Danquah, Busia, and the two elders you mention were wrong! They have internalized racist European ideas about the inability of Africans to govern themselves. And whilst many of our current crop of leaders are looting Africa, we should be mindful that the looting was/is facilitated greatly by western connivance (I know this forum has debated this issue ad nauseam).
Part of the problem is conceptual. You use the words "post-colonial" when the reality is that most of Africa is neo-colonial--fully dependent on western loans to govern. You seem to be endorsing the myth that our colonial masters allowed us to chop a bit more. But the reality is that most of Africa's wealth and resources are controlled by Europe, France, UK and so-called "international" bodies like Bretton Woods.
Forward ever,
kzs
On Monday, July 6, 2015 at 2:37:38 AM UTC-5, Assensoh, Akwasi B. wrote:
SIR Toyin:
I loudly echo 'Dimma's words below. Also, your timely moderating message as well as the spirited and lucidly-expressed concerns of Professor Nnaemeka (Big Sister Obi) must be communicated promptly to Aso Rock in Nigeria, especially if the "Rock" is not too hard to penetrate! Baba Ijebu would have asked: "Do criminals need resettlement anywhere in Africa like the situation of refugees?"
Furthermore, I smiled heartily, when I read your sagacious message below, indeed especially this particular statement: "Irrespective of how you frame the questions and how many you add, the postcolonial state has been a colossal failure." Were Baba Ijebu and my late grandfather not in their right minds, when they similarly asked me very often before the first successful coups d'état in Nigeria and Ghana, respectively: "Can't we invite the colonial masters back?"
To these two old but wise men(Baba Ejebu and Nana), the colonial masters cheated us "humanely", as they allowed us to "chop small, small.!" Unlike our post-colonial indigenous leaders, who chopped, chopped, chopped and, in the end, took the crumbs as well as more of what they chopped to Swiss and other European banks to hide them away from the impoverished citizenry.
Was it not with historical-cum-political precision and hindsight -- or wisdom?--- when Ghana's pre-independence opposition leadership -- led first by Dr. J. B. Danquah and, later, by Dr. K. A. Busia -- warned the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his "Self-Government Now" supporters that "the Gold Coast was not 'ripe' for independence from the British colonial leaders?" In the philosophical words of VC (Professor) Aluko (which I wish to borrow here): "And there you have it!"
A.B. Assensoh.
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [usaafric...@googlegroups.com ] on behalf of Obododimma Oha [obod...@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 05, 2015 1:00 PM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Moderator's Intervention on Boko Haram Prisoners in Anambra
Thank you very much for this intervention, Prof. Falola.-- Obododimma.
On Sunday, July 5, 2015, Toyin Falola <toyin...@austin.utexas.edu> wrote:
--Dear all:
Whether in the Lagos case of denying traders of the means of their livelihoods or sending criminals to Anambra States, scholars and their ethnicities prevent us from having a common, collective and united voice to condemn that which moves us back as a nation and as a people.
- Should there be a federal system and a form of government that will have absolute disrespect and disregard for the people they govern?
- If you want to improve a city, which is good, should there be no discussion with the poor who have no other means of livelihoods, and at least provide alternatives for them?
- If you want to relocate hardened criminals, should local voices and their objections be discounted?
Irrespective of how you frame the questions and how many you add, the postcolonial state has been a colossal failure. The postcolonial state has demonstrated that it lacks the capacity to produce good leadership at all levels. And people are fooled, time and again, in the belief that a Messiah will appear in Burundi or Rwanda or Nigeria. The "hero" syndrome won't work. Leadership is a process that involves intense collaboration with citizenship in the common search for the public good.
Scholars must realize that human beings aspire to two fundamental principles:You and I want to live wellYou and I want to live long.Both principles have nothing to do with your ethnicity. The problem isSome want to live well than othersAndSome want to live longest than others.
Nigerian leaders must show respect to those they govern. You cannot deny someone a livelihood, and you cannot put criminals among people who say that they do not want them. If there is a dialogue and communication, I am sure there will be states who do not object. And if they all object, I am sure there can be hurriedly built maximum capacity prison in the state that has produced the criminals.TF
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index. html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com .
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout .
--
--
B.A.,First Class Honours (English & Literary Studies);
M.A., Ph.D. (English Language);
M.Sc. (Legal, Criminological & Security Psychology);
Professor of Cultural Semiotics & Stylistics,
Department of English,
University of Ibadan.
Fellow,
Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies,
University of Ibadan.
COORDINATES:
Phone (Mobile):
+234 8033331330;
+234 9033333555;
+234 8022208008;
+234 8186395001.
Skype: obododimma.oha
Twitter: @mmanwu
Personal Blog: http://udude.wordpress.com/
--
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDial...@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index. html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialo...@googlegroups.com .
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout .
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
No comments:
Post a Comment