Before you start browsing through this article, it should be borne in mind that this article does not aim to argue for or against a widely believed view; but is just a collection of mischievous thoughts by the author on his homeland: Mama Africa. During my time at Atlantic College, a lot of thoughts have crept through my mind and I have felt the need to express them, since after all, we are focusing on the continent of Africa.

Most African nations have been independent (I resist the strong urge to put the last word in quotation marks) for a period of about forty years, most of them obtaining their independence in the sixties. It is even more disturbing to find out that in this time period, most of them have been able to achieve virtually nothing. A popular British adage says: A fool at forty is a fool forever and another popular one says: Life begins at forty. So, after forty years of independence, what has mother Africa managed to achieve, well you didn’t have to guess long: nothing. Going by the standards of those proverbs, are we Africans fools (no offence to my lovable fellow Africans) or are we being held back from progress???

The turn of the new century has brought about outstanding advances in the fields of science and technology, but I find it surprising that with all the talents and natural resources in Africa we still have managed to produce nothing (Of course, Africa should have some talents, with a population of 600 million, I generally think so). But there is still hope, I am quite proud to say that we have managed over the last couple of years increases in many other fields such as: AIDS, levels of foreign debt, numbers of people living in poverty, and the last but not least; corruption. A lot of the problems facing Africa have been blamed on the damaging influences of colonialism and slavery; some of the problems have also attributed to tribalism.

But first things first, let us talk about the effects of colonialism on Mama Africa. Africa was colonized mainly by European powers towards the latter end of the 19th century, most of Africa being divided up between England, France, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, (and Italy tried Ethiopia without success). Most African nations were colonized mainly through the medium of religion i.e. Christianity, in the form of missionaries who might or might not have had dubious intents on going to Africa rather than just spreading the word of God. A popular African novelist wrote this on colonialism and missionaries: “When they came, we had the land and they had the Bible, they told us to close our eyes and pray; when we opened our eyes, we had the Bible and they had the land”.

I would feel uncomfortable if I did not say that the whole issue of colonialism was done as smartly as possible, in fact, I even admire the intelligence behind its operation. The colonial masters did not even have to do the work for themselves, all they did was pit one tribe against another (With the abundance of tribes in Africa, this made it fairly easy) and we Africans did the dirty work by ourselves. We were then patted on the head, and like faithful dogs obeying their masters we nodded our heads and wagged our tails in admiration, salivating in the manner of Pavlovian dogs for the bounty we were about to receive. Additionally, to further ensure their dominance, seeing that some tribes were a little bit clever combined with the fact that their interests were beginning to clash, the colonialists headed for Berlin in 1884 - 85 where decisions were made on how to slice up portions of the delicious cake of Africa, which has so rightfully been given its name in history as the Scramble for Africa.

Most African nations were then ruled for a period of about a century until they received their independence as a result of an increasing wave of opposition by Africans and well-meaning citizens abroad. Now, were you beginning to think that the colonies were granted independence as a result of some increase in moral consciousness??? Well, it just seems pretty odd that almost all African nations seemed to collect independence in the sixties, which no doubt a lot of people attribute to an increasing wave of nationalism amongst Africans. But it should be noted that in the sixties, it was no longer profitable for the colonial powers to hold control of their colonies as a result of increasing opposition in addition to the fact that the colonies had to provide for the defense, administration and economics of these nations. It should be noted that one of the reasons for rise of colonialism was strategic and diplomatic in nature, with European leaders treating colonies as pawns in a global chess game.

You are probably beginning to think that I am going to blame all the reasons for Africa’s backwardness on the effects of slavery and imperialism; (After all, the colonists of the nineteenth century based their moral justification of colonialism on the need to bring the fruits of Western civilization to Africa because they believed they had a moral duty to rule “backward peoples”). Far from it, colonialism brought about many advantages ranging from economical, medical, technological, and educational benefits to its subjects. A common characteristic of modern African leaders is the tendency to blame all the problems of their continent on someone else, and I do not intend to follow that line of judgement. There is no doubt that the aforementioned events (colonialism and slavery) took away great amounts of resources from the continent, but taking a look at other countries who have suffered the same fate, are they not more developed than African nations???

