The Necessity of an intellectual community in Africa.
Africa is the second largest continent being smaller only than Asia and covering about one fifth of the total land surface of the world. Africa’s known mineral wealth places it among the world’s richest continents. It’s very large share of mineral resources include coal, petroleum, natural gas, gold, diamonds etc. but the exploitation of these mineral resources has become an impossible economic activity in virtually most countries in Africa, Nigeria as a paradigm. Africa also have a gigantic human resources, About 6 billion people that make up the worlds population, Africa shares a very sizeable and significant number, but it is very unfortunate that upon all these mineral and human resources, Africa is the only continent with large number of poor countries and in fact, virtually all countries in Africa are poor.
It is something worthwhile recalling that apart from the few African counties that were not colonized. Ghana was the first West African country to gain independence, three years later in 1960, Nigeria and most other African countries gain independence. 1960 was the peak of independence in Africa since most African countries got their independence in 60s.
The independence in virtually all the African countries didn’t come in a platter of gold. It was the labor of the African intellectuals that gave birth to independent Africa countries. Ghana in 1957, Nigeria in 1960, Egypt in 1922 etc. However, these intellectuals have been forgotten or rather relegated to the past. This is very unfair on the part of Africa and Africans. This relegation of these intellectuals has caused another relegation which has in itself brought about another relegation. This means that the relegation of the intellectuals to the past brought about to the relegation of the works and achievement of the intellectuals which will yet bring another relegation of the creative development which ceteris paribus, the intellectuals would have brought.
Every county in Africa has been talking of political injustice, social injustice, economic cum judiciary injustice, but there is also such a thing as intellectual injustice. Our national problem should be tackled with intellectual justice not with exploitative ignorance. There is lack of rationality behind many government plans and unsuitable people are placed in the key positions, forgetting that intelligence is the vital and often pivotal foundation for national decision. The reason behind all these is that for the past two decades, the educational institutions in African, Nigeria as a paradigm, has not been geared to produce creative individuals, but rather to provide certificate and qualifications needed to fill government posts. Another factor is the home environment, the family been the most influential of all forces that mould human personality, as there were few families in Africa with real intellectual interest. Children are not exposed in their homes to an intellectual atmosphere conducive for creative development, because when the intellectual spirit pervades the homes, it will influence the young and when they later grow up and disperse into administration, business or industry, this spirit will serve them well, because an enquiring and reflective mind is always an asset.
Therefore, the necessity of an intellectual community in Africa is itself, an intellectual question. Since the intellectuals are not recognized in Africa, African intellectuals will have to raise the question of their own necessity. Does Africa really need an intellectual community? This is not a rhetoric question, but I pray you reserve your answer at the end of the write up.
Since time immemorial, society has always been divided between the leaders and the led, between small groups called the elite and the rest of the populace. This small minority usually includes the politicians, administrators, religious dignitaries, artists, business men and woman, aristocrats, industrialist etc, now it is the function of the intellectuals to provide similar leadership in the realm of thinking. Most persistent problems in Africa have been talked about but not thought about. So I think I’m being righter than wrong here, when I said that intellectuals should be leaders in the territory of thinking. Intellectuals provide leadership in the following areas of thinking (i) the posing of problems (ii) Analysis of problems (iii) Definition of problems (iv) solution of problems.
Intellectuals should lead the above thinking activities in the African society because a good deal of trouble has been caused in Africa by too much intelligent but with too little wisdom.
Therefore, without an intellectual community in Africa, Africa would be deprived of some certain level of consciousness and insight into vital problems. Intellectuals are the moral conscience of our time; they observe the political and social situations and speak out freely. Therefore, without an effective intellectual community in Africa, there is no demand for change in the fundamental forms of Africa society. Hence the tendency to cling to the status quo. (magico-religious mentality) without a functioning intellectual community, Africa loses, although these losses is not directly perceptible, nor are its effects uniform in all the African countries. It is not possible to measure these effects quantitatively but in general it has lowered the standard of political leadership, the social class, the business and industrial group, and the coming generation. If the intellectual spirit pervades the home, it will influence the young and when they later grow up and disperse into the administration, business and industry, this spirit will serve them well, because an enquiring and reflective mind is always an asset.
Moreover, in Africa, we have many intellectuals both young and old. The October 2005 poll on the foreign policy and Britain’s prospect magazine, saw the following Africa intellectuals among the top hundred intellectuals in the world, they include: Chinua Achebe, Wole soyinka, J.M. coetzee of south Africa, Ayaan Hirsi ali of Somalia, Yusuf al-quaradavi of Egypt and Ali Mazrui of Kenya. However, there are other intellectuals in Africa. We have a collection of intellectuals but we need a collectivity of intellectuals that is coming together of all intellectuals to form a functioning group.
Before, I conclude, I must say that government is too big and delicate to be left in the hand of politicians alone, therefore, there is a need for the intellectual community to influence the government. When we talk of intellectual community influencing the government. We do not necessarily mean that intellectuals themselves would occupy bureaucratic positions or become directly involved in business and industrial ventures. We mean the tapping of intellectual resources by the society through existing channels. There is a need for instance in Nigeria, to revise school textbooks and syllabus, to reform electoral system. To re-invigorate agriculture, to energize human resources, to alleviate poverty etc. these needs has to arise in the consciousness of the government and the intellectual community can help to awaken it. The intellectual community can then assist in the process of accomplishing the change through membership on committees or adversary boards.{Note: I usually use Nigeria as a paradigm because I think its more safer to offend my own country-men}
The intellectual community will have it as a priority to awaken the sciento-technical rationality and democratic spirit in the society. The socio-political cum economic change which we all agitate can be met in the application of the democratic spirit laden with sciento-technical rationality. The sciento-technical rationality as against magico-religious worldview assures the broad means to acquisition of democratic spirit. The democratic spirit among other things concentrate on the core values that are people oriented. It operates with a reasonable understanding that the actual good of the society draws its greater impetus upon the good of the people. It is the state of mind and social culture that favor and prioritize certain political and social values, which are indispensable for any form of governance to be truly human.
In conclusion, a critically and reflective consideration of the application of democratic spirit fastened with sciento-technical rationality can to a greater degree boost the ladder of creative development and salvation that had been the cry of Africans. With our movement refocused towards this right course, we build our hope on the belief that out of the debris of bad governance, among other things, a new nation shall be born. A nation that will have justice, truth, freedom and indeed democratic spirit with sciento-technical rationality as its foundation. A nation that will have a befitting place for intellectuals, for sages and visionaries, for true nationalists and genuine patriots, a nation that will be adequately responsible for and towards the poor, the meek and the weak. The present circumstance assigns us the onus to work towards the realization of this hope, so that our continent so richly endowed by the creator but so seriously desecrated by not only a history that is unfortunate but battered, among other things by treacherous stewards and callous usurpers, will rise again to the path of peace, progress and democratic spirit, then, we for example as Nigerians, can sing our National Anthem with a sense of national pride and a sense of genuine belonging to a nation bound in freedom, peace and unity. John Okafor.C. +2347038780704

