Solomon Solari Sarpong
On Tuesday 28th November 2017, I had the opportunity to watch a reportage on CNN about how some Africans living in Libya are being treated.
I couldn't believe what I saw as I initially doubted how a fellow Black man could do this to a neighbour. But it became evident to me that olden days slavery has resurfaced in the contemporary world after the heart wrenching news was carried by almost all the other national and international electronic and print media.
It is unbelievable that in this 21st Century, Africans (Libyans) do not have sympathy for their fellow Africans. Lives are being degraded and sold for as little as £40. This is a shame on all Africans as it portrays us in a negative way.
Maltreating and dehumanising fellow human beings and selling them cheaply to be used as hard labourers has been the order of the day in Libya. May God have mercy on us! It is not surprising that the true definition of an African, has totally changed as we always expect to be enslaved and ruled by the whites.
Welcome to Africa, where its citizens feel reluctant to think independently.
Welcome to the modern day Africa, where the happenings in our backyard is being relayed to us by foreign news channels, while our own media look on with disdain.
Welcome to Africa, where its citizens have more passion for foreign goods than the consumption of locally manufactured goods.
Welcome to Africa, where its citizens would prefer running to Europe, Asia, and America to seek greener pastures. It is very sorrowful to see these things happening to us. It is about time Africans rise up to take its rightful place in the world.
Africa needs new education to redeem its lost dignity. An education that will allow us to think independently and afford us the opportunity to contribute positively towards the development of the African continent as a whole.
Africa needs a new kind of education to enable us recast the image of Africa as a success story.
For us to realize this greatest call for continental development, we need to overhaul our hearts and minds.
Every country has an opportunity to be great, but it all depends on the mindset of its citizens. If we make up our minds that we are too good to be fooled by the whites, and learn to appreciate what we have and grow it to feed ourselves, our story wouldn’t be told by a different continent to us.
For how long must feverish birds be silent before their maker? Let’s come together as one people and build an Africa that will be an envy to some other continents. The younger generation looks up to us to set the pace. Our youth are dying because our systems and policies are not friendly to them.
Unemployment continues to rise annually without the chance of stopping it in sight. As a result of this, our youth are engaging in activities that do not and should not represent a true African.
Lately, Africa is dying because of corruption. Funds which could have been channeled into developmental projects to create employment opportunities for our jobless youth, ends up in the pockets of some corrupt officials. Why won’t our youth abandon their country to seek greener pastures elsewhere?
We all have a role to play to redeem our lost image. Therefore let’s position our mindsets in a more positive way and contribute to the development of Ghana in particular and Africa as a whole. May the Good Lord help us all!