By Richard Odusanya
“I have no doubt in my mind that the British are determined to execute me. I have committed no crime. My only crime is that I am a Kenyan revolutionary who led a liberation army- Now, if I must leave you and my family, I have nothing to regret about. My blood will water the tree of independence”- Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi Waciuri of the Kenyan Mau Mau Uprising to his lovely wife shortly before he was hanged by the British force on February 18, 1957.
Such were the fates of our heroes past from whom we continuously take inspirations.The dangers of the cause to liberate the Black race has always been spelt out, and the degree of how slippery the path is has never been hidden from the active actors. Yet, it has been a cause of “no retreat no surrender” because the liberation of “Mother Africa” from foreign shackles is a calling that must not go unfulfilled. We match on to freedom and our victory is certain!
“We bled Africa for four and a half centuries.We looted their raw materials, then we told lies that the Africans are good for nothing. In the name of religion, we destroyed their culture. And after being made rich at their expense, we now steal their brains through miseducation and propaganda to prevent them from enacting Black retribution against us”- Jacques Rene Chirac, former President of France.
Even in the world beyond, our ancestors haunt our adversaries to our advantage. However, our ears seem deaf to the wake up call and eyes too heavy to stay awake for the battle at hand.It has, therefore, become the sole duty of the mentally conscious Africans to keep acting the truth and pass it to the next generation, for we cannot but teach them early what we learn late.
Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr., in his bid to wake up the Black nation, made us to understand that “one of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change. Every society has its protectors of the status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge”.
It is quite unfortunate that the present leaders of the Black race are the actors of the “fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions.” In the past, we were forced into slavery. Now, we voluntarily and willingly walk into slavery because our leaders have made our land inconducive for us to dwell.
We passionately love “Mother Africa”. We love our African countries, and leaders for they are our brothers and sisters. This is the only reason we are exploring all means to make them see that this land belongs to us all and must rise to greatness again.
Our youths, with the capabilities of the giants, should be properly engaged and encouraged with the responsibility of putting the continent back on the map of the world. Not to be incarcerated by the actions and inactions of our leaders. Any further delay in allowing the youths do exploit and channel their energy towards the greatness of Africa is extremely dangerous to our existence. We should not allow the love the youths have for the land to go sour; someone who unconditionally loves you can also unbelievably hate you, a beautiful mirror becomes a dangerous weapon when broken.
Africa looks up to the Nigerian leadership to make us great again. For sixty (60) years we have failed “Mother Africa”. However, there is still a room to forgive and forget the past misdeeds if the right economic and political policies would be adopted by our leaders to remove the clothing of slavery and shame forcefully worn on us by our adversaries. Any contradictory effort spells doom for Nigeria as a country and Africa as a continent.
The pressure is mounting ; the Mau Mau uprising is around the corner, and this uprising is about to bring out the beasts in us. Let the bars keeping the Nigerian giants be politely opened instead of being torn into pieces by the impending explosion that might not be curtailed. The recent events around us, particularly, the #EndSARS campaign may just be a wake up call.
A prodigal son removes the roof of his father’s house to cover that of another man’s house while leaving his father’s house open to harsh weather. The 12.5 billion Paris club over payment and other loots alone made havens in the advanced nations.The parts of the fund and loots refunded have been re-looted by the very few within the political class while we go on a borrowing spree in the world. Our leaders keep acting like shallow minds and low thinkers, that easily forgot that there cannot be peace without justice.
Few years back, “terrorism” was a strange term in Nigeria. Just in less than fifteen (15) years of involvement, the terrorist group in Nigeria has grown to be the third deadliest in the world. This is a sign of a perverted innovative and inventive prowess embedded in an average Nigerian youth. All required of the youths are a conducive environment and provisions to showcase the Kemetic greatness they naturally possess.
An idle hand will always remain the devil’s workshop.This explains the present situation of banditry and terrorism, as it cuts across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, it reminds me of the warning, years back, of the great sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo “the children of the poor you failed to train will never let your children have peace.”
Let it be known to all, particularly, the self-centered Nigerian “leaders” and that of Africa at large, that we will know no peace until the son of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody. The French Revolution of 1789 and the recent #EndSARS campaign should serve as a deterrent to the present African leaders and members of the ruling class. From the look of things in recent times, we move very speedily towards an era where the matching order would be nothing but “take it back or die fighting”!
I believe that all our sufferings in Africa are caused by greed, ignorance and people inflicting pains on others in the selfish pursuit of individual accomplishment, materialism, happiness or satisfaction. Unfortunately, true happiness could only come from a sense of peace and contentment. We should strive to build a decent society where collective interest supersede all other considerations
We are not asking for a pure system but a working one; a system with a mechanism that guarantees solidarity and not charity; charity is vertical; so it is humiliating; it goes from the top to the bottom; Solidarity is horizontal; It respects others and learns from them. Vote buying and intentional breach of human rights are insults to humanity.The masses cannot continue to be subjects of ridicule in a land flowing with milk and honey.
It is time to sincerely look the way of science, technology and agriculture. We have all it takes to drive a Nigeria that would wake up the sleeping giants in Africans at large.The freedom and human capacities of individuals must be developed to their maximum but individual powers must be linked to democracy in the sense that social betterment must be the necessary consequence of individual flourishing. This is the only way out of the impending Tsunami of the masses’ anger.
The Nigerian youths who recently proved that they are not lazy, are equally not criminals neither are the poor masses.They have committed no crime. If their only crime to the ruling class is asking for good governance, then the consuming fire of “the Mau Mau forces” should be expected to rise sooner than later.
FREEDOM COMES BY STRUGGLE WHICH CONSUMES THE OPPRESSORS!
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE EMANCIPATION AND PROCLAMATION OF FREEDOM..HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR COMPATRIOTS.
Odusanya is the convener of AFRICA COVENANT RESCUE INITIATIVE ACRI
