said, nobody escapes it.

Wole Soyinka

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(Nobel prize in "English literature" winner)

No award won in Yoruba language
Though, Wole Soyinka has won noble prize in “English literature” but he have not written a single book in his own native Yoruba language, neither will he ever be able to do so. Western education makes him incapacitated, powerless, and unable to contribute to the literary development of his own native Yoruba language, even if he wanted.

But, as I said earlier, William Shakespeare invented lots of words for the English people. CLICK HERE to view some of them. He also invented these phrases. CLICK HERE to view some of them. More words, phrases and their meaning courtesy of Shakespeare. CLICK HERE to view. Shakespeare clearly left an eternal mark on his own English language.

Unlike William Shakespeare, our African authors have no impact whatsoever on our native languages. Their contributions has been stolen via western education, and they don't even know it!.

What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?.

This is because western education was created to do exactly that. It was created to strip him of his intellectual powers to contribute to education in his village, since the British know most people in his village are not English speaking. That is, if you want to be like him, you must first un-learn your African language and learn the English literature!. This is why if Soyinka suddenly finds himself in the midst of villagers in his community, he suddenly becomes a dummy unable to transfer his knowledge to them. Whereas, if Soyinka were to travel to the United Kingdom, there’s no village, town, city, or Island that he wouldn’t be able to communicate his knowledge to. This’s exactly, what Kwame Nkrumah meant by “education serving western mercantile interests”. Your education becomes only useful to serving western interests.

But, of what use is your education, when you lack the ability to transfer your knowledge to people in your village?.

What western education want is to have monopoly over all we’ve learnt in school. What they want is to make our knowledge only valuable to western concerns. What they want is to have our education stuck with us unable to use it to solve real life problems. What they want is; if you’re an African CHEMIST, you’ll be a chemist only on paper. What they want is; if you’re an African PHYSICIST you’ll be a physicist only on paper.

The resultant effect of this, is that it creates elitism in Africa, which helps widen the gap between the rich and poor in Africa. I explained this in more details in the part 2.

Western education was not created for our own good. Rather, it was created by colonial powers out of their selfish interest to raise few African elites who will act as conduits for further exploitation of Africa and it’s resources.

Though the whiteman is no longer in Africa to officially execute colonialism, but by pursuing western model of education in our schools, we now act as self-replicating robots, sustaining, nurturing, and expanding colonialism and intellectual slavery, all by ourselves.Sadly, this was the original purpose the colonialists wiped out our traditional form of education and introduced their brand of education into Africa. Incredibly, education in Africa is still perfectly serving it’s original purpose, many years after the so called independence. It’s so sad.

Just in case you’re still not aware of the impact of intellectual slavery on Africa and African scholars, let me make it clearer below with an Example.

Imagine a British man came to Nigeria to study Yoruba language. He then wrote a book using Yoruba. Who do you think would benefit more from such book?.Answer: Yoruba people.

This our imaginary British man would have helped the literary development of Yoruba language, no matter how little. He would have coined so many Yoruba words that would sound half-English and Half-Yoruba, thereby helping enrich the Yoruba language in the long run. Why?. Because, a language naturally expand or start dying when it interacts with another language.

Imagine Chimamanda Adichie wrote all her books in Igbo language. Who do you think would benefit more from her books?.

Answer: Igbo people.
She would have helped coin native Igbo words for; Click, Download, Upload, e.t.c. Igbo language would have been enriched by her.

Imagine Chinua Achebe wrote all his books, say; in Hausa language. Who do you think would benefit more from his books?.

Answer: Hausa people.
He would have helped Hausa language as stated above.

Imagine Wole Soyinka wrote all his books, say; in Bini language. Who do you think would benefit more from his books?.

Answer: Bini people.
He would have helped coin native Bini words for; Database, Website, Homepage, e.t.c.

Other languages like; Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Korean, e.t.c have native names for; Click, Download, Upload, Database, Website, Homepage. But, we don't because nobody works for the literary development our our native languages.

Note that Soyinka or Chimamanda would not have woken up one morning and start making-up those words. Rather, they themselves would have needed those words to express themselves in their books. And in the process, they would've naturally invent new words to enrich our various native languages. We the people will in turn read their books and start using those words in daily life. That’s the way it is in Japan, China, Korea, German, e.t.c. Their writers, scholars keeps enriching their languages, perpetually.

You may ask; who will buy the book?.
This question exactly mirrors the question I was asked by the shop keeper, when I went looking for the native keyboard. The shop keeper asked; what are you doing with the keyboard?.

Let me tell you the answer to these questions.
It is because we accepted western education; hook, line, and sinker, that’s why our languages got destroyed, in the first place. Our languages got destroyed because instead of our schools demanding a “Credit” in our native languages, our schools require a credit in English language instead. That’s why, you can’t find people who can read their books.

