Ancient Africans Were Writers
By Farouk Martins Aresa

Ancient Africans had artists that were prolific writers on almost everything they could get their hands on including human bodies, slate, rock, caves, potteries, trees, mud and sand. Though the knowledge was confined to some classes and royal houses passed down along those lines, enough record and evidence remain that survived unstable nature of the rain forest until today.

Many African scholars find it hypocritical that while some colleagues and Africanists have been forced to acknowledge Iwo Eleru 10,000 B.C, ancient iron, terracotta, 8000-year-old ancient boat of Dafuna and black Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, they still hold on to the misconception that the ancient black Africans were not “sophisticated” enough or even meet their criteria to put down their civilization in writing. It is one thing to be ignorant of what you cannot read, another to deny it completely.  Is it logical that ancient Yoruba counted in thousands but could not read!

While Africanists diffidently accept Meroe writing most cannot read or understand, there are many more writings on the staff of Oranmiyan, Idi, Ifa in Ile-Ife Western Nigeria and Nsipidi among the Efik of Eastern Nigeria. We see some of the most striking African writings on arms, bellies, backs and faces to relating back to the place of origin or to identify classes of the nobles and warriors. They are derided as less than hieroglyphs or expression of thought and process.

Differences are made between pictures, signs and writings. If they stand alone as structures they pass as pictures but when crowded together, they can pass as writing. Anyone ignorant of Arab or Chinese writing may wonder if they are pictures when separated. The same is true of musical writing or other writings some are unaware of. A writer of these letters or languages may put them together easily while others may see them as pictures, individually.

What many call tattoos on the bodies are scarification to others and if they convey thoughts and processes, they are writings many cultures used to communicate. Over the centuries, many of these different forms of writings have been simplified on materials that do not fade or are not easily destructible. The ease of writing numbers in Roman figures or Arabic figure is a case in point. Indeed, living language are still being shortened to make it easier and faster to write.

It is interesting that archeologists and anthropologists interpret African artifacts into modern form of writing but missed the interpretation of its original writings, no matter how crude they find them to translate. It is much easier if these are found in signs and pictures than to interpret some musical or Greek alphabet they cannot understand when scribbled together. This is why it is surprising that in the year 2000, we are not devoting enough research to African writings.

Senegalese-born Cheikh Anta Diop (1923 – 1986) is an exceptional scholar without whom many African cultures could have been lost forever. The blame must start with African scholars. Some spend their whole academic life studying other cultures and languages except theirs. While it is true that funds and research grants are harder to get for Africa’s study, we must remember scholars like Diop that used his foreign training to advance African cultures and languages.

Professor Babatunde Fafunwa (23 September 1923 – 11 October 2010). A Nigerian advocated that school children should be educated in their native language first in order to facilitate their thought processes making it easier to learn other languages and subjects. Their thinking and logic become easier to adapt for invention and discoveries locally. This is how children that cannot speak a word of English or French become great scientists and Nobel prize winners.

Most of the mineral or oil rich countries in Africa, export foreign currencies they do not print or mint. Whatever is paid to them in foreign currency for their crude diamond, gold, oil or uranium is exported back to those paying countries to acquire gadgets, cars and mansions they hardly live in but kept for their families and friends while foreign taxes are paid to maintain schools   they ignore in their home countries. More foreign currencies legally leave Africa than come in.

These are funds that could benefit research, discoveries, inventions and infrastructure at home. Funds that could be used to improve schools so that gifted children with God-given talents that lack the opportunities children of the rich have, could use to benefit their communities. African politicians would rather donate U.S dollars to foreign universities in return for award they could showcase. This is how we stifle our culture and deny future generation of their place in history.

African children today can hardly speak their native languages. The rich, famous and politicians train their children outside Africa. Actually, many of the children at home speak English, French or Portuguese as their first language and communicate with their parents in those languages. It shows class and prestige in Africa. Those that do their best to make sure their kids speak their languages have a daunting task. Many of their children answer them in foreign languages.

If we are losing a whole generation of African speakers and many of them are highly educated, who are going to interpret ancient Africa writings? Indeed, many Nigerian colleges do not teach history anymore despite the plea of informed Africans that the repercussion on our life, culture and language will be devastating. Aiyelala, Chi and Nemesis will catch up with us.

Let us face it, some African countries have been lucky and blessed. It is not enough. What we do with what we have, no matter how small or great in that limited time will dictate the future of the next generation. As we squander their future endeavors, Aiyelala is watching. This is why we always say that until Africans clean up their act and help themselves, nobody will help us. Indeed, no African will be respected anywhere until Africans make their own progress at home.

Oil, diamond, gold or uranium may be located in certain part of a country, within one or more ethnic groups, it will not matter much to the next generation of African children. The country, group or people that squander our resources will be held responsible for shaming African children around the world. After all creation of boundaries and countries were made for the benefit of colonial masters not for the benefit of the local African people.

