AFRICAN LEADERS ARE LEADING AFRICANS TO EXTINCTION

 
Ozodi Thomas Osuji

As you look around black Africa, you cannot, in honesty, say that any country there is well governed. What you see in Africa is the reign of graft and corruption; you see politicians who seek public office for personal gain and who do nothing to benefit their people. The result is that Africans are sinking more and more into poverty.

       African leaders seem childish and not even the suffering of their people bothers them. Moreover, they have the infantile tendency to blame everything on other persons, particularly their whipping boy: the white man. They do not take responsibility for their activities but always blame other persons for their self evident inability to do anything right. They misgovern their countries and blame it on white persons.  Apparently, their goal is to make white persons feel guilty for Africans poverty and suffering and come calling with monetary aid.

        Monetary aids from white persons promptly go into the pockets of African politicians and bureaucrats. Indeed, if you gave Africans money to help their people with HIV-AIDS, they would redirect that money into their own pockets and not help their people. They would rationalize their amoral behavior by saying that those with AIDS are going to die, anyhow, so why bother taking care of them?

       Africans are, perhaps, the world's most unsympathetic human beings. They are cruel beyond belief. They actually disrespect white persons because they consider them fools, �mugu�, for being helpful to other people.

     Christianity, among other things, socialized Europeans to have compassion for the weak and to come to the rescue of those in need. Generally speaking, European Christians tend to devote their lives to helping the poor. Africans look at social serving white persons as fools. To them, apparently, the �rational� thing to do is to live only for ones self (and, perhaps, for ones expanded ego self, ones children) but never for other people.

       As a matter of fact, many Africans take advantage of Christian white persons� tendency to care for their fellow human beings. Helpful persons (who, by the way, are mentally healthy persons; unhealthy persons tend to not help other people) tend to be trusting persons. (Unhealthy persons, say paranoids, tend to be untrusting, suspicious persons.)

        Generally, Africans tend not to trust other people and consider one foolish if one trusts other persons. In light of their lack of trust in people, they see trusting white Christians as idiots and deliberately set out to exploit them. Yesterday, December 1, 2006 we read of how a bunch of Nigerians at Houston, Texas set out to exploit those they called �Mugus� (trusting persons), screw the Medicaid and Medicare system to the tune of eight million dollars. Nigerians 419, credit card and social security number rackets�each predicated on exploiting trusting persons� are well known. (The ability to trust other people is indicative of mental healthy; the inability to trust other people is indicative of mental disorder, paranoia; it is sad that Africans see a sign of mental health, trusting, as weakness to be exploited. It is more than sad that they take a symptom of mental disorder, lack of trust in other people, as strength. Jesus Christ said: unless you are like a child that you would not enter the kingdom of heaven; this means that unless you trust like a child and love all persons you are not healthy hence peaceful and happy. It is pathetic that a people take illness and its attendant disturbance of peace and happiness as something to revel in.)

        Africans cruelty to one another and their tendency to criminal activities without corresponding self sacrificing behavior on behalf of other persons sometimes make you wonder whether they are human beings, at all.

         Could it be that these people are not human beings, as we understand that term to be?  Could they be a different breed of animals that look like human beings?

       A human being is at his best when he loves himself and all people and sacrifices his ego life for his fellow human beings. Jesus Christ is an example of such love.

       I am yet to see an African who lives a life devoted to serving the needs of other human beings. What I see are those taking advantage of other human beings and, worse, do not seem to feel guilty and remorseful for their obvious antisocial behaviors. I see folks who cheat and become wealthy and present their narcissistic egos to other people to admire as ogas, big men. (And their people, who seem not to care how wealth was acquired, make them chiefs.) I see a morally contemptible and despicable people!

   

        World wide, some persons are beginning to ask whether Africans are capable of moral behaviors.

        I believe that if in fifty years (in mid century, 2050s) no African country has demonstrated the capacity to govern itself well, if African politicians remain crooks and if Africans remain very poor, the shame of mankind, some people would start advocating the eradication of Africans.

         I can see tough minded politicians arguing that Africans are sub-human beings and, as such, are unable to govern themselves and would always be poor and the white man would always have to support him.  In which case, they argue that it would be better if all Africans are killed off. Kill them off, so that they do not have to be messing up, be poor and make people feel guilty for their perpetual suffering.

      Out of pity for their suffering we help them but they waste our help and do not seem capable of helping themselves.

       The West already has the means to eradicate all Africans from the surface of the earth. They can lob a few of their nuclear weapons on Africa and get rid of all Africans.  They would then resettle their surplus population in Africa.

      David Duke, an American racist, essentially made the above argument in one of his books.  As he sees it, Africans are unable, and will forever be unable, to govern themselves and will always be poor. He believes that the best thing to do is wipe Africans off the surface of the world. He visualizes giving Africa�s territory to white persons or keeping it as game reserve. As in Adolf Hitler�s lebensraum foreign policy towards eastern Europeans, he advocates keeping some Africans alive and use them as slave labor until their labor is replaced by machines, at which point they, too, would be killed off.

