In November of 2017 I was in Westminster London en route to Nigeria to bury my father. Before leaving the United States I made plans to see my secondary school friend who resides in London. I hadn’t seen him in about 22years due to a host of factors that include globalization and economic immigration. After secondary school we had both left the country to further our education and become expatriates. Ironically, my friend was actually born in London from a prior generation of African parents who had kids abroad in course of their educational pursuits but returned home with them to setup their footprints in Africa.
Unlike my generation of expatriates who came to study overseas but continued our residency here afterwards, the other generation couldn’t wait to move back to the African continent. In the mid 1990’s Nigeria had been besieged by the multinational global petrochemical industries. We had the military ruling the country whereas assisting the Petroleum Industrial Complex with their divide and rule, and environmental degradation strategies. At that time global companies such as British Petroleum (BP), Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, Schlumberger, and Elf like their European forerunners were basically in charge of Nigeria and Africa.
Globalization had never let up since Europeans “discovered” Africans in lieu of their renaissance. Indeed globalization has morphed into different iterations from colonial slavery to capitalist imperialism. Always the shysters Western Europeans do have a knack for either not paying for stuff or not paying market value. But there I was at the pub in Westminster trying to have a fish and chip meal, reflecting on my inability to see my friend after all these years due the demands of work, and contributing to the European economy, when I overheard a conversation by some Anglo mates who sure wanted me to be dragged into their anti-foreigners diatribe.
Earlier that day I had resigned myself to sleep at Heathrow airport during my layover, because it was a weekday, my friends and relatives were busy with work. After going to the same store respectively for toothpaste and snacks the young lady of Indian and British heritage suggested that I get a ticket and ride the tube into town. On that fine fall day in November I went into London with what could today be described as a Black Panther moviegoer’s African outfit. I stopped at Buckingham Place and strolled to Big Ben while inspecting the hardworking remnants of my ancestors who were stolen through the guise of centuries old capitalist globalization and free trade.
However, the same folks who benefit from the capitalist economic system of globalization are now the very same ones complaining through their voting actions. With the case of Brexit the United Kingdom voted to depart from the European Union and in the United States they voted for the racist and fascist Mr. Donald Trump. Europeans are now pretending to rail against the very capitalist structures that had them exporting pseudo religions, waging endless wars, and stealing other peoples properties. The US elected an unpretentious bigot who is renowned for seeking cheap labor outside their shores whereas claiming that he would “make America great again” and bring back the jobs.
Moreover, on that fateful day as I ate in the nice pub at Westminster, some Caucasian clients went on to loudly complain about how the niggers, eastern Europeans, and Asians are coming to their country to take their jobs. I witnessed their sense of entitlement and inaccurate narratives. After digesting some of their comments which they made sure I could hear, I went on to school them about their colonial history of spreading sorrows, tears, and blood around the globe. The British and European antecedents of mass robbery, global hooliganism, unilateral wars, and imperialism which is still ongoing and with effects that would continue to reverberate even after we join the ranks of the ancestors.
Encouragingly, some folks in the pub went on to give an ovation to my synopsis. They would later identify themselves as Scots and Irish who are well aware of the pillaging background of their fellow Europeans. But my clarion call is for my fellow Africans and the African Union (AU) to be prudent by recognized the opportunities we have in these contemporary times to address the errors of yesteryears. Africa has a golden moment in history amidst the Anti-Globalization and Anti-Immigrant posture and policies of the West. It is time to effectively use our renaissance for your people. We need to embrace progressive youthful and female leadership as we did in the past.
Consequently, as Europe and America are forced by cons within their societies to actually second guess themselves and deconstruct their centuries of doublespeak, Africans need to embrace the times. African Union and all African countries within need to build a bridge to their African sisters and brothers in America, the Caribbean, the Pacific, Europe, and South America. For example, we need to work hand in gloves with Africans in Brazil, Cuba, and Haiti in other to build that wonderland that our children across the globe would be proud off. We need to save your people and continent instead of just rendering service which might as well earn us new internal and external colonial masters.
#AfricaForever
Reference
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2003/nov/13/france.oilandpetrol
Nnamdi F. Akwada, LGSW is a Social Justice Activist
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