There are proven facts that ladies are better managers than men. Recently, most of the countries managed by ladies had lower Covid-19 deaths than those managed by men. Grandma’s traditional medical preventive Covid-19 success in Africa still baffles outsiders. History never undermined the power of women even in close African or British Royal Families.
Ladies, on their own, run better hospitable businesses in Africa from our grandma days in informal economic markets without beating their chests; many taking care of extended families more than their own to a fault. But distraction of sexual glorification mainly from the Western world was too appealing or enticing to ignore in the name of freedom of expression in speech, art and form. Women liberation is another exposure of women’s hidden power.
People have pointed to Golden Meir of Israel and Indira Gandhi of India as evidence of women’s judicious leadership. Before them, Africa had Queen Bilikisu Sungbo of Sheba, Queen Nana (Yaa Asantewaa) of Ashanti, Queen Amina of Zazzua, Queen Nzinga Mbande of Mbundu and others. Yet, when men want to fall from power, they crave for the bosoms of ladies, not women’s intellectual prowess, usually left untapped.
We cannot blame moral decadence on the Creator of skilful art in ladies’ bodies since most of us are overwhelmed or guilty of lust and admiration. Those that have learned how to control the ego in our hearts despite bombardment of half clad exposure from other cultures outside Africa tempting our sensibilities, already have enough in our cultures to deal with. The African ladies have fewer options left than to compete for their territorial integrity. These distractions have eaten deep into our mental development depriving countries of disciplined leaders.
Monkey see, monkey do. When has flaunting young ladies as commodities become part of the prospect for a country’s development? The Youths emulate their leaders in tastes and actions creating a vicious circles that lead to the glorification of sex with multiple local high maintenance ladies even abroad that can only be taken care of from looted fund. 2021 harem. So bad, Youths are lured to Salvation with 40 virgins in Heaven or in foreign countries.
Rather than create jobs and services at home and train university graduates in the field of Arts, Sciences and Engineering needed for development; African leaders are patronizing hedonists overseas and flooding local Ports with luxury imports. The cost of roads and bridges are more expensive in Nigeria than any country in the world, after padding with imported materials, expatriate workers and kickbacks that are deposited in foreign banks.
Many may remember that odd uncle in the family that was so obsessed with girls, he always looked good (Ashewo). An uncle always took care of his greased hair, loved his white shirts well starched and ironed which the girls fell for. He was also a star soccer player in high school. He had a younger brother that was quiet and studious. In short, he became ridden with leg injuries affecting his gait while his brother went on to train as a lawyer.
Our mums and aunties never failed to remind us of both. But then, unlike today, nobody became a millionaire or billionaire, not even Thunder Balogun, Osman Seidu popularly known as Baba Yara in Ghana or Dan Ayam. This writer must confess that part of these men rubbed off on him. We strived to work hard first because our parents and the smart girls saw prospects in serious boys.
While some girls’ infatuation with bad boys has always been there, boys that were brilliant in schools, especially in Maths-Maths-Physics were like hot akara for girls then. Yahoo or Sakawa boys, ritualists and bandits have replaced them. The glorification of sex by Youths, celebration of more wives by older men and the wealthy these days keep us wondering if the total disregard for culture and custom have taken the focus off progressive development and accomplishments for 21st Century Harem. Some differences in the attraction of ladies now.
Unfortunately, African leaders that fought for Independence lost control to British, French and Portuguese trained military leaders sponsored by the same colonialists. The case of Patrice Lumumba as he was overthrown remains nauseating. Nkrumah was out of Ghana in Asia to negotiate World Peace when he was overthrown. Military took over in Nigeria and other African countries without the intellect and dedication of the Independence Freedom Fighters. They were too incompetent to realize the tasks before them. So, they became land grabbers.
Values and accomplishments have been replaced by moral decadence to acquire other people’s money by ancient philosophy or religions. We lost a great deal in the process. Since men of doubtful characters, military and former thugs have gained fortune in politics, communities have fallen apart. Indeed, there were days when men of “timber and character” were asked to go into politics so that it would not be infiltrated by bandits and terrorists. Too late, the task now is if we can get these uncultured, unlettered and lascivious vagabonds out.
Instead of adhering to the dedication of Herbert Macauley, Nkrumah, Azikiwe and Awolowo; military leaders assigned the task of nation building to themselves by choosing politicians and military leaders that followed whims or limited insight. They spent their time accumulating and laundering money to buy humongous houses and luxury cars for their families and of course, girlfriends. All types of foreign goods and services are imported congesting African Ports.
There were the days Kwame Nkrumah, Azikiwe, Awolowo, Kenyata and Nyerere invited Diaspora Blacks back home. If we brought foreign ladies home, they were more Afrocentric than us and were happy they were finally coming back home. The ladies that came back then, jumped from the oppressed in Europe and America to the middle class of the husband status.
We sometimes forget that Ian Smith, the Northern Rhodesian Prime Minister then, said his country would be ruled by Blacks but after his lifetime. The Country became Zimbabwe in his lifetime because Nkrumah was even ready for the United States of Africa by encouraging and sponsoring rebel activist fighters against Africa domination in the Southern region. We realized the potential was there. We are so rich, they labelled us Gold Coast, Ivory Coast, forgot Diamond Coast.
None of the Africans lost sight of the fact that African countries must develop and catch up with the rest of the world after being a “Dark Continent” for hundreds of years. Therefore, we had a rich Continent waiting to be developed by the locals and some Diaspora Africans since we were up to the task without self-doubts. While we cannot blame the fall of Sampson on Delilah alone, the weakness of human flesh, complacency and hedonistic tendencies will destroy many African countries back into ruins of the Dark Ages unless we wake up.
