It is all excuses for blacks and Africans to use slavery and colonial experiences for their current situations. Granted that such experiences are ugly aspects of our relationship with white folks, we ought to be prevailing instead of barely overcoming.  US America was colonized; China was colonized by Japan; and Rome colonized Europe.

Despite the fact that Australia was a penal colony, today, it is hardly thought of as a place where the British sent prisoners and Irish people. Aussies have worked their way to a place of envy and admiration. A nation and a people must learn to overcome their ‘ugly’ past and aim to prevail. Africans put too much emphasis on what slavery and colonialism did to them, especially the negative aspects.

With many African nations attaining half century of independence, they are still going around the world; begging. Haiti, the first black nation to be independent 10 years oafter did looks like Nairobi or Lagos slum, all things being equal. Why?
 
Please read ‘From Third to First’ How Singapore developed by Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first Prime Minister. Mr. Yew studied in London just like former Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki. But Mr. Yew did not make First Class. He barely graduated but was determined to change Singapore. Today, Singapore is a world power despite having fewer than 6 million people, lacking mineral resources but laden with determination and unapologetic desire to prevail. Singapore was first of the former colonies to break and denounce membership in the Commonwealth when the Exchequer devalued her deposit. Mr. Yew swore to seek relationships with nations that would respect the rights of Singapore to exist. Despite President Mwai Kibaki becoming the first African head of state to be given a White House dinner by President George W Bush, he could not capitalize on that to make Kenya a shining example.
 
Africans love titles and their glamor but lack teeth to bite. Isn’t a former World Bank staffer, current Nigeria Finance Minister Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in charge of Nigeria’s economy? In her tenure which by the time 2015 rolls by, she would have served as the longest in such position in the history of Nigeria, the Naira has lost value continuously. Follow that with Kenya being in the 1970s, the first African nation to receive bailout from IMF, yet that prescription has not cured any ills. Africans are marooned by outside prescriptions and their own ‘voo-doo’ concoctions.
 
Singapore, a former colony of Britain, is way far ahead of any African country. It is leadership and not loss of culture. Africa’s culture is a culture of convenience. Nothing serious anchors its origin or foundation, except loose and lousy sense of pride and heritage. The new AU Headquarters in Addis Abba was donated and built by China and cost about $120m. Did it mean African nations could not come up with say $2.2m each to fund their own building?
 
How come Africans will pay allegiance and honor the “Queen” while in their own culture, mistreat their women? Who does that? Do you think an English person will disrespect their own and bow to a foreign one – especially an African? Never. If Africans do not respect and carry themselves with dignity, they will never attract respect and or admiration from anyone. 
 
Two other countries honored alongside Kenya by President George W. Bush; Poland and Mexico, ended up with strong currency exchange rates to the dollar in lower double digits. Mexico gained tremendously during early 2000s from the near collapse of the Peso. Kenya on the opposite slid into high double digits such that 1 million Kenya Shillings is a mere $12,000. Compare that to nearly $99,000 a Mexican gets with 1 Million Pesos or Ethiopian getting nearly $68,000 for 1 Million Birr, yet no Ethiopian President or Prime Minister ever visited the White House.
 
Going to the White House is not to have photo-ops as most African Heads of State do. Please read 'Chances of a Lifetime' by Warren Christopher, and see how one visiting African Head of State was so mesmerized by his presence in the Oval Office during President Clinton’s time, that he forgot what to ask the president and ended up been asked to leave shortly after when his 48 minutes were up. That is the maximum time foreign dignitaries get when visiting a US president in the Oval Office.

Africans have not learned that hidden aspect of international relationships despite their degrees in International Relations and Economics. If you can understand the ‘M’ factors in US relationships with others, you will understand what makes America a great country, whether one likes her or not. I will not share what the ‘M’ factors are. Get into US ways of engaging the world, and you will appreciate what makes America great.
 
Will Africa become a continent of respect or remain a doormat of others? No amount of wishing will make the sun rise from the west. Until the CLOWNS that wear CROWNS are shown the way out and replaced with ‘Think outside the Box’ persons and ‘Do Tanks’ and not ‘Think Tanks,’ Africa will remain a sour and sorry continent. Prove me wrong.

By Ejike Okpa II
Dallas, Texas.