There is so much trouble in the world and what actually appears as the source of trouble and the trouble as we perceive them are far from being the true situation of things. The trouble that the world is faced with originates from within us as humans and it affects the living and the non-living including both organisms and materials in our environment.
Think of climate change as a good example of how the actions of humans have impacted negatively on the environment. When the Bible talks about the members of one’s household being his enemy, many have interpreted the saying as meaning that one’s relations, be it family or close neighbours are the enemies being referred to, whereas, the true enemy of man is man himself and the good thing about it is that man can run away from others but hardly can he run away from himself.
Because it is impossible for man to run away from himself, that makes the trouble that the world is faced with to be a product of the handwork of the creatures, and don’t forget that we have the bigger and the smaller creatures just as we have the predators and the preys.
In reality, the stronger takes advantage of the weaker, and the very reason why by extension, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
This brings to the fore the understanding of why the entire world is filled with terrorists with no exception of country or society, for wherever there are people who are considered as powerful and those who have dominion, the idea of terrorism becomes a day-to-day experience of life.
The African continent, for instance, is at the receiving end of all the atrocious acts of the Western world, even though most African countries are believed to have been freed from colonialism. However, the truth remains that African independence is just superficial and lacks profundity, thereby making the purportedly freed countries remain as the appendages of their former colonial masters.
Nigeria, for instance, is referred to as the Giant of Africa and is the largest economy and democracy in Africa. Regardless, what the West does consistently is make an ant out of the giant and that is the pattern that pervades all the African countries that are independent only on paper but remain mentally enslaved.
I read the comment made by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential elections in Nigeria, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi with dismay. He wonders why even after the United States of America and Britain had promised to place a visa embargo on those who in one way or the other, participated in rigging the 2023 elections in Nigeria, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the controversial INEC Chairman, and Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State and the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, are still travelling to London without any restrictions.
As painful as the reality is, I was taken aback by the position taken by Mr. Peter Obi, which looks like that of an ignorant person. I felt this highly educated and intelligent businessman and politician and the former governor of Anambra State should have known and appreciated the truth behind the facts regarding the hypocrisy of the West which aims at doing everything possible to keep Nigeria in penury by supporting leaders who will do their bidding and at the expense of the progress and development of Nigeria and Nigerians.
The West has no good intentions towards the African countries and more especially Nigeria which has the largest population, as well as mineral resources. They would rather want to keep Nigeria underdeveloped, and this can only happen by the enthronement of mediocrity in leadership.
Democracy is just being used as bait to keep Nigeria in want of her daily bread and not in need of laying hold of the control of the source of her daily bread. This situation fits in for description as the enthronement of mental slavery and neo-colonialism.
African countries should look inward and draw strength from within, having identified their real enemy as themselves in order to face the external enemies who are determined to keep them in bondage perpetually.
In the words of Bob Marley, the legendary reggae musician, he says: “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds. Enough is enough, Black man’s redemption.”
By
Samuel ‘Tunji Adeyanju
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