Opinions of Tuesday, 16 June 2020
Columnist: Abdul-Latif Abdul-Salam
"We must unite now or perish." -Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
The African continent is so rich. We have all the natural resources; we have the Gold, the Diamond, the Timber, the Bauxite, the Manganese, the Iron and all the natural resources that you can think of but we allow the "Whites" to exploit and loot our resources, are they better than us, absolutely no.
It is in Africa that we have the energetic and intellectual human resources; the Professors, Doctors, Engineers, Teachers, Nurses, Politicians, Businessmen and all the working forces that you can boast of yet we cannot extract and utilise these resources. What is the significance of the 'Degrees' and 'Titles' that we are holding, Africa must rise again and put on the African thinking cup?
The main reason why the Europeans colonized and partitioned Africa was to exploit the resources available in each country to enrich their Nation's abroad. Have we forgotten our own history so easily?
The technology that America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the other superpowers are using today was by their ingenuity and creativity, we also have the men in Africa, we can do the same thing or even better than that.
It is just that we are lazy, Africans are very lazy and they refuse to apply their knowledge and skills, let's admit that fact.
Intellectuals are busily propounding theories, writing books and articles which does not reflect to solve the problems of Africa, we have to put the book to work, we need practicals. The sad reality is that in Africa today, we steal our own resources, kill our own leaders and at the end, we turn to be our own enemies. How can Africa develop with this attitude, how can we solve our own problems with this deadly behaviour?
Africa must rise!
All Africans and people of African descent abroad must think of the continent Africa. We need an undivided effort to move the African continent to the next level.
We had great altruistic leaders and potent public speakers who spoke about how African Leaders can collaboratively develop their own countries in Africa and be self-reliant but what is the story today; our leaders abuse their political power and authority, causing fear, terror and chaos within the region.
Whether we acquire wealth or not, we are all going to be buried six-feet down the ground and we shall account for whatever we use to do.
It is said that the hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.
Let's come together as one and make Africa great and strong, we shall overcome.