Emma Emeozor, [email protected]
The significance of campaigns and elections is to enable political parties and candidates to compete for political offices as provided for in the constitution. Through campaigns and elections, the electorate is able to scrutinise the parties, the candidates and their manifestoes.
This year, no fewer than 13 African countries are holding elections to elect new presidents and parliamentarians. In some of the countries, the allure of public office may be the reason there are long list of political parties and candidates. The political arena in these countries has the semblance of a battle field. It is a political potpourri.
It has become a tradition in Africa for victorious candidates to hold elaborate celebrations that lasts for weeks. Besides using such occasion to taunt opponents, candidates celebrate because victory gives them the ‘insurance’ to recoup the money spent during campaigns and elections on the one hand and on the other hand, it opens the gateway to superfluous enrichment as well as self deification.
But political victory go with responsibility. Africa has remained underdeveloped because many emerging leaders have failed to sincerely recognise their responsibilities to the people. Formulation and implementation of concrete fiscal policies, meaningful development projects and the enhancement of the social life of the people are poorly handled.
Rather, huge amount of money is often wasted on miss-placed priorities that do not add value to the living conditions of the people. Such projects are used by thieving’ leaders to siphon the people’s wealth.
Africa may remain a ‘toddler’ in the comity of nations except the people rise up to the leadership challenge facing the continent. The situation may be despicable but surmountable. It requires the people, particularly the emerging new leaders, to summon the political will to wade through the tide.
But summoning political will to transcend a tumultuous political environment like it is in Africa requires a good understanding of the problem. This brings to fore the nagging question of how prepared are the new emerging leaders for true governance.
Certainly, many politicians vying for public offices are not prepared enough to lead. The thinking among many who plunge into the murky water of politics is that obtaining university degrees, being wealthy and coming from a ‘royal’ home or being a scion of erstwhile leader(s) is all that is required to qualify for public office. But experience, competence, and good judgement are fundamental qualities for leadership.
Undoubtedly, Africa is producing politicians who are in a hurry to take over the mantle of leadership, people who have not challenged themselves sufficiently to understand the political and socio-economic environment which they want to supervise.
The heroes of the independence of African countries did not emerge overnight. They entered the struggle well equipped. Many of them had worked with the colonial governments, they had lived with the people and therefore knew their pains, some had the opportunity of studying abroad, learning the rudiments of leadership. They defined their mission and were sincerely committed to the struggle.
They sacrificed their time, knowledge and income to fight for freedom for their people. Africa’s great leaders like Emperor Haile Selassie, Kwame Nkrumah, Kenneth Kaunda, Julius Nyerere, Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, Nelson Mandela, Patrice Lumumba, to mention but a few, demonstrated true spirit of nationalism and patriotism during and after the struggle. They left behind an enviable legacy which unfortunately, the leaders that emerged after them failed to sustain due to their pecuniary interest and poor understanding of what leadership is all about.
Of course, some of the independence leaders were found to have wobbled along the path thereafter. But this was chiefly due to the overbearing influence of the colonial masters who did everything to control them remotely.
There was also the evil unleashed on Africa and its leaders by the Cold War. Europe and the former Soviet Union turned Africa to their final war theater. African governments were destabilised for their selfish reasons to the extent that some of the leaders became confused with the type of model of governance to adopt.
The negative interplay of capitalist and communist ideologies became an impediment to the continent’s economic development and growth. It was in the face of this political quagmire that the former president of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere came up with his Africa socialism ideology in 1967.
Post-Cold War African leaders stormed the political arena with flamboyant promises. They pledged to introduce reforms in tandem with modern global practices. They raised the hope of the people beyond imaginable proportion.
But many turned out to be charlatans whose mission was to turn the continent to a region of ‘life presidents.’ They took advantage of the illiteracy of the society and seized on those things that split the people to promote divide-and-rule system. In some countries, the throne became hereditary even against the will of the citizenry.
It is baffling that even the children of ex-presidents who succeeded their fathers in their youthful age also have failed their countries as they doggedly protect the system that kept their fathers in power for so long. For these young leaders, the government became a private estate inherited from their father(s) and must be protected even if it requires the use of brute force.
The last of the elections to hold in Africa this year is likely to be in November and that will be in Tunisia. Electing leaders through the ballot box has gained wide acceptance in the continent. But how transparent is the democratic process? Are the elections free, fair and credible? Again, who is afraid of true democracy? These are questions the African youth need to examine and proffer answers.
Today, in Africa, a person either belongs to the low class or to the upper class. The ruling class had always seized on the devastating poverty across the land to dominate state affairs in a manner that creates the impression that the rest of the people are aliens in their own land.
Africa is in dare need of new leaders who would sincerely pull down the ‘Berlin Wall’ between the ruling class and the masses such that all will exercise the same rights and freedom and benefit from the wealth of the nation equally without any form of discrimination or oppression.
Huge amount of money is spent daily on the welfare of the leaders and their families. The fund is drawn from the tax payers’ money. Yet, the masses are not entitled to social health insurance scheme. Many cannot afford to receive treatment from government owned hospitals and health centers due to cost.
In the face of the challenge of leadership facing the continent, the youth must consider pro-active measures to halt the decay. The youth are the life wire of any society. They play vital role in shaping public affairs and ensuring the existence of a progressive society.
They are the true agents of revolution that transforms a society from socio-political and economic ruin. Therefore, African youth must gear up to the challenge of development and growth. They must go beyond rhetoric and political drama in the effort to boost the continent.
In Asia, Europe and Latin America, the youth have played significant role in the development process of their countries. They have demonstrated courage and forthrightness in the struggle to clean the Augean stable created by past leaders who promoted dictatorship and corruption.
Interestingly, in Africa, political leaders are quick to frown at the word ‘revolution.’ Forceful change of government is often associated with the word. Freedom of expression or speech as entrenched in the constitution of many countries encourage peaceful revolution which, put differently, is a call for ‘Change’ without bloodshed in the way state affairs are handle so that the national interest overrides the vested interest of individuals and groups who are in the corridors of power.
In order to play a decisive role in public affairs, the African youth must begin to show interest in politics and also belong to political parties of their choice. They must learn the process of the formation of political parties and their manifestoes while taking note of the lapses in the governance-style of the leaders.
They must prepare to take over the mantle of leadership just as French President Emmanuel Macron did. African youth must begin to develop radical political ideas that will enable them to carry out sweeping reforms that will engender an enabling environment for development and growth.
In order to be able to achieve this, there must be synergy among the youth of the continent, irrespective of cultural, language and ideological differences. The ultimate goal is the advancement of Africa against all odds.
Africa will remain stagnant and a victim of Europe and America’s imperialism except the leaders stop paying lip service to the issue of reforms. The current problem facing the continent is not that of ideology and forms of government. While some analysts have queried the introduction of the American presidential system in some African countries, others have questioned the benefits of the British cabinet system still being practiced in some countries.
Whatever be the argument, it is the ability of African leaders to understand the problems of the continent and work selflessly to solve them that determines how the pendulum would swing. This requires prudence in management and inclusive government, not allowing people with poverty of ideas to occupy the corridors of power.