During the early 1960s, most of the African continent was liberated from colonial rule Nigeria as paradigm. Seventeen nations gained independence in the great “Uhuru” {Freedom} year of 1960 alone .The times were electric. In country after country, the banners of new states, including Nigeria whose leaders offered idealistic promises to remake the continent and thus the world, replaced the flags of various European states, and the United Nations. Hopes were high and even the most ambitious of goals seemed obtainable. Non-Africans also spoke of the resource-rich continent as being on the verge of developmental take off.

Yet four and half decades after the great freedom year, conditions in Nigeria are sobering rather than euphoric. For most Nigerians, Independence has been a disparate struggle for survival rather than an exhilarating path to development. Nowadays, Nigeria is often described in the global media as a ‘nation in crisis”, a ‘region in turmoil” and such phrases that echo the sensationalist writings of the 19th century missionaries eager to convince others of the nations need for salvation.

The interesting fact is that “The story of Nigeria no more represents the entire African continent today than the Mandela story did in1994” since today, millions of Nigerian are indeed seeking some form of salvation from the grinding poverty, pestilence, and in many areas wars that afflict their lives. Added to these miseries is the ongoing HIV/AIDS pandemic, which is devastating much of the citizens, the majority of AIDS sufferers and fatalities have been Nigerian. Perhaps the scale of Nigeria’s maladies helps to explain why contemporary evangelists are so much successful in swelling in their congregations, than were their counterparts in the past. It is certainly not for lack of competition; Nigeria is a country of many, often overlapping faiths. In addition to Islam, Christianity, and other spiritual paths. Nigeria has embraced myriad of secular ideologies, Marxism, Capitalism, Structural adjustment, multi-party system. The list is endless but salvation seems ever more distant.

The fundamental question is: “Can Nigeria develop as it moves into the final half of the first century of her existence, a system of government that is consistent both with its own responsibilities and with the requirements of an increasingly interdependent nation, a nation in which more and more fields of what were once domestic concern will have to be subjected to new forms of international agreement and control, and in which Nigeria will deal with a number of other strong power centers on more or less equal terms.

Nigeria’s current circumstances are indeed difficult, yet it is also true that the postcolonial era has brought progress as well as problems. The goals so optimistically pronounced at independence have, for the most part, not been abandoned. Even when the states have faltered, the societies that they encompass have remained dynamic and adaptable to shifting opportunities. The supports of strong families continue to allow most Nigerians to overcome adversity. There are starving children in Nigeria today, but there are also more in school uniforms studying to make their dreams a reality and to them and the former I say “may their dreams be worthy of their future”.

