Articles,views and perspectives

 A CENTURY AFTER,A CONTINENT AND A RACE STILL IN THE BLAME GAME

I have seen several videos,statements and takes from

Historians,Politicians,Activists,Intellectuals and Academic Dons on colonialism,wars,propaganda,exploitation, espionage and the place or symbolic status of the Queen in all these and I came to the conclusion that sometimes the very knowledge that we seek and the presentation of history can muddle things up.Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second,was born into a traditional and cultural inheritance,that was foisted or bestowed on her by her lineage or bloodline,she inherited her status and her place in governance is ceremonial and sometimes statutory.Why then should she be vilified and chastised for the sins of her father,forefathers and a system she inherited.Humanity and mankind always has a tendency to seek a rallying point,heroes or a symbol of unity and the Queen whether you like it or not provided that on many levels,staying on the throne for 70 years without any personal or major scandal was another bonus to the concept of integrity and moral heights,then of course nobody is perfect and she's human and had to face some tough and sometimes embarrassing situations in her life but she managed to overcome and tops she came.We always chorus colonialism and what it has done,agreed there are some exploitative "etchings" that gives room for some of us to philosophise with fiery emancipatory speeches.A People and continent that thrives in tribal and religious wars,bigotry,exploitation, expedition in conquest,murders,fetish,greed,black magic and juju and some very backward ritualistic practice and ceremonies had already imbibed all the tenets and practice that colonialism has on offer,perhaps the colonialist saw a gaping opportunity,refined it,aligned itself with it and took it.Let us not be under the illusion or delusion that Africans were living in harmony and love before the colonial intervention,in fact we were a wedge,hedge and a distance from it.Any form of development that emanates from the ashes of our precolonial way of life and traditions must be one hell of a grind and very slow to manifest,if at all it takes off.I will round off here by asking  what have we done or achieved in the absence of colonialism....nothing.

We ended up in a cocoon and vicious circle of corruption,hunger and starvation,political intolerance, extra judicial killings, elimination of political opponents and threats,absence of any meaningful development or infrastructure ,the amassing and maniacal gathering and grabbing of "State Wealth".

These,in graphic terms, underlies and encapsulates the hopeless,sorry and pitiable  state we have found ourselves which should as a matter of alarming urgency be addressed if our generation unborn should see or have a ray of hope.Too many times we exhale and seek solace in the blame game,looking backwards in lamentation while nations are moving forward with a clear sight on the future.The victims or those that come under the periscope of our blame are many,its either America,Britain,France,Germany,Italy,Spain,

Portugal,Japan,China,Russia and South Korea, even the Sun and other weather conditions are not spared. 

The truth is that I am fed up with a continent and race that is open to manipulation, lacks originality in the true sense  but thrives and holds sway in the adoption,adaptation or remolding of other People's ideas and last,last as they say in our local palance ...the blame game.

Lumi Igun

A Public Relations Consultant,Activists and Social Commentator...writes from Lagos,Nigeria