Therefore, it is because we have destroyed who we are as a people, that’s why we have no big writers in our native languages.

It is because we have destroyed our languages (through western education) that’s why we don’t have such big native authors, in the first place.

And, it’s ultimately because of the above reasons that nobody uses keyboards made in our native languages. Therefore, this is ultimately the reason I could not find our native keyboard in shops.

I could not find the keyboard, because we the African people are still running on the minds of slaves, and have placed priority on English and French language in our schools and in society.

I could not find the keyboard, because we’re submissive to western intellectual control. And that’s why Africa is backwards, and keeps being used and re-used.

The way I see things going, if something is not done to restructure education throughout Africa as a matter of continental emergency, Africa will be re-colonized in the next 40-50 years. History will repeat itself!. If education is not restructured all over Africa as a matter of urgency, we will get to a point of no-return within 30 years, and into everlasting western control.

Other countries of the world know this fact, and they fought it off, through real education.

That’s why it is not like that in Korea!.
Korean Keyboard

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That’s why it is not like that in China!.
Chinese Keyboard

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That’s why it is not like that in Russia!.
Russian keyboard

b27iam4yxsrussiank

That’s why it is not like that in Japan!.
Japanese keyboard

b17iyl3xxsjapank

That’s why it is not like that in Iran.
Iranian Keyboard (Persian)

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That’s why it is not like that in Saudi Arabia

Arabic keyboard

sw4aqe1ppkarabick

The above countries knows exactly what I’m talking about, and this blog gets a lot of visitors from them. A Chinese professor emailed me from China and he asked me; does Africans understand your message?. Because, if they do, Africa will suddenly awake and will totally disconnect from imperial control like we did in China centuries ago.

Guess what?.
I also found out that any country that knows, or is trying to do something about what I’m saying, have some sorts of friction or have had some sort of friction with western nations in the past. Why?. Because, they don’t want you to be FREE!.

If you go to Japan, China, Russia, Iran, Korea, you’ll see that their scholars publish their books in their own native languages, first, because they value their languages like independent people should. They also learn in school in their native languages.

If you go to the above countries you’ll see their keyboards are in every store, because they value their languages like independent people should. They also learn in school in their own native languages, and their native keyboard industry will never die.

Africans should pay priority attention to our languages in schools.

We’re no longer in slavery, for God’s sake!.

We are Africans!. We are not Europeans!.
We are Africans!. We are not Americans!.
Or, are we dumber than our ancestors, such that we can’t get over mental slavery?. Our ancestors would have thought by now we would have kicked anything resembling slavery out of Africa.

Our forefathers in the 50’s and 60’s would have thought by now we would have kicked anything resembling colonialism out of Africa.

Indeed, its possible to kick out any resemblance of slavery and colonialism out of Africa. Other civilizations have proved its possible. We’re not the only people that were colonized. China was once partly colonized by Japan, Britain, and a host of other parasites. But, China like many other Asian countries, have learnt their lessons. If you go to China today, there’s no trace of Japan or British past in their country. China so much kicked Japan out, so much that its almost a crime for a Chinese to marry a Japanese.

I’m not preaching hatred though, but just stating the facts. I particularly love Japanese people. Japan is the real world power, if Japan was as big as China, they would have remained the No.1 world power forever. Even the US wouldn’t have come close to their might.

If you go to Japan, you'll find abundant keyboards in Japanese.

If you go to Korea, you'll find abundant keyboards in Korean.

If you go to Arab nations, you'll find abundant keyboards in Arabic.

If you go to Russia, you'll find abundant keyboards in Russian, e.t.c.

Asians have realized their mistakes and have restructured their system of education, placing priority to their native languages in schools. Even Malaysians, Indonesians, Indians that used to be as stupid as we are, have learnt from their mistakes and has woken up from their slumber. If you go to these countries you'll see they pay priority attention to their native languages in schools. And you can as well buy keyboards in their native languages over there.

We Africans should make a U-turn. We need to jettison English language and French in our schools, because English and French in our schools is silently destroying our languages, its silently destroying our cultures, and who we are. English and French in our schools is a disaster!.

Whatever you do, always remember that;
English language is not a standard for learning!.
French language is not a standard for learning!.
If English or French is the standard for learning, how come Japanese people understood physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics on their own?.

If French is the standard for learning, how come Koreans understood sciences and built technological wonders without speaking French?. How come the Japanese built technological wonders and went to the moon on their own terms, in their own native language?.

Because Japanese people learn on their own terms in their native language, a Japanese scholar/intellectual using his native language will be better able to transfer his/her knowledge to anybody in his village, whereas an African scholar will find it difficult doing the same. This’s simply because there’re no native words to discuss scholarly works in Africa. This is explained in more details in part 2.

