Did The Devil Orignate From Africa?

DID THE DEVIL ORIGINATE FROM AFRICA?

How can we fairly and objectively define the continent Africa. To many, Africa is the home of the black people, to some it is a third world continent, to others it is a land of cultural emphasis, war, famine and political upheavals. In a sense, any of these views can be right but a more realistic approach is to define Africa as the earliest continent to taste civilization yet has easily become the most uncivilized region of the world. As far back as B>C 2000 Egypt was celebrated as a world super power and economic giant. Africa woke up early but never took the days activities serious.

What went wrong? How are the mighty fallen! How did a promising continent become the dumping yard of the world? Today, Africa has practically become the symbol of underdevelopment, crises, witchcraft, malaria, bad leadership and crime. An evil that can’t be found in Africa is a non-existing evil. With so many of its member countries blessed with human and natural resources, not a single African country can compete with the developed countries of the western world! Why?

Some of these facts are as stimulating as they are pitiable; Africa can boast of the best intellectuals in the world. She is strategically located near the equator providing her the advantage of solar energy utilization. She has one of the best trained infantry armies in the world to protect her from territorial invaders. She is endowed with abundant natural resources (most of which are unexplored, though).

The ugliest side of the picture, however, is the high rate of poverty, diseases, deaths, unemployment and corruption in the region. Some have even attributed these negative trends to witchcraft and other fetish activites predominant in the continent. This school of thought believes that Africa’s fore fathers were idol worshippers and human eaters who appealed and appeased the gods with blood obtained from killing innocent lives, most of these heinous crimes came under the cover of traditions and myths, the consequences being the sorry state Africa is today. Whether this guess is true or not remains contestable, some even suggested that the land is cursed, but by who?

Something is obviously wrong. Things aren’t just working in Africa. We are centuries behind Europe in terms of development. Worse still, our mentalities have been highly impoverished that what is important to many Africans is personal survival. Here, life has been so abused that food, clothing and shelter have taken the place of technological and scientific innovations, political stability, standard level of living, stable power supply and so on. The dread of poverty has led many to crime. Only few actually survive poverty as the victims resort to putting stumbling blocks on the paths of the lucky few using whatever means including bewitchment. Survival is not just for the fittest but for those that know how to protect both life and wealth. Politicians have converted government offices to opportunity to amass wealth illegally. Nothing seems to be working in mother Africa. Many have been fell by stray bullets fired by policemen that are supposed to protect them. Power supply is epileptic. Power outages is almost a non-existing phenomena in the developed countries but we have surrendered to that debased condition of living here. Something must be wrong somewhere. We all are responsible. African leadership should not be singled out for blame, for it is a bad followership that breeds bad leadership. Because the followership don’t appreciate good value system, our leaders are left to misbehave without a check. Experience has shown that those that condemn leaders do worse when given the opportunity to rule.

Unlike their European counterparts who see themselves as public servants, African leaders have become symbols of terror and error to their people. It is only in Africa you will see bad leaders holding the rein of power for decades. You are a dead man if you dare them. Critics are seen as opposition that must be crushed and silenced by all means. This ugly scenarios prompted a white author to suggest that the devil must be a black man! Or how can you explain a situation where a taxi driver in London is living better and more comfortable than a doctorate degree holder in Africa? Professors in Africa flee their native continent and teaching professions to take up menial jobs in America or London, sometimes going as low as becoming a mail deliverer, taxi driver or even a mortuary attendant! They call it golden flee but it is a brain drain that will destroy the prospects of an already battered continent. Who cares for ethics? Rules are treated with contempt. Respect and integrity have become unsought for. The race is to survive, and by any method! Is there hope for mother Africa?
-To be continued-