A reason African people are easy to dominate is because the natural leaders among the people who should be leading government are too busy in the private sector and the diaspora.
Theorizing, writing, consulting, analyzing, transacting, WhatsApping, LinkedIn-ing, podcasting… basically doing everything but mobilizing themselves to vigorously engage politically to take possession of government and lead.
The capable and educated African “elite” both home and away talk too much and focus energy on everything else besides gaining political power for the opportunity to implement their developmental vision and move their countries forward!
Without political power, all your bright ideas are just words on a page without the power of national manifestation to physically mold the destiny of your people! Without political power, even the best consultant is just a glorified talker who is dependent on those in power to implement their policy suggestions.
After attending many Conferences and engaging the global core group of African “progressives”, talking fatigue sets in! You realize most African Conferences are a waste of time, which regurgitate the same hackneyed phrases and suggestions that even unborn Africans know, or at best they focus on business investments which is mostly about personal acquisition.
Rarely will you find people who are spiritually blazing with a transcendent volcanic heat for African nation-building, whose bones are rattling to strategically mobilize for political action not endless talking. Who are ready to take even 1/4 (one quarter) of the money they would invest in a business to form a political party that becomes the Diasporan headquarters of African progressives and the coordination center with similar nation-builders at home, from which a new generation of leadership can be launched to vigorously contest to replace the current cohort of low-voltage African political leadership in a fearsome struggle!
Form all the businesses you want, but all such businesses remain at the mercy of the political environment controlled by others. And based on ethnicity, religion, and other selfish interests some people can be easily given concessions and licenses so that undeserving people succeed while deserving people fail. Look at all your country’s resources and minerals, at the stroke of a pen they can be given to multinational firms in multi-decade agreements while your people languish.
And all that depends exclusively on who has political power to implement their vision and direct the national destiny! The person on that seat controls and determines, not your bright business ideas and hopes.
African progressives in the diaspora and at home, wake up! I support private sector ventures, but we should no longer avoid the struggle for political power. It is time for political action. Power is never given but taken! Stand up and take control of leadership!
Onward & Upward!
~Dr. Ikenna A. Ezealah, Ph.D., MBA
Builder of the African Future
Nation Upbuilding 