A case of “he who fights and run away lives to fight another day”
INTRODUCTION
With the exception of Ethiopia and Liberia, all other states in Africa went through some form of imperialist and or colonial domination. The presence of colonialists in Africa led to unimaginable denials, deprivations and above all the pillaging of Africa for the economic and social enhancement of Western nations. To circumvent the marauding effects of imperialism and colonialism, various patriotic nationalist movements emerged with their underlying commitment denominator as that of liberating themselves from the shackles of the abominated and inglorious colonial powers-who, with impunity partitioned Africa without due cognizance of Africans-thievery.
Nationalist struggle south of the Sahara dates several years back without any clear end in sight, probably due to: First, the nature and methods implored by the metropolis-indirect rule through chiefs; second, the subtle policy of divide and rule; third, the policy of assimilation and; fourth, the lack of a well assembled plan and ideology that would mobilise the masses and, thus, to compel the colonial powers to take leave of Africa.
It was not until 1947 when the struggle received a momentous boost with the arrival of Kwame Nkrumah after completing his studies in the US. With a clear foresight, he dismantled the previous “elitist club of nationalists” movements to which he once belonged and mobilized the masses of the people to prosecute the grand agenda of self government for the Ghanaian people.
These movements in their elitist outlook were grossly interested in reforms that could enable their members gain placement in the scheme of things. Thus be given more legislative representation among other things as opposed to taking the risk towards attaining absolute independence- an agenda Nkrumah did not share. It was not surprising then that he fell aside and eventually formed the first real and mass political party- Convention People’s Party in 1949 which was inaugurated on June 12 same year. The vision, mission and objective of the party was Pan Africanism in form and content. The Pan Africanist spirit of Nkrumah and the CPP endeared the party to several political victories which ultimately led to the first black African country [Ghana] to gain independence in 1957 with the promise to ensuring the total liberation of the African continent.
SIGNIFICANCE OF GHANA’S INDEPNDENCE
The significance of Ghana’s independence was the tremendous impetus that it brought to bear on the rest of Africa. Indeed, such was the commitment of Nkrumah to the liberation of Africa that at the dawn of independence in his extempore speech he declared “the independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent”. Thus, Nkrumah served as personal icon and inspiration to this enterprise. His regular radio broadcast on Radio Ghana External Services, warning people of the danger of colonial usurpation of Africa, triggered and fast tracked the rest of Africa into political sovereignty with the abolishment of apartheid in 1994 in South Africa being the last. Indeed a union government of Africa was the catch word in Nkrumah’s daily rendition as he proclaimed “the total liberation and Unification of Africa Under an all African Socialist Government must be the primary objective of all black revolutionaries throughout the world”
In this struggle for the liberation of Africa, Ghana has always been in the fore front. Starting from the struggle for the abolishment of the slave trade, human rights and advocacy for self-government and democracy
Indeed. Ghana not only had contributed enormous material support to newly independent states like Guinea [?10 million], and Mali [?5million] to enable these countries survive the post colonial era without crumbling under the weight of the apparent looting of national resources by the colonial government but also provided training and instructions for managing nationhood and promoting the liberation struggles of the freedom fighters.
Back in Ghana, Accra became the rally point for the training of African freedom fighters. The establishment of the ideological institute at Winniba provided a revolutionary push to liberation fighters across the continent including the comrades Kenneth Kawunda [Zambia], Oliver Thambo [South Africa], Sam Njoma [Namibia], Jomo Kenyatta [Kenya], Tom Mboya [Kenya], and also RG Mugabe [Zimbabwe], were among several others who received political tutelage that they used to change the face of the struggle in their various countries.
The dream of a united Africa with one central government in a federation with its headquarters in probably Bangui or Leopoldville was mooted by Ghana. The short cut of that grand idea was what metamorphosed as the Organization of African Unity [OAU], now transformed into the African Union. Despite its shortcomings, this organization [OAU or AU] has persistently served as the widest platform for African leaders to meet to deliberate on continental issues. It is safe to opine that probably the overthrow of the Nkrumah government has dealt a devastating blow to the grand aspiration of continental government and probably delayed the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa until the 90s. There are great and valuable lessons we could learn today from the mistakes of those who helped the enemies of African unity to overthrow the democratic government of Ghana on 24 February, 1966.
Nkrumah’s insatiable desire of African unity and the liberation struggle saw him condemn in no uncertain terms the Sharpeville shootings and the whole question of Apartheid in South Africa. At the conference of Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth held in London in May 1960, Nkrumah damned the hypocrisy of the Commonwealth on the apartheid government of South Africa by saying “Today the lives of thirteen million human beings in South Africa are at stake. If the Commonwealth has any meaning, it cannot- and it must not- let this situation drift until a revolution of desperation creates another Algeria on our continent. The warning has been written in blood for all to read. The commonwealth cannot avoid this situation” [see page226, pa3 of I speak of freedom, authored by Nkrumah]. On May 18, 1960 in Dublin, Nkrumah again made strong statements against the minority government of South Africa and called for an end to apartheid. Regrettably, today it is fashionable for African governments to keep mute over happenings in other African countries and mayhem on oppressed people elsewhere or at best condones the evil machinations of so called “Superior” nations-Hypocrisy.
IS AFRICA TRULY INDEPENDENT
The question of Africa’s true independence is yet captured by a profound statement made by Nkrumah when he capsized a biblical axiom “seek ye first the kingdom of God and all others shall be added unto you” to “seek ye first the political kingdom and all others shall be added unto you”. Ghana then advocated that unless the continent was ridded off the vestiges of imperial subjugation, there was no way the continent could marshal her own resources for use by her own people- thus economic freedom needed to be struggled for.
