Truly Africa: Restoring The Afro-potency

Truly Africa: Restoring the Afro- Potency By: Uche Onyekwelu CCE INSIDE AFRICA The African continent is a whole which embraces abilities, potentialities, initiatives, creativities, novelties and expertise. All these are tools which the creator of the continent has lavished on her. These tools are left on the hands of the (at least) 53 sovereign states in Africa to turn into usefulness those seemingly useless materials which negatively affected, but should positively affect the life and destiny of millions of Africans. But something happened. What actually? A privation. This privation wears a dual involvement; (i) The African involvement and (ii) The European involvement. On the one hand, the early Africans failed to put her prowess in motion in view of posterity and not just for immediate self-satisfaction. They closed themselves up in cultural and traditional beliefs, thus giving no room for modern scientificity. On the other hand, the Europeans imported marginalisation, slavery, treachery, in the disguise of colonization. They introduced the ideology of “the white man knows it all”. This was imbued on the African mind, the outcome of which was the psychedelism of Africans. These privations brought-in crisis in the ‘African identity”, such that, what the black man knew of the white man was what the white man wanted him to know; also what the black man knew of himself was what and how the white man wanted him to know. The African man was paternalistically brainwashed and futuristically left uninformed. Infact, “the white man controlled his mind, his heart, his will, his self- image, his aspirations, his thoughts and every movement” (cf. Laurence Lucas, Black Priest White Church”, N Y; Random House press, 1970, p. 13f.). To this effects, the African man lost their identity and were termed by some unbreded imprudent Europeans as ‘’les pauvres noirs – the wretched blacks”. However, I refuse to accept this notion since it was founded on mischief, tricks, falsehood, inauthenticity and malformation by the Europeans. But the fact remains that these nuptial (initial) European ills, brought in the identity question as a whole, the outcome of which was the millipede movement (slow movement) in the development of Africa. But our concern here is to restore this dwindling African identity by aiding some solutions. Yes, it now falls to every African to seek to clarify issues and remove this false impression about Africa; not by brutal means, but by developingly and creatively being an inclusive African in restoring the true African identity.

FROM AFRICA; Let every living African mind hear this – “a good and balanced portrait of Africa is therefore a good and welcomed starting point for both the African and the Africanist” (Izu M. Onyeocha, ‘’Africa; the country, the concept and the horizon”, Owerri; Imo state University press, 2007, p. xiii). Having known the mistakes of the past, this is now our opportunity to make things happen – from Africa. Africa is a viable land of development. On it has been deposited the largest quantity of “gems” of intelligence by God. That is why Africa has been known as, and remains the cradle of civilisation. From Africa therefore, other continents drew their knowledge, to their own development. But some basic questions remain extant; in this contemporary situation, what can Africa offer to the world? Of what level of rating and gradation are things got from Africa? At what frequency and regularity do Africans patronise African products? It is my pride to inform you that many good things are in Africa and also can come from Africa. Africa enjoys the highest number of natural resources. Great intellectuals of the world are from Africa – Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik of Africa), Nelson Mandela – Medical Doctors (Dr. Akinboboye- best heart doctor in New York), best world. All these come from Africa. Inspite of these, the African identity suffers still. This is seen as products from African are not easily patronized by Europe and Africa. By products we mean both industrial products and human personalities. Rather they prefer their own production, as well as Africans trained by them, with less knowledge that these are African brains, from Africa. This work therefore calls on every African to put his best in good action, to heat-up those latent qualities in him/her, to transcend all determinisms, so that our huge African ability and worth will extend development beyond Africa to the largest human community. With this the name Africa becomes synonymous with success – from Africa. BY AFRICA Inasmuch as much as western ideology and civilisation is widespreading, it becomes no fertile ground for the loss of African identity. This is said because every nation has her pride rooted in her identity. This identity show their original configuration, which extends to the ebbs and flow of their individual experiences. Here is the African case, the African identity suffering from crisis, seeking for solution. The solution is at our beck and call. Yes, westernization has played down on African identity; this is a fact. But westernization has also enriched Africa, seen - in the deposition of universal language (English), architecture, automobiles, mass media, medication and others. Yet still, it lies on Africans to restore

and revivify our African cultural values, like: land (which gives bodily sustenance and bond of unity and community), Religion (which brings us close to God), Morality (which enhances respect, hospitality, fidelity, health, virginity and joy), Language (which codify the African mentality, thought pattern and behavioural practices), and the host of others. Furthermore, God has given us intellect to search for realities. This shows that Africans are also called to do systematic science of discovery. Also, with consciousness, as the current flowing in the memory, the African mind should be poised to turn the so called African porosity into African substantiality. Let Africans go back to the fields and laboratories and make the African image proud. This must be done by Africans, in the diverse spheres of life. FORWARDLY AFRICA Africa has one option, and that is the option to progressively move forward. This is the only antidote to our crisis of identity. The leaders of African countries should aid Africans ‘to reveal their talents” by setting equal opportunities for everybody. This is the first step. No body should be neglected. Even the disabled person has an intrinsic ability in him. As talents are revealed, there ought to be “the encouragement of those talents”, which is the second stage. This leads to the third step which is “the cultivation of those talents”. By cultivating them, thoughts, inspirations, actions, creativities and innovations ensure, thus posterity will have no rooms for regrets. Moreso, there should be a reassessment of what the pre- colonial, colonial and neo- colonial incursions have introduced. Another viable step is that of courage to change. Let every African, like Zik of Africa say- “Gethsemane was there to be conquered. Golgotha was there to be trodden under the feet of man. Calvary was to be overcome. And when a son of the New Africa is faced with the travails and the tribulations of Gethsemane, and Golgotha and Calvary, there is no need for the spirit to weaken”. Yes, let us gather our spirit together and restore the African Identity. Rise up Africa. Together let us re-afro-cate (restore in an African way, with the African spirit) our afro- potentialities. UCHE ONYEKWELU CCE. 1st May, 2009.