Yoruba of the Western Nigeria lead the world in civilized co-existence among people regardless of their religion by the old definition of civilization and they do have ancient writings. Some will continue to deny ancient Africa writings until more scholars like Diop rise up everywhere. 

Chibok Girls Rescue: Just 21? Not impressed!

Rescued Chibok Girls

 Nigerians, especially the ruling political class and their backers within and outside the country were in a virtual state of euphoria about a week ago when Boko Haram eventually released 21 out of over 200 girls to the government. This is more than two and a half years after their obviously well planned and articulated kidnap by the terrorist Boko Haram and their collaborators within the Nigerian establishment and security forces. 

No true nation would allow such a crass and brazen assault on its sovereignty by psychologically challenged bunch of criminals such as Boko Haram.  It appears as if Boko Haram was deliberately allowed to flourish.  Even today, while the government claims Boko Haram has been technically defeated, they seem to tenuously rise from defeat to cause havoc. The help of the so-called international community is also suspect, because none of our major "helpers" would allow the travesty of Boko Haram for a month on their territories, while Nigeria has battled a nebulous enemy for nearly a decade with no end in sight. 

The largely Christian Chibok girls were kidnapped on school property, at night, in a part of the country that was under military emergency. The kidnappers needed information as to the precise location of the girls and obviously got it. They also had to cover some distance to get to the school and make good their escape. They accomplished all these fits except for a few girls who luckily managed to escape. And for nearly three years, the misgovernance of Nigeria, the inefficiency of its security forces and the duplicity of internal as well as external collaborators has been on display.  A security agency that was able to organize "sting" operations against hapless Judges was unable to locate or "sting out" the Chibok girls, or provide any coherent strategy for liberating them. In saner climes, it would have been virtually impossible to pull the Chibok stunt. And should it happen, those girls would be located within 24 hours or less and rescued. Where do you go with nearly 300 abducted girls in Britain, France or even Ghana for example?

As a country, we appear not to have any prestige or honor to defend or protect. We are content to allow the destruction of our people and have our sovereignty impugned because of our internal contradictions and an ill-defined national philosophy. Sometime back, Israel went to war over the abduction and killing of three of its teenagers. And the United States started a media and political blitz against the workings of the Italian justice system over an obviously flawed young woman's possible involvement in the murder of her roommate in Italy. In contrast, Nigeria and Nigerians have watched helplessly, for nearly a decade, the extermination of over 20,000 of its citizens and the rendering of countless others as refugees. 

The rescue of 21 kidnapped girls out of over 200 (probably a thousand more unreported), after nearly three years of abduction is a less than stellar performance for a nation that spends so much on defense.  Our Generals tend to have large girths but little hearts: they have huge mansions but little compassion or patriotism. When given the opportunity, many are ready to screw the nation over instead of stretching their necks out to defend it. Boko Haram and its antics is a clear indication of the worth of Nigerian lives and the sovereignty of the Nigerian state.

The negotiations to release the girls after these years; no matter how it was achieved, is a clear confirmation to Nigerians that when trapped in the "valley of the shadow of death" a citizen's life is not considered sacred but negotiable or expendable.

Nigeria: An Imperial Presidency, Its Promises, Disappointments and Descent Into Serfdom

Goats Feeding On The Nigerian Flag

Many Nigerians were optimistic at the advent of the present government. According to popular lore, Buhari was a man known for his honesty, incorruptibility and asceticism. The presumption was that during his first tour as military leader there was some sanity in the country and corrupt politicians became fugitives or prisoners overnight. But whether the former government Buhari led was capable of transforming the nation was not possible to ascertain as Babangida and his cohorts cut its tenure short. However, there those who believe that PMB's deputy; Idiagbon, was doing most of the heavy lifting of the erstwhile administration and Buhari was, and continues to be, a northern irredentist till today. For all his so-called body language, Buhari's mission has only served to restore northern hegemony over the political landscape of Nigeria. In fact, the capital sin of Jonathan (former President) was daring to hold onto power when the north wanted it. 

The sheer elation of Nigerians when Buhari became President was so pervasive and rather macabre that men tried to outdo each other in contrived enthusiasm. Some claimed to have traveled on foot from various places in Nigeria to see the new Messiah. And others promised to visit Mecca on foot to celebrate the second coming of Buhari. However, the saddest part was the role of public intellectuals and so-called political pundits whose utterances and analyses fueled the cacophony of praise singing and preening that are now silent. Many of these intellectuals had methodically analyzed the Jonathan administration and concluded that he was one of the worst things to have happened to Nigeria. But the singular oversight some analysts make is their failure to consider the vile system that produces our so-called leaders. The pundits seem to expect straight branches from a crooked tree. 

