By Odumodu Gbulagu
Apart from reading up about Pan-Africanism and Pan-Africanists like Zik of Africa, Nkrumah and the rest, I learnt a lot about being an African from reggae Musicians who were not mostly from the African continent, but chose to identify themselves as Africans because they are black.
One song titled “African” by Peter Tosh was one of those songs that first opened my mind about Africa and being an African
Tosh said “I don’t care where you come from, as long as you are a black man, you are an African”.
That song was the one that made me realize that every black man in the world no matter his location has African ancestry.
He went on to tell Africans not to mind their nationalities because we all have the identity of an African.
He admonished Africans not to mind their denominations, as it amounts to mere segregation.
He said “if you go to Catholic, Methodist or the Church of God, you are still an African.
Apart from Peter Tosh’s “African” one other song that preached about the unity of Africa is Bob Marley’s “Africa Unite” which is actually the title of this write up.
Part of the song said:
“How good and how pleasant it will be before God and man, to see the unification of all Africa”
“Africa Unite cos we are moving right out of Babylon, and we are grooving to our father’s land”
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The truth is that the black man has assimilated the division the colonialists programmed us to assimilate, instead of maximizing our strength and diversity and use it for the betterment of our people and our continent.
Africans prefer to receive aides from the minerals resources exploited from our land, than harnessing them and using them to better our lots.
Majority of us have refused to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery.
It’s true that Europe underdeveloped Africa, and Americans followed suit, yet we refused to learn as Asians are now scrambling for Africa and recolonizing us all over again.
The reoccurring issue of xenophobia in South Africa made me to write this piece.
Africa once United to liberate them from the shackles of apartheid, but they are now united in killing fellow Africans, and loving their oppressors.
They are now mocking their fellow slaves that their chains are shinier, forgetting they are slaves too.
I’m happy that Africans were united in sanctioning them, and pulling out from WEF summit.
If Africa Unite, there will be much more we can do for ourselves.
We can have a formidable continent, and use our God given mineral deposits and Human Resources to better our lots.
Let’s unite against the bad leaders that plunder Africa and still take it to Europe and America to hide.
A great and United Africa is possible, but the onerous task rests on our shoulders.
AFRICA UNITE!
Odumodu Gbulagu can be reached via [email protected]