The dawn of the new century has brought about an increased realization on the part of our African leaders for the need for some sort of economic and social rejuvenation, and this has been initiated by the new initiatives in the continent such as the African Union and NEPAD (New Economic Partnership for African Development). I do not mean to sound pessimistic, but looking at the record of past African initiatives, what have they achieved??? You might say that was a long time ago, but let us take a look at recent events, for us Africans, can we remember the airline Air Afrique, this was an airline established by the governments of Uganda, Senegal and Nigeria et al in an attempt to bring a sort of low cost airline to their fellow countrymen. Barely three years after its inception, where is it now??? Also, returning to the subject of the African Union, why did the name have to be changed from the Organisation of African Unity to its present name??? This was done to give the so-called leaders an opportunity to display the usual pomp and pageantry associated with Africans (I mean, look at Gaddafi, he brought around a dozen bulletproof limousines to the ceremony!!!). It seems we are not deceiving anyone but ourselves, what shall we tell posterity? That after forty years we have not been able to achieve anything!!!

Additionally, looking at the way African countries are run, it does not take a rocket scientist to see that we are blatantly deceiving ourselves. Taking Nigeria as a typical example, it is still a shame to see that in this second phase of democratic dispensation, the biggest share of the national budget goes to defense (with education far behind), that is, when the budget gets passed sometime in the middle of the year. Every nation knows that a good quality education is the catalyst for economic and technological development, but still in Africa, we have nations that do not have enough universities to cater for half their student population and have to matriculate twice in every three years to give their students a chance of admission. Then our leaders come and blame the West for the current brain drain disturbing our continent (How sad???). I think it is time for a serious rethinking of our economic and social policies, if at all we ever want to reach the Promised Land.

A common feature of the democratic dispensations in Africa is their inherent attraction for white elephant projects. The Nigerian government recently launched its first satellite into space from Russia, I must admit that this is a sort of welcome development and it is also cool for Africa to have some sort kind of artistic artifact outside the earth. But seriously, of what use is this project to a country where more than half of its citizens live below the poverty line??? Of what use is this to a country still owing foreign debts to the tune of $30 billion??? The Nigerian government claims to be trying its best at attracting foreign direct investment, with our blessed president spending more time in foreign locations than his homeland. But how does a country with no basic infrastructure attract foreign investment??? I mean this is just a gross example of not attacking problems from their grassroots, the recent results listed by an NGO (Transparency International) placed Nigeria as the second most corrupt country in the world for the second year running. The government says it is taking a tough stance on corruption, but how many bigwigs has it managed to capture since the inception of its campaign five years ago???

At this stage, I would like to pose this question to all Africans; where are we heading towards??? The United Nations Development Programme has listed Africa as the only continent to have increasing rates of poverty in the 21st century; surely this is not a good omen for our beloved continent. What foundations and examples are we laying down for our future generations??? A Yoruba proverb says: Bi ile ngbe osika ti iku npa oloto, bo pe titi ore a maa su ni se (Translation: If the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer, one feels reluctant to do good). With this, I would like to remind you that this article does not express my view on this issue, but is simply a collection of some of my thoughts on my beloved homeland.

I BELIEVE

I believe that life is there to enjoy
I believe crushes are there to crush hearts
I believe true love is there from the start
I believe you should give people chances
I believe you should treat people the same
Because you never know what they will do
For you in the future
I believe that good things will come to
People who work hard
I believe that great things will come to
People who never give up
I believe silence will teach you something
If you listen hard
I believe that the heart leads you in the
Right direction if you listen to it
I believe that friends are needed no
Matter who you are
I believe that family should stick by your
Side
I believe God will help you if you believe
And trust in him
I believe drugs destroy
I believe that sleep calms the soul
I believe the heart and the soul are more
Important than looks
I believe trust helps the world go round
I believe love brings great things
I believe kids could teach adults a lot if
Adults would just listen
I believe pets are great because they listen
And love you no matter what you look
Like
I believe you should always chase your
Dreams
I believe you need to make time out for
Fun
I believe that music soothes the soul
I believe that money cannot buy happiness
I believe books can take you anywhere
I believe jokes have to be there to keep
People sane
I believe people are special the way they
Are
I believe that true friends will last a
Lifetime
I believe that enjoying what you do will
Help you enjoy life more
I believe parents are more important than
You think
I believe that the sky is the limit
I believe you should shoot for the stars
I believe being loved and loving are two
Different things
I believe that you have to love yourself
Before you can love others
I believe records are made to be broken
I believe promises should be kept
I believe brothers and sisters are made to
Teach
I believe a simple smile can make
Anybody’s day better
I believe that being popular is not the key
To life
I believe in being nice to nerds because
You might grow up to work for one

THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THE YORUBA PEOPLE

The Yoruba people occupy the South-Western part of Nigeria, they account for about 20% of the population of the country. They are believed historically to have migrated from the Middle-Eastern part of the world during the medieval period. They are a religious group of people who are mainly Christians, Muslims or of Traditional beliefs. The Yoruba people are mainly involved in the financial, press and educational sectors of the country.

The Yoruba people have different stories about their origin, but they all relate to the same ancestor “Oduduwa”, one story has it that he migrated from what is known as Mecca because of his belief in deities, which caused him to expelled from his abode, and then came to settle in Ile-Ife and start a dynasty, which was further expanded by his seven sons. Another school of thought has it that he was an ordinary Yoruba man who came to power by overthrowing the existing ruling class.

The other story has it that Oduduwa (the father of the Yoruba) was sent by God from heaven to create the earth and the Human race. He descended from Heaven accompanied by his lieutenants and landed at Ile-Ife, where he proceeded with his mission. The chain with which he landed onto earth is still said to exist in the shrine; though it is said to be hidden from profane eyes.

According to this account, Ile-Ife is not only the cradle of the Yoruba people but also of mankind. He descended with a handful of sand and a cock in his hands, he spread the sand over the earth, which was covered with water and the cock spread the sand all over the earth and created land. These set of Yorubas believe they had been occupying their homeland since the time of creation.

The Yoruba people had their own form of religion before the advent of Christianity and Islam, they believed in their own deities, which changed with each geographical location. There are many deities such as Sango (god of thunder), Ogun (god of iron), Soponna (god of smallpox), Yemoja and so many other gods. These are believed to be intermediaries between God (Olodumare) and man.

The Yoruba people take their culture seriously, greetings form an important part of daily life. While greetings are exchanged, it is important for the people to smile; and when asked about the wellbeing of someone, time is given to respond as this is considered to be polite. The Yorubas greet their elders with a lot of respect, the boys prostrate to greet their elders, while their female counterparts greet by kneeling on one or two knees depending on the tribe.

These people also have a very rich cultural background, there are different forms of dance, arts, music, dressing and philosophy. Proverbs and adages form an important part of everyday language, and are used extensively in all forms of communication. Music is also very important, and can be used as a form of communication. The talking drum is often as a means of communicating in old times and is still used presently.

The Yoruba dressing is usually made up of brightly coloured dresses with hats and shoes matching in colour. The females dress up mainly with a headtie known as “Gele”, and a long wrapper with a short-armed top. The males normally wear a long-dress in the form of a shirt almost touching the knees or even the ankles, a matching trouser often accompanies this and a hat.

The Yoruba people occupy the states Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, and some parts of Kwara and Edo states respectively. They have a general language called “Yoruba” (Yooba) which is the form that is taught in schools in the South-Western zone of Nigeria. There are other dialects of the language from different places such as Ondo, Ijebu, Isale-Eko, Oyo and Ekiti to mention a few.

Some of the most prominent works of the Yoruba people are in the field of art, where the works that came out of there compete favourably with that of Ancient Greece and Rome. The brilliant terracotta and bronze designs, most of these works date back to the Eleventh century AD. Regardless of their origin, the Yoruba people of Nigeria have proved themselves to be a people of a dynamic culture and tradition.

THOUGHTS FOR LIFE
No one can go back and
Make a brand-new start;
But anyone can start
From now and make a
Brand-new ending.

