24 August, 2018 | Emmanuel Kwesi Obeng Hyde | 969 views

Africa needs to step up her game! It’s been decades since Africa took over the helm of affairs from colonialists in the hope that she could manage her own affairs and ensure the best for her children. However, till date this seems like a dream beyond reach. Africa is still wallowing in self-pity, doing virtually nothing while her children are on the street begging for scraps from the same people she had freed herself from.

Due to this, the children of Africa have never ceased to begrudge the white colonialists, blaming them for all their woes. Maybe it makes us feel better but after decades of post-colonialism no one can be held responsible for the sufferings of Africans but ourselves. After all, Africa is not the only group of people in this world to have been dominated by another group. This has been happening since time immemorial. Britain, for instance, was once conquered and ruled by the Romans for many years. Yet look at Britain today; instead of throwing a pity party and feeling bad for what happened; instead of blaming everyone else for the past, she picked herself up from the ground, dusted herself off as if nothing had happened and went on to build a great kingdom from the ruins of colonialism.

Besides, even in Africa before white dominance stronger kingdoms would annex weaker kingdoms and rule over them until they were able to break free from their clutches. However, previous dominance by another group was no reason not to be prosperous. Mali Empire was once a state ruled by Ghana Empire but rose to become a great empire on its own. In the same vein, Songhai, which was once an important trade centre, was once ruled by Mali Empire but later became a great empire. So the problem is not whether one group dominates and rule over another or not. The problem is what happens next once free from the clutches of the colonial master. Do you throw a pity party and idle about or you get up and show everyone that it is not over? Africa has a lot to offer the world and so it is about time she picked up herself and dusted herself off. It is time to work hard at becoming the great continent she is destined to be. There is definitely no time to waste!

Africa is endowed with loads of natural resources, as well as the best of human resources. It is time for Africa to maximise these resources for the benefit of her children so that they would not go about begging; so that they would not be the talk of town. It is time for Africa to prove to the rest of the world that she is strong and able to make it on her own. Africa has to prove that she can take very good care of herself and her children. Arise, Africa! It is time.