AU, CEMAC, EAC, ECOWAS, SADC & Africa’s Competitive Poverty
Nneka Okumazie
There’s a chance that when African political leaders gather, some say to others that you’re not impoverishing your people enough. Those in that chatter can be said to be in the group of poverty.
Then there is a committee of corruption, seeking or giving advice on ways to get gains off some investment, program, or policy.
There is also a group of dictators, reemphasizing how to handle any kind of threat against their power.
Yes, maybe it happens often, maybe not, but the very slow progress, especially against poverty across sub-Saharan Africa shows how much all the multiple gatherings every year, results in so little, for their own people.
The ways poverty clawed Africa, makes its effects painful and devastating.
No human being should ever have to carry something on their head to sell.
No human being should run – riskily – in traffic, to sell stuff.
But it happens almost everywhere in Africa, and no one – responsible – seems to care.
Hardly any established solution or path, or active passionate work – relentlessly and incessantly against hawking.
There is always something new: program, policy, or investment touted or adopted, but it rarely breaks poverty.
Crime is high in some places – say because of want. There are places where once they notice the person is not from there, they try to cheat. There are those who have taken to fraud: internet, corporate, public or private. There are those who have something that should be for all, but use to benefit their friends and family.
Children are born. It is no child’s fault – the poverty of the family or the nation. There’s poverty in heavily populated sub-Saharan African countries, and those relatively unpopulated.
Prices continue to rise. Money – so hard for the poor, gets taken from them, in all kinds of ways.
Corporations innovate charges and manipulate pricing because the people aren’t – maybe – regarded.
It is possible some African leaders disparage their own people, in private, when trying to convince some investor, or talk to some other leaders.
African countries, tribes and cultures, that should cooperate and win against poverty together, are often at some kind of disagreement or war.
There are stories in different parts of Africa, of neighbouring countries that alienate each other, sabotaging whatever can be sabotaged.
There are so many common and similar problems across sub-Saharan Africa, whoever can see clearly understands that things are beyond just one place or one country.
It is amazing how everyone abandons their own society: where, ownership of automobile, comfort housing and whatever coveted parameter becomes success. The society can rot.
Most people do the easy stuff – complain. Others are negative, almost literally cursing where they come from. Some are waiting to get a chance to loot. Some are evil and so wicked.
This, and the extended African situation explains why there’s a call to true Christianity – which is a call to Jesus, or a call to be different.
People mostly act the same, given the same situation: cheat, deceive, hide things, intimidate, pretend, take advantage of the vulnerable, greediness, become evil for envy or other reasons; suspend morals, ethics and fairness because power, money, or association.
So, true Christianity for any African is to be different, to standout, to not do what others do. To not block the way for others, or bring others down, as an ascent strategy, or whatever satisfaction, is derived.
Yes, development of Africa seems complicated, there are lots of things to do that no one seem interested in doing.
For those in true Christianity, to be different is like – to watch. And then to pray – deliver us from evil.
From the evil off poverty, or say those who do evil because of poverty.
Also, true Christians should pray to God for themselves and those in the body of Christ that deliver us from poverty – as we do honest work.
In places around the world, many avoid Africans, the amount of pain some had faced because of what they are, is unbearable: reason why no matter how small the situation, or how hidden, a true Christian African must be different – no other choice.
God is a spirit. Be ye Holy. Be ye perfect. It can also be interpreted – in a way – as be different.
There are countries in Africa that poverty is guaranteed for them in the next decade – if they don’t do better.
However, the individual genuine Christian – in Africa, must wish self well and pray against the combination of everything wrong and mysterious that could come at anyone, at any time.
[Psalm 31:15, My times [are] in Thy Hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.]
