Development: Why Revolutions Fail in Africa
By Nneka Okumazie
Revolutions are often based on change, but the success of any revolution is not just the change of power. Africa has been running on the assumption of revolution for new power for decades but no African country has gone far with replacements of people in power across levels of government.
Two of the factors that make revolutions succeed are great ideas and cooperation. There might be a cap on how great an idea is or its interval to maturity, but the greater the idea the better the chances for success of the revolution, even with minimal cooperation.
Cooperation exceeds support. The excitement of people when someone new takes power in African countries is often a form of support, but low to zero cooperation. Africa does not have great ideas, making all revolutions a dud from day one.
Most African countries have telecommunication, energy, automobiles, construction, etc. These advances work regardless of religion, ethnicity, literacy level, political views, etc. The ideas are simply greater than whatever has been causing failures in Africa.
Africa is also not a cooperative society for their development. Much of the progress that Africa has made should be steps they never have to fall back from since people should tend to things that belong to everyone like theirs. This is hardly the case as the attitude is collectively bad, for what is not personally or privately owned, with too much monitoring.
There is a limit to monitoring if the attitude of the people is to overwhelm things with depraved usage. There are several countries around the world that have not done anything new or contributed much to advancement in the world, but are doing great, because many people there cooperate, holding themselves accountable, considering others, checking themselves and avoiding what would make their societies worse, beyond the general fear of the law.
Africa does not have this. There are too many charlatans in Africa with public platforms that keep calling themselves revolutionaries or calling for revolutions, without great ideas or the knowledge that there is no cooperation. They blamed past leaders, calling them names, but those leaders are gone, Africa has not changed. These charlatans, without credibility, continue to call for revolution, when they should be ashamed that they are also clueless about what they claim to know.
Some express hate for the West. Hate or not for the colonial masters, it will not develop Africa. Some support or hate religion, but it will not develop Africa. Some want new political parties, it have failed. Some run abroad, claiming that they want to bring their expertise home. Africa’s problem is not the lack of expertise, and if their intentions were true, they would not announce but do, and find how it would be useful.
Africa has credentialed ministers across governments. They have all changed nothing because they have no ideas.
The best idea they have is to change things in government, claiming to be good people in government. Those who have not changed anything striking in the private sector always present the government as development magic, in self-deception and of others.
Some people with abilities in other places use their abilities sometimes selflessly, in pursuit of things that could change their place or when they achieve, pay it back to drive general growth. That is not often the case with people of abilities from Africa. They will prefer to mix with politicians that are doing nothing for the people, in conferences of indignity they attend to show off.
Africa should change their continental theme for the show, for jokes and pleasure.
[Joel 2:4, The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.]