We need to pay priority attention to the development of our native African languages in schools and society, because everything we do in English language, including this message, is only advancing English language to the detriment of our native languages. I have to use English because I’m also a victim, unfortunately. But, at least, I understand my problem, and I’m working my way out of the mess.

The reason I could not find keyboards in our native African languages is because we have killed our native languages by ourselves (through western education). We Africans seems to be fine-tuned for eternal stupidity. This includes scholars, intellectuals, educationists, celebrities, presidents, ministers, governors, everybody. But, I won't be part of it. If nobody cares to take action or help me take action, I’ll either hang myself or pursue German or Japanese citizenship next year. I will never be a slave in my own Africa land!.

Unless we pay priority attention to our native African languages in schools, students for example; will not be able to conceptualize science subjects like Biology, chemistry, Physics, Mathematics. I addressed the impact of intellectual slavery on science education in Africa on the part 2.

We cannot continue to consider ourselves as free people, when in reality we're entangled in new forms of slavery; intellectual slavery, technological slavery, economic slavery. Intellectual slavery has gotten so deep in Africa that some African mothers and fathers prohibit their children from speaking their own native language at home. What a shame!.

To free themselves, Malaysians, Indians, Singaporeans, Indonesians, went as far as refining an old Japanese system of mathematics that uses the principle of the abacus, and have had them introduced to schools in brand names such as CMA and UCMAS.

UCMAS for example; have proved so effective in solving mathematics that even western nations are copying UCMAS from Asia. So, as you can see, when we stop this slave mentality and develop a system of education as it suits us, even western nations will copy us.

Watch video
UCMAS: an alternative way of solving mathematics invented by Asians

Watch video
CMA: an alternative way of solving mathematics invented by Asians

National schools in Asia and Asia Pacific teach in their native languages, except in Singapore and few other private schools that teach it in English. Most of their lessons are done in native languages, but I was able to find some of the given mathematics lessons recorded in English. The point here is that Asians have created knowledge as it suits them. That's exactly what education should be. You create knowledge and knowledge-base as it suits your society, not copy and paste.

Final notes.
Please, don't get me wrong when I say Soyinka or Chimamanda. This's not about Soyinka or Chimamanda, but about the machinery of intellectual slavery, installed by Britain and France, and which is killing our languages, and who we are as Africans. Unfortunately, we remain too blind to see the impact, even when there're under our noses.

Education of a nation must not be copying or imitating what and how the west learn. We do not have to mirror education from the view point of western nations. We Africans must create a system of education where we choose what we want to learn, how we want to learn, what we ought to use as examples, what we ought to use as references, what we ought to use as historical references, e.t.c. In order to begin real learning, we must jettison the old system of education and curriculum inherited from Britain and France, otherwise, we will keep running round in circles forever worshipping white people as the custodians of knowledge.

Intellectual slavery have adverse impact on Africa. The impact on Africa as one Mr. C. Tsehloane Keto noted is that "The world of Africans and descendants of Africans and the world of scholarship about them is still the only one at the end of the Twentieth Century that retains a 'colonial' signature whereby experts and authorities outside African communities control knowledge creation and exceed experts inside those communities. This does not apply to Europe, Asia or the Americas. This has led to an unfortunate predilection among Africans to concede expert knowledge to outsiders. African people have tended in the past to surrender the right to academic self affirmation to others, thereby accepting conclusions of a Eurocentric framework that have assigned a permanent peripheral role to the Africa centered perspective in the world's growing knowledge industry. Indeed, many of the 'authorities' who study and write about the African world and exercise great influence over the outside world's perception of Africa and Africans, the understanding of its value priorities, the vision of its future and the capacity to define its very essence for insiders and outsiders alike, often are not burdened with the knowledge of single African or African derived language."

Bob Marley said “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, cause none but ourselves can free our mind”. Yet, we Africans keep sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss of colonial traps set for our ancestors many years ago by white people.

Even fishes in the sea are increasingly learning how to escape the fisherman’s fishing net. Rats are increasingly getting wiser and evading traps set for them at home. Yet, Africans are unable to dig themselves out of poverty of mind. We've gotten so stupid that even white people are rhetorically asking themselves; when will Africans be wise?.

I have a lot I still want to say, but let me stop here in order not to make it too long to read. In part 2 we shall discus how all these cause poverty in Africa.

Note: I have been writing about this and similar issues for some time now. Should anybody feel strongly against my opinion, I'm ready for a one-on-one live debate on radio with such a person. But, it must be a live broadcast and should last at least 2 hours to enable me say what I want to say. This challenge is open to "anybody" in Africa.

Written by Africason.
Africason is a musician and a die-hard believer in Africa.

Twitter: @African_School
e-School: www.AfricanSchool.org

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