Exploitation of both human and material resources continues today unabated to the detriment of the lives and conditions of Africans who have not been allowed to unite and stand together strongly. For the ‘world powers’ knew that a united Africa would acquire superior strength, power and wealth and self dependency-.a phenomenon inimical to the monopolistic interest of the metropolis. However, today, it could be said that it is also Africans who have allowed themselves to be impoverished. This must be taken into account in our efforts today to unify the continent for economic prosperity. On this, Nkrumah advises “...any African who is not with us today in our legitimate struggle to our own wrongs and learns by them is a traitor to the whole continent of Africa”. While I acquiesce, I believe we can, however, not continue to make anymore mistakes because we should have all learned our bitter lessons” as divided Africans.
Probably 50 years after such profound pronouncement, Africa’s economic woes have grown from bad to worse and in most cases with only the political leadership enjoying at the expense of the masses of the people. The economic morass that greets wide sections of our population is as a result of the absence of a continental government with foresight that could translate the rich resources of Africa for the betterment of Africans. Perhaps, it is safe to say that Africa is still the richest continent that is yet to gain real independence. It is richest in terms of natural endowment. These when harnesses and transformed could lead us to the luminous summits and our welfare status changed sinusoidally.
Surely, Africa is rich and not poor, it is Africans who are poor not Africa. Africa, what are we waiting for? How long can our content remain pseudo-independent whilst the chunk of our people remains remote from meeting the basic necessities of life?
AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT IN ACCRA, July, 2007
It is perhaps, refreshing that almost 50 years after the pioneers of Africa’s independence espoused the dream of a Union Government of Africa, continental leaders are gathering in Accra to attempt a definition of the type of Union and whether such a union should take an immediate or a gradualist approach. This certainly is blot on what African leaders have done.
Like the genesis in the 1960s, I hesitate to say yes to whether our various leaders are genuinely committed to a union government of Africa? There are many that parade themselves as proponents of the dream just because they become isolated by their citizens if they stated otherwise- wolf in sheep skin.
Hey, but which Africa are we seeking to unite? Are we uniting the Africa with so many regional groupings that have diluted enormously the idea of a continental government or the one with several economic groupings that have brought nothing but economic shame to the continent? By the way, what is the contribution of the many regional and economic groupings to the grand agenda of a continental union government? Is there any rationalization or continuum that will crystallize and synergize the operations of these groupings into a single mat to eventually culminate in the union government? Sincerely I doubt.
The Way to Real Continental Union Government
The African adage that “no matter how big the head is, it must sit on a body” is relevant in charting the path to a real Union Government of Africa. Our various heads of states remain but the “Heads” who represent our aspirations but they have over the years failed to carry along the “body”-the ordinary citizens along in decision taking. The electorate is not involved in debating which direction our continent should go. There are no referenda in any African country whose outcome will represent the position of their government at the summit. So clearly any position adopted at this summit will remain that of an individual president who as the case may be might have lost favour even in his own country. To circumvent this regular waste in time, airspace and resources, the people should be taken aboard the decision making boat no matter how expensive. I believe the end product is beneficial.
The gradualist approach which relies on that fact the Africa has different cultures, legal systems, languages and all the razzmatazz is not only bankrupt and bogus but without any solid intellectual basis because the diversity of Africa will remain and indeed the varied cultures is a mark of Africa’s uniqueness. More so, the hamonisation of these artificial barriers can only be dealt with since a united Africa means even unifying our laws. I must add that it is only when you complete the building of a house that you think of furnishing it. Let us agree on the Union government now and I can bet every other issue can be dealt with.
In the debate and analysis of a Union Government, discussants rarely raise the possibility of a new state model based on African traditions. Yet that is the absolute prerequisite if Africa is to emerge from the crisis, and it is the only chance of meeting the challenges of globalisation. Unless new life is injected into it, the concept of a United States of Africa will remain an empty shell. Africa will not have genuine constitutional states or sustainable development - never mind the intellectual revival and resolve it so desperately needs.
Since the mistake of regional groupings has become the bane of our unification, serious efforts must be made to uproot them now so that the total unification of Africa can be fast tracked.
Africa’s political sage once again can be cited when he said “we prefer independence in danger than servitude in tranquility”. The African continent must unite, take her destiny in her own hands and chart a path that can only be African and relevant for all oppressed people the world over. I surely can bet that any referenda in any part of Africa will give an unequivocal voice to the unification of the continent immediately because the gradualist approach to the issue has ensured the perpetual pillage of the African resources [human & material] coupled with the accentuated penury of our people.
CONCLUSSION
The Accra African Union summit of July 2007 cannot afford to give comforting hope to the continents crying and sobbing people, it must give a clear, precise and vision oriented direction on the way forward. Leaders of yesteryears tried but could not realize it probably due to the perfidy of both external and internal foes of the continental agenda. Our leaders of today have the glorious opportunity to translate the written literature of yesteryears into a practical manifestation. It is a duty and they owe it to us, they cannot escape, this is the year Africa must unite for the idea started from Ghana and 50 years on the idea has not only become more relevant but a must, it is opportune to be consummated here in Ghana.
I hope that the Chairman of AU and President of Ghana, His Excellency John Agyakum Kofour is replete with history and thus aware that the bug stops with him. All of us are watching with eagle eyes, how this opportunity would be utilized as he prepares his handing over notes as president of Ghana.
Africa, not yet UHURU!!!
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