Personally, I have always believed that there is nothing wrong with the African man except that he thinks there is something wrong with him. One of the things which were used to deceive our fathers was the idea that they lack a legacy of civilization and that they cannot help themselves unless they get civilized. Civilisation in this context meant the white man’s ways. Basil Davidson expresses the opinion of the colonialists in captain Burton’s words: ‘Not only had Africans failed to develop from primitive to less primitive, they have also reached a point of helplessness in which they would not do better if left to themselves.” Another opinion at that time was the argument of some experts that the African brain is too small for meaningful development. Obviously, we can realize that these are dangerous lies which have been thrown into the dust bin of history. Yet, it was this opinion that the European colonialists had in mind when they colonized Africa. Besides, it still puzzles me how, if the Europeans actually had the solution to Africa’s problems, is the current political structure which is their legacy, failing. Some may argue this and say it was because the colonialists ceded power and gave independence to the Africans. So, whatever legacy they might have left behind have been destroyed by the savage African leaders they left behind. However, the truth is; the totality of the African political structure we have today is a failure largely because it is a product of colonial perpetuation. The colonialists played a fast one on our fathers. They told them that they cannot govern themselves very well unless they apply there own theories and models, some of which have even failed in their own lands. Before the colonialists came, there were traditional institutions, with each community having a system of government adaptable to its environment. These traditional structures are the foundations on which African societies are built right from time immemorial. The white man did not strengthen these institutions. He deliberately weakened them by systematically dissolving their essence. The African man bought this, largely because of the invaluable contribution of Christianity. But Christianity is not a political issue, it is only a practical means to connect with divinity, which the Africans believed and accepted. The colonialists saw this and used Christianity as a weapon of retuning the African brain to conform to their own ideas. The result of this is that today, it is hard for ethnic groups in Africa to unite under one statement. A typical African youth does not have the same patriotism he has for his tribe for his country. In order words, most African countries today do not conform to Wole Soyinka’s definition of a nation as a unit of humanity bounded together by one ideology. Nowhere else has this been evident than in Nigeria, the highest populated black country. The colonization of Africa (which I call deinstitutionalization) was a disastrous event, which must not be allowed to repeat itself. Our fathers obviously refused to dominate their environment and the environment eventually dominated them to maintain the balance.
