African Leaders Mindset
There are little things some African leaders should be subjected to before taking over power. They should be appreciative, of ‘little things’, which the creator has bestowed on the continent.
A visionary leadership cannot come to be: going by the unpopular actions and decisions of some African leaders. Without a vision, a people perish. Little things begat great things. They need to sit back and think hard for once especially those countries that are in different shades of turmoil.
As I have remarked elsewhere, no foreign nation outside the fringes of the continent will waste their real resources to chart a path of progress for black Africa. Africans simply have to do it themselves. The intrinsic nature of Man is about self-preservation, survival and opportunism.
Morals? Yes, that could be negotiated. Nobody easily gives you what you deserve until you negotiate.
It is a pity that in most parts of black Africa and I will made bold to say that, what engages many so-called leaders are very ‘surface’ things, bordering on ephemeral issues.
Elsewhere, secrets of successful human development and nation building are open secrets.
The men of influence in Africa can only bring themselves to discover these secrets if they break things down to basics. The so-called little things they tend to ignore.
Of course, a dose of patience has to be in tow as new structures and values are being put in place.
These little things are part of our essence; they make us complete as part of humanity.
If in doubt, lets take a few moments to reflect and explore the impact of this mindset and values amongst our fellow homo sapiens in those countries; those countries some African rulers rush to, on mere suspicion of even malaria attack- a tropical disease. They gleefully make noise about their departure and arrival during such trips! ‘My boss just came back from abroad for general checkup” a Personal assistant would proudly announce to the local press.
Only if we can use God given comparative advantage to have the best of resources including state of the art hospitals- manned by highly motivated personnel- in the continent.
I believe wherever we were born, we did not have a hand in it at procreation. This is accepted. It was not by accident, therefore, we can as well make our own part of the planet a better place.
This goes beyond religion that many African nations now hide behind as a temporary shelter for being ineptitude.
Let us think about ‘little things’ may be our warped value system will change for the better because the rest of the world is waiting for our real contribution to this global space.
Muyiwa Osifuye is a photographer based in Africa. He works within the thematic, documentary and commercial modes. (catch a glimpse of his limited edition works at http://www.pictures-of-nigeria.com) His documentary works explore the rich cultural heritage of his country, Nigeria. Major international exhibitions and events continually show his thematic works which address cogent issues that he feels are necessary for a global understanding. He is a regular columnist in a prominent Nigerian newspaper and a budding writer; sharing his thoughts and perception about humanity as a whole.
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