Nigeria as presently structured cannot work. It does not matter whether angels or demons rule the country. Our leaders understand that the country is just a vague concept. They shout themselves hoarse about the indivisibility and non-negotiability of the country's unity because that is works best for them - a sheep pen. They make Nigeria work for themselves and those closest to the corridors of power while driving the rest of us to desperation and soul-blight. But Nigerians; in a general sense, fail to realize the power they have to resist the system because of stupefying poverty, illiteracy and petty sentiments.

Today, many of PMB's supporters are asking themselves what went wrong considering the fiasco governance has become in Nigeria. Perplexed "experts" are now asking; was this not the party that promised a reduction of the presidential fleet of jets, freeing the Chibok girls, rebuilding our infrastructure, revamp education, healthcare, and generally making government of the people, by the people and for the people a reality?  Yes, fellow Nigerians, it is the same PMB who promised heaven on earth that has built heaven around himself and left Nigerians in hell.

But it is not PMB's fault. We can only pretend to the world and fool ourselves that we live in a democracy and that the political process is working. In fact, the political process in Nigeria is disastrously anachronistic and antithetical to democratic norms. Elections have become mini civil wars with as much vitriol and blood. Every election cycle: whether local, state, or federal has become a theatre of absurdity with whole scale deployment of police, soldiers and secret service surveillance to maintain peace. The very fact that we need armed soldiers and policemen to maintain so-called "law and order" is a testament to the fact none of our elections have been free and fair. Yes, some might have been fair but certainly not free. 

After such "elections" there are challenges in court as to the validity of results that may take any number of months, or years to resolve! In some cases, the courts annul elections after several years of governance by the supposed winner resulting in understandable acrimony. And depending on the whims of who is in power, elections can be cancelled, postponed or results disputed. These actions could result in absolute chaos and killings. Nigeria does not have democracy yet; but we have selections that are based on our entrenched local and national prejudices, backed by money and power mongers.

Nigeria's political culture is long on rhetoric, theatrical promises and outright inducement through bribery. Our political and personal lives consist of belief and hope instead of knowledge and action. We are encumbered by a system that encourages hero worship; that is couched in sectional and religious obfuscation.  No journalist, pundit or so-called expert sat PMB down to ask for specifics about how he was going to achieve the dreams he set before Nigerians. The only euphoric thing was that Baba has won the election and is capable of delivering the goods. We tend to love change because it is different but not necessarily better. We are a fashionable people and it seems as if our desire for something new beclouds our mind and precludes thorough analysis. The colonial and neo-colonial trauma we still suffer, has bequeathed on us, a lack of depth in analysing our problems, and what to do about them. There is simply no potential for a critical mass in the country that is necessary to create an atmosphere of change - so we hope for a messiah. Our politicians know this, so they present themselves as bearers of light and tell us what we want to hear before sticking daggers of broken promises into our collective backs.

Buhari has always put the north (especially Fulani) first in most of his political calculations and estimation. He confronted a sitting governor of the South West some years back for allowing the local people deal with harassment from Fulani herdsmen. The same man as head of state has virtually normalised Fulani herdsmen harassment of other Nigerians in recent years. In previous political campaigns, his electioneering was limited to the north because he imagined it would be enough to secure a win. Only during his last presidential run did he wise up to the fact that joining the west was the only way out. Also, PDP decampees needed a viable front to present as a candidate of change. They needed a candidate that could easily fool everyone. The north considered the Jonathan years as time in the wilderness and needed to regain their prime position in Nigeria's political life. The meeting of needs between PMB (and the North) on one hand and ambitious factions from the eastern and western political zones delivered the presidency to Buhari. 

Unfortunately, governance in Nigeria is not taken seriously. Our leaders simply hold court with little or only token attempts made at solving our plethora of problems. Reducing the size of government, power devolution, accountability and appointments based on merit are still no-go areas in Nigeria. Most of our politicians became extremely rich mainly through government patronage and sycophancy but once appointed, selected, or elected they begin to jostle for where to live, the number of aides, and the kind of cars needed to carry out their duties. After the fight for allowances and emoluments is settled, they usually have no energy or will to fight for the electorate.

Buhari is clearly boxed in, but he willingly sought the box for twelve years and must bear the brunt of criticisms of his government. Nigeria's fundamental problem goes beyond not selling off presidential jets which costs tens of billions of Naira to maintain or the president checking an ear infection in Britain at the cost of millions of Pounds. In a nation where the minimum wage is laughable and where the so-called minimum wage are not paid to workers for years; there is a clear disconnect between an imperial presidency and the serfdom; bordering on slavery, of the Nigerian people. The profligacy, corruption and total indifference of government to the plight of Nigerians strikes at the root of what our citizenship is worth and whether the country called Nigeria is legally sustainable or just a Mafia-based contraption.