God didn’t promise days
Without pain, laughter
Without sorrow, sun
Without rain;
But He did promise
Strength for the day,
Comfort for the tears,
And light for the way.

If at times you feel
You want to cry,
And life seems such a trial,
Above the clouds there’s a
Bright blue sky;
So make your tears a smile.

Disappointments are like
Road bumps because
They slow you down a bit;
But you enjoy the smooth
Road afterwards.
Don’t stay on the bumps
Too long. Move on!

When you feel down because
You didn’t get what
You wanted, just sit tight and
Be happy because
God has thought of
Something better to give you.

When something happens to
You, good or bad,
Consider what it means.
There’s a purpose to life’s
Events to teach you how
To laugh more or how not
To cry too hard.

The lesson is:
Do not ask to live
A life of ease,
Nor a life of no challenges.
Wake up in all you do;
Do your best
And leave the rest to God.
Then move on!



WORDS ON MARBLE
There is no experience better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.
- John Andrew Holmer

Don’t be afraid to take big steps. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.
- David Lloyd George

A team doesn’t win the championship if its players have different agendas. People should learn to follow worthy leaders who promote worthwhile causes.
- John Maxwell

BAMIDELE OTEMUYIWA.

THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE AFRICAN UNION

The African Union was carved out of a previously existing organisation called the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The OAU was established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, on signature of the OAU charter by representatives of 32 governments. A further 21 states have joined gradually over the years, with South Africa becoming the 53rd member in 1994. The charter later had to be changed to meet up with the challenges of a constantly changing world and a growing realisation that the need for greater efficiency and effectivity of the Organisation required urgent action.
A summit was held in Sirte, Algiers on the 9th of September,1999 to address the issue. The theme of the summit was “Strengthening OAU capacity to enable it to meet the challenges of the new millennium.” This Summit concluded on 9 September 1999 with the Sirte Declaration aimed at:

Ø Effectively addressing the new social, political and economic realities in Africa and the world;
Ø Fulfilling the peoples’ aspirations for greater unity in conforming with the objectives of the OAU Charter and the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community;
Ø Revitalising the Continental Organisation to play a more active role in addressing the needs of the people;
Ø Eliminating the scourge of conflicts;
Ø Meeting global challenges; and
Ø Harnessing the human and natural resources of the continent to improve living conditions.
To achieve these aims, they decided to:
“Establish an African Union in conformity with the ultimate objectives of the Charter of our Continental Organisation and the provisions of the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community.”

Objectives of the AU
In general, the African Union objectives are different and more comprehensive than those of the OAU. The OAU has served its mission and was due for replacement by a structure geared towards addressing the current needs of the continent.

The aims of the OAU were:
Ø To promote the unity and solidarity of African States;
Ø To coordinate and intensify their cooperation and efforts to achieve a better life for the peoples of Africa;
Ø To defend their sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence;
Ø To eradicate all forms of colonialism from Africa; and
Ø To promote international cooperation.
Comparatively, the objectives of the African Union, as contained in the Constitutive Act, are to:
Ø Achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa;
Ø Defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its member states;
Ø Accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent;
Ø Promote and defend African common position on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples;
Ø Encourage international cooperation, taking due account of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Ø Promote peace, security, and stability on the continent;
Ø Promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance;
Ø Promote and protect human peoples’ rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant human rights instruments;
Ø Establish the necessary conditions which enable the continent to play its rightful role in the global economy and in international negotiations;
Ø Promote sustainable development at the economic, social and cultural levels as well as the integration of African economies;
Ø Promote cooperation in all fields of human activity to raise the living standards of African peoples;
Ø Coordinate and harmonise the policies between the existing and future Regional Economic Communities for the gradual attainment of the objectives of the Union;
Ø Advance the development of the continent by promoting research in all fields, in particular in science and technology; and
Ø Work with relevant international partners in the eradication of preventable diseases and the promotion of good health on the continent.
Challenges

It is of critical importance that member States are active in the design and implementation of the African Union. In this way it will foster a sense of ownership and Member States will be able to address those aspects of the day-to-day functioning of the organisation which will streamline the implementation of decisions.