Answering The African Call: What Chance Do We Give Ourselves?

Being An Open Paper 

By Oliver O. Mbamara

    As the call continues to go out for Africans in Diaspora to return home and contribute to the growth of the continent, many are really answering the call while some are still arming themselves with the necessary tools required to effect such positive change in a continent dogged by political, religious, and social upheavals. There are others who have relegated Africa to the background as a secondary society that they may never again return to or even visit again. The latter category includes critics and believers in the barrage of negative criticism leveled against Africa and Africans. It is supposed to be a free world and each individual is entitled to decide the priority of his own national, continental, political, religious, or societal allegiance.

Many Africans in Diaspora continue to excel in their various fields of endeavor whether it is academics, business, administration, arts, or otherwise. Whether such Africans get their due credit is a different matter. Africans are mostly assessed by the news as reported by popular media worldwide. Of course, pictures of war torn societies, starving children, and dilapidated suburbs are the kind of coverage Africa gets in the world media. The positive side of Africa continues to be deprived equal media coverage. And since negative news sells and travels faster than good news, the world is constantly fed with negative news and impressions of Africa. 

We have heard about the recent debt relief arrangements involving some African countries including Nigeria. Though many of us are unhappy with the accumulation of such debt in the first place, we applaud the efforts to obtain these relieves so we can at least have some breathing space to reorganize and improve our economy. However, many of us are even more saddened by the fact that maladministration and selfish acts of many of our past leaders have pushed us to such corner where these creditor-nations now have to dictate terms that we must meet if we desire to move forward economically and socio-politically. They now think our leaders must be guided even though we claim to be independent nations. For many, this amounts to an unfortunate vote of no confidence cast on our leaders and an insult to our integrity as a people, yet one cannot help but worry that these debt relief deals may actually spell bigger doom if the terms are breached. So, the question remains; do we have the kind of leaders that will follow through with the discipline and commitment required by these relief packages, and why the concern? Do African leaders lack proper sense of economics, administration, and disbursement of government fund, or are these creditor-nations right to suspect that these African government officials if not closely watched, would likely apply such proceeds to their selfish ends rather than the welfare of the people? How did the reputation of these governments fall to such level? 

These days more than ever, Africans especially Nigerians are subjected to special search procedures when they go through certain international airports especially in Europe. In fact, sometimes the scrutiny is more intense if the individual happens to be a government official. Now, our governmental officials command little or no respect when they travel abroad. In fact there have been reports of several arrests and searches of homes associated with top government officials in some of these Western countries. Some observers see this as a welcome development since government officials now have some kind of sense of accountability and responsibility. It is no longer a case of “do whatever you like and nobody will ask.” While many have praised the present government for this attainment, others have complained about a system of selective prosecution. Regardless of what position one takes, the fact is that most officials are now been made to realize that leadership is not a license to the abuse of power and irresponsibility nor does it mean that one is above the law. There is now hope that one day the corridors of power would be filled by men who have the interest of the people in mind powered by a sense of accountability, and not men who see governance as a tool of control, oppression, victimization, and self-aggrandizement. Time will tell if this impression is a fluke or not.

The pertinent question then is; what is the role of the African in Diaspora? Is it to contribute to the down trend in the respect and honor accorded Africa, or is it take up the mantle and be a channel for the manifestation of that hope harbored by many of us who continue to dream of an Africa dominated by responsible and selfless leaders. Men who climb the podium of leadership with a pure intention to lead by service and example rather than those lured by pride, power, and material greed? Unfortunately, those in Africa who believe that they are more devoted than others in their tribal and/or religious beliefs have not helped matters by their continual commitment to riot and kill fellow Africans at the slightest provocation, but there are also many honest and patriotic citizens as well as particles of good intentions in African leadership today. The African in Diaspora can help the growth of responsible leadership especially in this tough era of its evolution.

Having been exposed to a different way of doing things in the Diaspora, the African in Diaspora is expected to know better. However, while some actually return to Africa to help improve things as we are beginning to notice in some sectors, others simply go back and get sucked in and influenced by the pending disrepute alleged by critics of Africa and Africans. They go ahead to jettison whatever little experience they have been privileged to gain, and carelessly dash the hopes of those Africans at home who have hoped that these returnees would make some difference. 

This piece does not suggest the importation of foreign culture contrary to essential rudiments significant in the African society. The point is that the African in Diaspora has spent time outside Africa and has come to realize certain things that can comparatively be done better in Africa. He now knows that constant electricity is a possibility and that police security could be more efficient and essential towards maintaining law and order in the society which in turn would encourage peace of mind, attract tourism, and foreign investors. He now knows that the judiciary can function more independently and that government functionaries are subject to the same laws and almost the same privileges as the ordinary citizen. He knows that lawmakers always have their mandates in mind at the legislature and that government officials are always held accountable by the system. These and many more are the tenets expected of the African in Diaspora who decides to answer the call. What chance do we give ourselves? 

If the man that is blessed with experience gets the opportunity, but fails to use it for improvement, what then has he lived for? What then has become of the man within?

This is only my opinion and I am still learning.

Let us look at this from a poetic angle.

THE AFRICANS 

We shall upon the hill of freedom
Climb again and ascend to the top.
We shall through the darkness valley,
Emerge again to bask in the light.
We shall above the illusions of life,
Soar again to mingle in revelation.

And though we now cry of hunger,
And suffer the pangs of starvation;
And though we now reel in pain,
And suffer the atrocities of civil strife;
And though we now weep and wail,
And suffer the agony of purification,

We shall cling to our heritage,
As sons and daughters of divinity,
Who greeted earth at the dawn of time.
We shall not forget who we are,
But shall regain our consciousness,
As who we truly are - children of God - The Africans!

Oliver Mbamara, Esq. © 2005 (2003)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Oliver Mbamara is an Administrative Law Judge with the State of New York. He is the author of several published books, the publisher of several online magazines and a columnist with several journals and magazines some of which are published internationally including England, Netherlands, France, and more. He is a Filmmaker, an independent Producer, and a performing artist. Oliver is in America's Who's Who and also in Africa's Who's Who. He is presently based in New York. For more on Oliver please visit  http://www.olivermbamara.com    Contact Him