The Olympics: Broken Promises And The Takasu Effect 

Dr Takasu fulfilling his promise to the Nigerian team at the Olympics

Nigerians can easily be mollified by promises; the more audacious and lofty the promise, the more they believe it. But when such promises fail to come to fruition, Nigerians are one of the most self-sacrificial people on earth. In fact, their gullibility is such that you can build another false hope by making further promises on top of unfulfilled ones. Because there is generally no respect for human rights or regard for self-worth, Nigerians have borne some of the most abusive relationships between leadership and followership in Africa.

The Olympic Games have just ended with Nigerians managing a bronze medal in soccer and holding the 78^th position on the medal table. The first, second and third countries had a total of 121, 67 and 70 medals respectively. Britain, with a tally of 70 fell into third position because it had less number of gold medals. The Nigerian soccer team endured so many debacles that on two occasions, they had to rely on outside help in order to make it to the venue and to actually participate in the Olympics. Dr Katsuya Takasu, a Japanese plastic surgeon gave a total of $390,000 to the team about two hours after they defeated Honduras in the third place football match. The good doctor saw effort and self-sacrifice in the boys, who were fighting against all odds, and decided to reward those attributes. He must have compared what a typical Japanese team takes for granted with what the Nigerians were never granted. It is obvious that when motivated, Nigerians are able to add zero to zero and come up with one.

The Nigerian authorities in charge of the Olympics probably earmarked money and resources for kits, transportation, accommodation and other essentials, but most of the effort never made it to the athletes on time. In fact, some of the kits needed by Nigerian athletes arrived almost 2 weeks into the game!  You can almost be certain that our athletes were assured things would be all right, by the grace of God. Nigerians in authority resort to invoking God's grace when planlessness, avarice and pathological ineptitude conspire to unmask their worthlessness. The list is endless: Salaries; grace of God, safety on the roads; grace of God, healthcare; grace of God, education; grace of God. Electricity? Try lightening. Most rights and privileges that citizens of this nation should take for granted are lazily projected into the field of circumstance to be fulfilled by a seemingly uncaring God. 

Nigerians are under the burden of unfulfilled promises. In the new political dispensation that took root in the late nineties, until now, it has been a history of broken promises. Each president has exhibited traits that scuttled electoral campaign promises: Obansanjo, too know; Yar'Adua; a no show, Jonathan; too slow and Buhari; too cold.  The less than stellar leaderships over the years was a sure way to destroy any hope of sport (and many other sectors) revival or excellence in Nigeria. Fifteen months into the government of PMB, the country appears to have taken a decidedly backward trajectory even when the obvious ineptitude of the previous administration is considered. Sportsmen and women have suggested that the current government's support for sports has been virtually nonexistent. 

Dr Takasu made a promise and delivered on his promise a couple of hours after our team won the bronze medal. But when it comes to the government or wealthy Nigerians fulfilling promises made to sportsmen, it is a different story. According to BBC Sports, "…Some members of Nigeria's Super Eagles - led by Stephen Keshi, who passed away in June - are still waiting for the houses they were promised by the government for winning the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. Keshi is the fifth member of the so-called 'Golden Generation' of Nigerian footballers from 1994 to pass away, after Uche Okafor, Thompson Oliha, Rashidi Yekini and Wilfred Agbonavbare. Africa's wealthiest businessman, Aliko Dangote, has failed to fulfil his promise to reward Nigeria's team with $1m for winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. Nigerian economist and banker Tony Elumelu's promise of $500,000 for the Super Eagles' Nations Cup success in South Africa remains outstanding. The country's squad members who won the first FIFA Under-16 World championship in 1985 were only rewarded after a 30-year wait. However, the rewards came too late for Kingsley Aikhionbare, who died in London in 1996…"

Dangote and Elumelu are supposed to be part of a younger, successful and forward-looking generation who rub shoulders with the best on the planet discussing ideas on how to move Africa forward. However, it seems that encouraging youths in sports is not part of their forte. Obviously, genuinely supporting sports in Nigeria does not bring the usual profits and personal aggrandizement. While Nigerian football clubs are struggling to survive, Dangote has been trying to buy the England-based football club Arsenal! These local rich men are ever busy carrying out the agenda of their Western masters while bamboozling the ignorant of their benevolence.

Our rich men love recognition and honours from Washington, London and Paris; they also like local "chieftaincy" titles. In ancient times, these titles were given to the most worthy members of society who have performed great acts of valour and altruism. Today, with the right amount of money and strategic bribes everything is for sale. These men of means and power take pride in being part of an economic order that has caused some of the greatest tragedies known to mankind. 

But as the just concluded Olympic Games have shown: When the chips are down, Nigerian athletes are on their own. The only hope they have is the intervention of a Takasu, Delta Airlines or the elusive old man in the sky.