It is just what it is. At times, I ask myself if the same God who created white people is the same God who created black people, especially Africans in general. Why are we so different in many ways? No wonder that when the white people came to colonize us, they compared our forefathers to “apes.” They often said, “Ape obeys,” and we answered.
Let us assume that life was backward for Africans then, as there was little civilization compared to what the Western world had already been exposed to. But what happened to us, and who bewitched us? Are we still under the influence of the Western world? And if that is true, why can’t we think of ways to free ourselves and stop depending on the Western world for aid?
When we talk about resources, we have them in abundance. There is hardly any African nation that is not blessed with natural resources. When we talk about land, our land is fertile for farming and many other things. Why then do we continue to suffer despite having abundance? Why should only a few people control the wealth meant for everyone, while others still see them as gods and worship them endlessly?
Why can’t we live our lives with the understanding that we may not wake up tomorrow? Why are our leaders not interested in making life better for the masses? Why are we not copying the good things we see abroad, especially when many of our leaders travel overseas regularly for medical checkups and other benefits? Why do we keep enslaving ourselves in the name of following imperial influences?
When are we going to wake up from this deep slumber? When will the voice of the common man be heard? When will the youth truly become the leaders of tomorrow, when the older generation keeps dominating power, replacing themselves with their offspring, and turning government offices into family inheritance? Why should one person rule for several years and still remain in control of government affairs through godfatherism?
Politics has now become a game of thrones for a few individuals who continue trampling on the people while seeing themselves as untouchable. They care about nothing except themselves. Only those who can manipulate the system keep making it seem as though power belongs to a particular group of people who have remained in control since independence.
We, as citizens, are not entirely blameless either. I often say that if everyone in this country were moved to the United States or the United Kingdom, and the people there were brought here instead, I am sure this country would be transformed within a short time. So, is it really the country that is bad? The answer is a capital no. The people themselves are part of the problem.
We do not have a system that works, and that is painful to think about. What is even worse is that those in government do not want the system to work because they benefit from its irregularities.
Can things really get better? When will that happen? Who are the people that will make it work?
All we have to do is make the nation better for all of us and do the right thing for the coming generations.