Leaders In Africa Must Wake Up - Part One

It’s pathetic the African nation’s development heads downwards, following poor administration by the African leaders at the helm of affairs and their ministers including their political appointees, thereby putting the African nation’s economy in a state of coma and today Mother Africa is suffering from developmental Kwashiokor and there is relatively nothing to write home about our economy and its development. Undoubtedly, God has blessed Mother Africa with all the natural resources such as gold, diamond, manganese, bauxite, cocoa, timber, Shea butter, crude oil and many others to enable us to move our continent forward without depending on the elite countries for our survival. On the contrary with all the natural resources at our disposal, our continent is still crawling like a baby in terms of economic developments.

Beggars without a choice

God in his own infinite wisdom created all human beings in his image and likeness and urged all those who believe in him that whatever we strive to achieve we can do it by faith. It is therefore surprising to know that there is countless number of churches here in Africa than in developed countries. Despite this, the situation in Africa is very appalling as compared to that of the elite countries that do not possess half of the natural resources our continent can boast of and yet most of our leaders cannot think outside the box to deliver us from the state of being tagged as “beggars who have no choice”.

Killer IMF policy credibility

How on earth should African leaders go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for policy credibility when their hands are tied behind their backs to the extent of not been able to employ people they had promised to give a better livelihood. Worst of it all is that the employed ones after working for about two or three solid years were paid only three months’ salary knowing very well most of them were bread winners in their families.

Strategies that would keep them in power

I have been itching to ask our leaders who have the opportunity to drive our continent to its desired destination what is the stumbling block when they have everything at their disposal. It’s sad that what most of them and their subordinates know best doing are adopting strategies that would keep them in the reins of government till thy kingdom come. Interestingly, nowadays developed countries where our leaders solicit for funds have thought it wise to give the young ones with youthful exuberance the chance to govern their nations.

If my memory serves me right then I can mention names of young leaders in the world such as Emmanuel Macron, Vanessa D’Ambrosio, and Kim Jong-un, Saleh Ali al-Sammad, Emil Dimitrev, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani and many others. I strongly believe if these young leaders happen to lead the continent of Africa we will be swimming in the pool of prosperity and not the wretched way we find ourselves in all because majority of our leaders still believe we are in the colonial era where our forefathers will exchange human beings for gun and gunpowder which cannot be used to create wealth.

God wants our leaders to learn to create wealth

It is only in Africa where fully grown men who are octogenarians struggling to walk upright will still be eager to contest elections to retain power to cover up their misdeeds in the reins of government. What else do our African leaders want God to do again to enable them put things right to place Mother Africa in its rightful place which will keep us away from selling our birthright to the elite countries when God expects them to think deeply on how to create wealth for their citizenry.

Mother Africa has moved away from slavery

Mother Africa has moved away from slavery and it is high time our leaders dreamt yet another dream in making sure what we lack most in our continent is what can create the wealth for us to be able to stand on our feet as a continent that God has blessed sufficiently. I don’t see why some of our leaders would solicit for funds in the pretext of using it for the betterment of their citizenry and because of their own selfish interest would rather adopt strategies that would help them create, loot and share the country’s money.

Technology is the best option for Africa

It is only in Africa where a leader will go for credit facilities to plant trees during the Hammattan season and also rear Guinea fowls and at the end of the day not even their feathers were seen in that country and how can Africa develop when some of our leaders deliberately fail to do the right thing. Our natural resources usually go to waste just because we don’t have the necessary technology and people with the requisite technical-know-how which has made our donors rich and powerful. What is preventing our leaders from exchanging our natural resources for what we don’t have – technology instead of seeking for loans that will not be put to good use which sometimes find its way into the pockets of some political party financiers?

Favoritism and Nepotism killing our continent

Even though we are made to understand that civilization began along the banks of the Mediterranean which is in Africa and we sat down for the Europeans to come and study scientific medicine and other fields and polished it to their advantage and today we go back to them for advanced technology. The issue of “whom you know” and he or she is a family member has taken a center stage in Africa that is why contracts are given to people without the requisite skills, why African engineers will give building permits to individuals to build houses in disaster prone areas and why contracts are awarded to contractors who have no idea what so ever about the number of blocks that can be used to build a single room.

Unpatriotic contractors and Chief Executives

It’s unthinkable ever since they sought for loans; arguably there have not been any changes at all in terms of developmental projects. It is only here in Africa that a contractor constructs tarred roads and in just six months motorist ply it due to the fact that potholes in it has turned into a gutter or a swimming pool. Meanwhile the proceeds made by the contractor for this shoddy work can build mansions which can last for hundred years to come. It is quite worrisome when some of our leaders appoint people to serve in their government as Chief Executives in public institutions where in terms of productivity there is nothing to write home about and are paid huge salaries thrice the sum of amount used in attending school their whole life. The most unfortunate thing is that if something goes wrong in areas where these appointees are serving, their “bosses” are held responsible and suffer in the end when it comes to general elections.

TO BE CONTINUED