         (Suppose some white persons tried this genocidal policy would Africans resist it?  Would they finally recognize that life is worthless if not lived as free persons and, therefore, fight and die rather than live as slaves? In the Americas, they chose to live as slaves rather than fight and die fighting, as real men ought to do, if the alternative is slavery. Their history in the Americas where they tolerated slavery makes you wonder whether they would tolerate slavery in the hands of whites in Africa.)

      

       The idea of wiping off all Africans sounds far fetched but it is a possibility if Africans continue to mess up. Hitler and his Nazis tried such a policy and failed, This time around, if the world�s consensus is that Africans are shiftless and unable to fend for themselves, people probably would not prevent Africans from being killed.

       The moral dilemma that folks would grapple with is: why keep Africans alive if all they do is steal and be able to govern themselves?

       Unsentimental reason would probably permit Africans been wiped off. Whites did wipe off blacks in Tasmania ( Australia), so it is not like there is no precedence where a group of people have been wiped off the face of the earth.

      

       What is the point of this essay? The point is that time is running out for African leaders and for Africans in general. Unless Africans wake up and start behaving like human beings and care for their people, they would bring the death of all Africans. At present, one can assert that most African leaders  are, at best, childish, do not care for their people and see public office as from which they enrich themselves at the expense of their people.

        Africans must begin seeing public office as opportunity to serve their peoples needs hence develop Africa.  Africans must work to eradicate poverty in the continent. Failing to accomplish these goals they risk being wiped off by other groups and their lands taken over by such groups.

    Very few persons are now willing to listen to Africans eternal complaint of what other people did to contribute to Africa�s poverty. It is true that we live in a general system�s world and what every person does affects all other persons. Each of us affects each of us, for good or bad. Yes, the West affected us negatively (and positively, if I may add). Nevertheless, in the real world, folks take charge of their lives and do what they have to do for their survival.  Real adults do not constantly harp on what other people did to contribute to their problems.

       People no longer want to hear about what they did to contribute to Africa�s apparent shiftlessness; what they want to hear is what Africans themselves are doing to improve their lives. They want to hear of outstanding leadership in Africa, not thievish leaders in Africa.

       Time has passed for talking about what other people did to Africa but for talking about what Africans do to help themselves. One is sick and tired of reading about what Europe did to under-develop Africa, what the Metropolis did to keep the Periphery backward. Asians, too, were part of the periphery but are doing what they have to do to extricate themselves from the economic and political strangle hood of the Western Metropolis. Indeed Asia is increasingly becoming the Metropolis, leaving Africa their periphery, supplying their economic engine with raw materials.

       Failing to turn things around in Africa, Africans risk been wiped off from the surface of this earth. And if they manage to get themselves wiped off, it would be their choice, for they had the opportunity to live to serve their peoples needs and, instead, chose to live to serve only their narcissistic egos.  Those who live only for their personal egos die off; those who live for our collective self live eternally.

 

*Part of my motivation for writing this essay is to shock Africans into doing what they have to do to survive. In doing so, I find it necessary to talk as if all Africans are the same and do the same thing. This is stereotyping Africans. In truth, Africans are individuals and there are probably some Africans that transcend their little selves and serve the larger social whole? I apologize to those Africans who realize that a well lived life is one dedicated to serving social interest and working for public good. If you dedicate your life to serving society, I salute you. But, if you live to serve your ego, I detest you. I hate most those who tell us what other people did to contribute to our miserable situation. I hate socialists and communists, for they tend to tell us that other persons are responsible for our intolerable situation. I appreciate those who tell us that we are responsible for our bed and make it as we wish to sleep on.

 

Ozodi Thomas Osuji

December 2, 2006

Robot  Villager

# 1 As you look around black Africa, you cannot, in honesty, say that any country there is well gove...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 03.12.2006 01:57

felix  Villager

# 2 . . . . hmmmm Ozodi Thomas Osuji!..Ozodi Thomas Osuji!!..Ozodi Thomas Osuji!!!.......,hmmmm, how many times did i call you?...These your articles of shock and awe are capable of instigating genocide ooo...Ur sweeping generalisations are becoming worrisome,...come to think of it , where are the signs of your earlier position in the previous articles that people should be loved as they are and not according to their acheivements and successes in this one?..Thom tell me... Posted by felix| 03.12.2006 02:33

demonteufel  Villager

# 3 I believe that if in fifty years (in mid century, 2050s) no African country has demonstrated the capacity to govern itself well, if African politicians remain crooks and if Africans remain very poor, the shame of mankind, some people would start advocating the eradication of Africans. Hi, Thomas, first and foremost, thanks for your courage saying it the way you see it. ....eventual probability that the devastating prognostication may become a reality is invariably visible....but I don't see the caucasians doing it, what I see is that Africans are already in the process working towards this Endgame of total self-eradication/extinction...see Nigeria, 40 years plus post independence, animals(Atiku, Orji, IBB, Ubas..etc) are coming back to take the little dignity left with us...! Best regard! Posted by demonteufel| 03.12.2006 06:06

