Not since September 11, 2001 and their subsequent “wars on terrorism” which have claimed many lives have I felt as “moved” for America as I do today. The world is watching even more closely now.
This isn’t just about a possibly obese man with a toupee and a woman who wants to be the first female president or “feeling the Bern” and countless others that came up and/or dropped out. This is beyond that. America’s choice is bigger than that.
This choice is going to send a big message to her citizens and the world over about exactly how many Americans view themselves and the world today. It is going to create serious shock-waves on everything from the economy to health care to foreign policy, which in turn will affect other nations. Let’s not kid ourselves about that one fact. It’s not worth the argument.
The world is changing. Rapidly. I don’t know if any of you folks here in Naija have noticed that there seems to be undercurrents of a shift. It started ages ago with countries overthrowing governments and so many attacks and deaths. Now we seem set for another.
I hope they make a wise choice but this is also way past the time for African leaders to step up and take charge of their economies and make then stronger. There’s no doubt we have brilliant men and women here who could work wonders if given the chance.
On one hand we can argue that no one is stepping forward or that few are, but let’s be honest, how many that do get the chance they need? The old timers covet money and power so they stand in the way.
When ordinary jobs are taken up by minister’s offspring and people with connections get picked over qualified sons and daughters of the land because their fathers were never governors and their mothers married no permanent secretaries nor were they ministers and commissioners, how many then have hope of the bigger jobs up the ladder?
Look at how our leaders embarrass themselves and us daily all over cyberspace and internationally and see how some of us are so uninformed and unwise that we cheer them on.
I can promise you that 2019, no matter how badly so many of these guys do, they’ll come up for more appointments and elections and many people will still vote for them.
Some will do it because they sold their birth right and common sense for a morsel of bread and others by using religion and tribalism as their method of choice, not maturity and capacity. This has always been our story and it has to stop.
The world is changing and we need Africa to grow or we will get left behind and forever remain a continent largely dependent on other nations who in their own way get back their pound of flesh from us.
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