Nigeria as a whole remains a dynamic, ever changing country that in recent years has seen much progress as well instances of regression. For example, the use of mobile wireless telephones {cell phones} has spread around the country like wildfire, bringing mass communications capacity to millions for the first time. The introduction of new information technologies is bringing change. It is without doubt that the country is currently working to harmonize the triangular relationship of the political cum socio-economic sectors.

A prerequisite for realization of such dreams is the maintenance of peace. Without peace, there can be no prospect of freedom and development. In this context, recent progress in bringing to an end the armed conflicts in Niger delta the oil states of Nigeria and perhaps most significantly the Boko Haram; along with the consolidation of stability in other areas have been sources of renewed hope. If the momentum of peace can be maintained by the countries growing ranks of legitimately elected leaders, ongoing talks among states people and intellectuals about the onset of an era of re-birth for the country will appear less as pipedream and more as a realistic possibility.

The problem besetting Nigeria has caused a deep pessimism in some quarters. Reinforcing stereotypes of backwardness and hopelessness is not conducive to finding solutions to any of Nigeria’s problems. Therefore, there is always a reason for optimism, for the most part, another positive development in is the increasing attention that Nigerian government are are given to women. The pivotal role played by the women in agriculture and other activities is increasingly being recognized and supported. Women are playing a prominent role in the political life of Nigerians:-Prof. Akunyili, Dr.Waziri, Dr.Ndi Okereke, Mrs.Oby Ezekwsili and a host of others.

The advances that have been made in Nigeria are important ones, but could be undercut by continued economic decline. Nigeria needs debt relief and outside aid just to maintain the gains that have been made. Yet the African proverb observes “Someone else legs will do you no good in traveling” There are mineral riches and a vast agricultural potential. However, the Nigerian youth who make up more than half of the population and the elders whose wisdom is revered are its greatest resource. Youths should be participants not onlookers in the countries’ integration into the process of globalization.

“Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause
Guide our leaders’ right,
Help our youths the truth to know,
In love and honesty to grow,
And living just and true,
Great lofty heights attain,
To build a nation where peace and justice
Shall reign”.

John Okafor.C.
yaficom@yahoo.com
07038780704

POLITICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF NIGERIA.
There is a fundamental question. Can Nigeria develop as she moves into her final half of the first century of her existence? A system of government that is consistent with both its own responsibilities and with the requirements of increasingly interdependent nations? A nation in which more and more fields of what were once domestic concern will have to be subjected to new forms of international agreement and control and in which Nigeria will have to deal with a number of other strong power centers on a more or less equal terms.

The reconstruction of political system in Nigeria is not a new idea. Many good Nigerians have talked and are still talking about it. Therefore, the process of change in this system has been launched and I wish to join my fellow activist brothers to continue clamor for this change. However, I choose to look at this problem in a different dimension. I am not going to play the role of a prophet least of all Jeremiah, nor attempt to delineate what the political and social map of Nigeria may be in 2010s and 2020s.in my own view ,government, politics and political activities ,are to big to be left in the hand of politicians alone. Politics and political activities are not like a football match, where 22 people play and 22 million people watch. No, in the territory of politics and its activities, everybody, is a player and everybody watch .This implies that everybody should participate actively in political matters? Though we have representatives, but our civic duties should not found us sleeping. Our priority as citizens is to participate in government affairs; yes we have to participate from our individual roles as husbands, as wives and from our different professions. It is true that we are not government who may order power stations that will take ten years or more to build; our goal can be more modest. We can at least identify the processes of change that are occurring and judge how they are likely to affect policies and interests of the major and lesser actors. We can discuss trends and currents even I f we cannot make positive projections and we can reach at least a tentative judgments on the world to which we are accustomed will remain and what will inevitably be novel; what of our own values to sustain, what are the forms of change that threaten us and what are those we can accept.

Based on the reconstruction still, there is still a pertinent question still hanging in the air. Can we codify new rules of national behavior so that we avert a mad scramble for power? However, my solution or suggestion to all these is to develop a sense of nationhood through national integration. There should be a receptivity of the public to an ever increasing standard of thinking so that they become more selective in their choice of ideas and leadership in all fields.

Finally, “Nigerian politics is like an American forest, you have only to cut down the old trees and immediately new trees come up to replace them the seeds were waiting in the ground and they began to grow as soon as the withdrawal of the ones brought in light and air”. It is to some of the young and growing tress that I should like to turn to. I mean the youths who are the trustees of Nigerian posterity and the pivot of Nigeria. There should not be backwardness in the on-going civilization, so far as the youth exist. We should never fold our arms and mortgage the prosperity of our posterity. Therefore, we should tell ourselves that the best government and indeed the best of everything are yet to be done by us.