Mother Africa – A Reversed Adam Rainer -By Richard Odusanya

In a moment of excruciating pains, extreme wretchedness and a case of near irredeemable hopelessness, preceded by explosive greatness and stupendous wealth, the human nature tends to navigate towards two options; a sober reflection of retrospective engagements to locate the point of fall or metamorphosing into a bitter and pervasive entity with a highly destructive entity. Oh, what a description of “Mother Africa” and her sons and daughters

“Without understanding the past, the future cannot be understood in its full splendor.” -PLO Lumumba. Not to know what happened before you were born is to remain a child forever- Cicero. Having approached our misfortunes and fall through bitterness and persiveness without any positive result, it is very imperative to take to the sober approach characterized by retrospective engagements.

In the midst of abundant flow of milk and honey reigns very imminent rate of wretchedness and hopeless in Africa; an irony of life which is undesirable by every rational African.The continent houses about 30 percent mineral resources, 8 percent natural gas, 12 percent oil reserves, 40 percent gold, close to 90 percent of chromium and platinum and an endless of list of other resources that the world boast of today.

One would wonder why Africa and Africans remain subservient to other part of the world with little or no economic resources when we have a countless list of economic resources which include diamonds, gold, oil, natural gas, uranium, platinum, copper, cobalt, iron, bauxite,tin, coal, kaolin , cocoa beans, timber, palm oil and palm kernel, coconut, groundnut, sugarcane and other agricultural produce.

The cradle of modern civilization is now lying helplessly flat on her back for the combinational factors of poor leadership and mediocrity in which human trafficking (the new form of slave trade), insurgency, electoral violence, to mention but a few, have found solace.

Virtually all the nations on the continent have become a hub of violent crimes, joblessness and galleries for the display of illiteracy, joblessness,maternal mortality and terrorism.

The only approach left to the pitiable situation of “Mother Africa” is an antidote to mediocrity and poverty through the right education and enlightenment. By exposing the people to whom we used to be and whom we are now, with an assurance that we could actually rise to stardom among nations and continents once again, the African race has the hope of being liberated from the mentality of “Apes obey” and remove the shackles around their wrists, necks and ankles.

A tested and trusted methodology as posited by the mission statement of ACRI. Which underscores the fundamental and one of the greatest achievements of Africa Covenant Rescue Initiative (ACRI), having successfully engaged the 8th National Assembly ‘Parliament’ to legislate in favour of June 12 as our Democracy Day celebration as against Junta’s preferred May 29. With the active support and approval of the leadership of the 8th National Assembly headed by H.E, Distinguished Sen. Bukola Saraki.

Dr Goodluck Jonathan , former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, former Senate President/SGF, H.E Dr Okwi Nwodo , Malam Garba Shehu, Bashorun Dele Momodu and a host of other patriotic fellow compatriots too numerous to mention, were instrumental to the success of the critical conversations meant to establish lasting solutions to the plethora and endemic issues of disunity. However, the current political gladiators and bureaucrats, shut out ACRI by manoeuvring the event and made it look like it was their sole initiative; a reason for which the purpose was not fully actualized.

If Africa continues in the present steps of the leadership of the Nigerian government, “Mother Africa” would remain ” a reversed Adam Rainer”- the only man who was initially a dwarf and later a giant in his life time.

In the spirit of celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and saviour, we identify with all of our compatriots across the globe.

Odusanya is the convener of AFRICA COVENANT RESCUE INITIATIVE