AFRICA DEVELOP YOUR OWN. By M. K. Ilyasu

 

Interestingly for us Africans, our foreign policies is always in somersault mode. When we are challenged to develop an indigenous policy, workable and progressive, we end up embracing foreign ideas and initiatives. What is the objective of BRICKS and why must we consider our partnership in it important? Are we always too happy of a people to be partners with our supposed oppressors when organisations like the AU, ECOWAS, SADC, EAEU, LCBC, AEC etc are not properly utilized?

BRICKS whether we like to hear or see is not borne out of African concerns or ideas. We are just being reactive without any value adding/substance. There is nothing there that Africa has not seen, witnessed or experienced to warrant building her hope for equitable treatment. Why do we always keep deceiving ourselves that forums like BRICKS will be our eldorado.

We must develop home grown initiative to work for us Africans. That’s the hole mark of serious thinking and challenging.

We seem to occupy our minds in blame games in relation with developed foreign partners forgetting to develop our unique approach towards solving continental challenges,

BRICKS will NOT create a partnership with the people to decisively change both the tone and substance of governance in the member countries. As we are now challenged to develop an indigenous policy, workable and progressive, we must brace ourselves to end our dependence on foreign ideas and initiatives.

This must also apply to our higher institutions where foreign dominated ideas are still being the guiding light to our children. Why must Mungo Park be the key to the River Niger? The river was there and had a name before Mungo Park ever ventured into that area. What value is River Niger to the inhabitants of the area. This should be taught to our children rather than continued confirmation of our idiocy.

Faculty block like that of Political Science is filled with pictures of Marx, Lenin, Trotsky, Aristotle, Socrates, etc. What happens to the contributions of our home grown writers like Dan-Fodio, Awolowo, Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello,Aminu Kano or Africans like Seko Toure, Leopard Senghor of Senegal, Julius Nyerere, Nelson Mandela, Gamal Nasir etc etc to our political development and growth?

It is an illusion to anticipate wisdom where people do not pay attention to Knowledge.

The solution for Africa certainly lies in making a serious demand on our leadership, standing by that demand, and not going away, however long it takes, until the demands are met.

Neo-colonialism comes in many facets and BRICKS can be compared to what obtained in places like Vietnam where France was the colonising power but the neo-colonial control went to the US. DRC shared similar concerns whose fate still lies in the hands of Foreign International Financial Institutions. There are so many examples, BUT the overriding concern is the NEED FOR AFRICAS HOME GROWN INITIATIVES.

Just as it is, Nigeria needs to warn AFRICA that a State in the group of neo-colonialist is not a MASTER of its own destiny. It is this factor that makes neo-colonialism such a serious threat to world peace, to quote Kwame Nkrumah – Neo-Colonialism_ The Last Stage of Imperialism-International Publishers 1966.

We must MAKE INFORMED CHOICES and STAND BY IT. AFRICA DEVELOP YOUR OWN. Enough of sharing our ineptitude.

M. K. Ilyasu 27th March 2024