Abraxas  Villager

# 4 Hi, folks! Please, before our provicial superhero friends come back to bore you with their scoop of the century (i.e. that Don Juan Carlos ABRAXAS (III) = Dr. Ozodi Thomas Osuji = Marie-Jay ABRAXAS = Sabella ABIDDE = Auspicious = Alhaji Gwobezentashi = Mazi Uche NWORAH), before you start casting your viriol-coated missiles at Dr. Ozodi OSUJI, please READ this article again, very, very slowly, and thoroughly digest the essential core of his story: What is the point of this essay? The point is that time is running out for African leaders and for Africans in general. Unless Africans wake up and start behaving like human beings and care for their people, they would bring the death of all Africans. At present, one can assert that most African leaders are, at best, childish, do not care for their people and see public office as from which they enrich themselves at the expense of their people. Ozodi Thomas Osuji December 2, 2006 Part of my motivation for writing this essay is to shock Africans into doing what they have to do to survive. In doing so, I find it necessary to talk as if all Africans are the same and do the same thing. This is stereotyping Africans. In truth, Africans are individuals and there are probably some Africans that transcend their little selves and serve the larger social whole? I apologize to those Africans who realize that a well lived life is one dedicated to serving social interest and working for public good. If you dedicate your life to serving society, I salute you. But, if you live to serve your ego, I detest you. I hate most those who tell us what other people did to contribute to our miserable situation. ... I appreciate those who tell us that we are responsible for our bed and make it as we wish to sleep on. Ozodi Thomas Osuji December 2, 2006 Muchas gracias. Don Juan Carlos ABRAXAS (III) Posted by Abraxas| 03.12.2006 07:08

Oloye  Villager

# 5 People will take you serious when you show that you are also human by writing about what you have learned from all the critics. You must have learned something positive like, have you changed your writing style, have you read books recommended by critics, have your world view on any subject been improved, such as on tribes, race, human relations and so on, because of what you read from your critics. If you yourself have not learned anything but you prefer to preach preach preach, and not listen, you may get a few people on this website who congratulate you but you will not get any serious listeners or readers unless your aim in writing shock material is just to let out steam for your own emotional well-being. Don't be like Soyinka' Play in which he described a "government redifusion set which talks and talks but never takes a lone word in response" Peace Oloye Posted by Oloye| 03.12.2006 15:12

Exxcuzme  Villager

# 6 ________________________________________________________________________ People will take you serious when you show that you are also human by writing about what you have learned from all the critics. ________________________________________________________________________ I will give it to him that he has shortened his article from tired head repetition. Posted by Exxcuzme| 04.12.2006 14:12

ula-lisa  Villager

# 7 That is the problem. Osuji, you are an educated African who by inference is not paranoid (as per your definition, you are trusting of others - European inclusive). Qtn is: Since you know so much of the problem, what are you doing about it? You have to jolt yourself first. Physician, heal thyself, literally. Who is Atiku, IBB, OBJ? What qualifies any of them to lead Nigeria and not you, the intelligent selfless one whose mantra is 'get yours'. We shall talk about the systems later ABRAXAS. In context, please read the BBC Report above too and let us consider trustingly (not as paranoids), the motive for analyzing the persons chosen out of perhaps 40 contestants. Can only Europeans be missionaries? Are they paranoid about Africans teaching them the real ways of God and His Christ??? Let us consider that too when you bring out the palm wine. Ojare :rolleyes: Posted by ula-lisa| 04.12.2006 15:26

techsista  Villager

# 8 I am yet to see an African who lives a life devoted to serving the needs of other human beings. Just curious - what do you think of the following Africans, some living, some not: Nelson Mandela Desmond Tutu Wangari Maathai Tai Solarin the Nigerian lawyers (Hauwa Ibrahim and many others) that took on Amina Lawal, Safiya Hussaini and other Sharia cases pro bono? I'll stop there. Posted by techsista| 04.12.2006 15:57

Onos  Villager

# 9 Thank you, Techsista. You wouldn't believe how many times I contemplated responding to this article (just like his other articles) only to change my mind at the last minute. This was supposed to be a thought provoking article but Ozodi ruined it totally when he resorted to nonsensical comparison of Africans to animals. Not to mention such statements as the one you responded to above. I am not a psychologist but judging by Ozodi's essays, I don't think he likes himself and I doubt that he leads a happy life. In fact, I think he hates himself. It appears that he nurses a deep seated anger and self-hatred. Why? Only him and God knows. I stand to be corrected but I am yet to see any positive essay or commentary from him about anyone or anything African in general or Igbos in particular. @Ozodi: I hope you take some time to do some deep introspection. Something is not right with you and only you can fix it. Its unhealthy to go around carrying such negative load on your shoulder perpetually. Life's too short for that. There's hope, happiness and peace out there, embrace it! Posted by Onos| 04.12.2006 16:55