Race, Religion And Slavery In 21st Century Africa: The Biafra Question

Race, Religion And Slavery In  21st Century Africa; The Biafra Question African intellectuals have been trying hard to know, discover ...

Race, Religion And Slavery In  21st Century Africa; The Biafra Question

African intellectuals have been trying hard to know, discover and understand the problem of Africa. They wonder exactly why Africa is massively rich in natural resources, yet horribly poor.

In a view to get answers and solutions to the problems ravaging Africa, some have said and written lots of things. There are those that believe Africa is simply suffering from inferiority complex. Some say it is religion, while others think it is ignorance.

What I know about religion have made me refuse to believe that the problem of Africa is mainly religion. The following questions can be asked: Which particular religion is the problem? Or is it all religion? Isn't religion already existing in Africa before they made contact with Europeans and Arabs who brought Christianity and Islam respectively? If yes, are these indigenous religions in Africa a problem too?

Religion is a creation of man, a kind of an organization. There is something that stands beyond religion. Without the organised religion, one can still embrace the essence which is the supernatural. Religion is the creation of man to maintain a certain order in seeking the supernatural. That is why every religion points towards GOD.

Of a truth, religion has been used in Africa to cage the people. They manipulate others using religion because of ignorance of the people. They first sow ignorance before using religion as a chain. In the surface, it is religion, but those with an eagle eye would always see what lies within, which is a deep-rooted ignorance.

This ignorance is the reason amidst religion, other continents have been progressing except Africa. Some say Africa borrowed foreign religion, and I also disagree. That  is not the problem. Ignorance is the problem. And that brings me into race.

Right from the first time Europeans made contact with Africa, they never took the people they met in Africa as humans. They saw them as worthless animals. Even animals like goats, elephants, dogs etc worth more in the eyes of these Europeans than an average black man.
That is why they invaded Africa and killed millions in order to take over the land. The Europeans saw the richness of the land of Africa and thought of exterminating the people inhabiting the continent.

It didn't take time before they started taking away Africans as slaves. Africans are actually selling off their fellow Africans to Europeans as beasts of burden. They were taken in chains across many African villages to the Atlantic ocean or Sahara Desert for the long sailing or trek as the case maybe. Lots of young African people are still unaware of what their ancestors suffered. Red hot iron was used to give them marks of their slave owners. They work under rain and sun. Many more died on the way to the new world. For 300 years, slavery raged on. How then do you think that same people who for three hundred years used you as beasts of burden, will care about you more than you can care about yourself?

The partition and scramble for Africa, or the conquest of Africa is the invasion, occupation, division, and colonisation of African territories by European power brokers between 1881 and 1914. That's after the excruciating 300 slave trade where Africans became common commodities.

Europeans without the understanding of Africans, came together and shared Africa according to their own interests, and till this day, we Africans are fighting and killing ourselves to maintain this European creation. A creation that was born out of crude and cruel racism. They divided nations and people and turn them against each other. They made sure Africa remain in a war against itself for their own benefits.

Unfortunately, slavery and exploitation is still on in Africa, championed by Britain and France. Have you asked why corrupt leaders in Africa are supported by these foreign powers? And any leader with the interest of the people is blackmailed, assassinated or removed through a coup?

You as Africans are nothing to these European powers who are eating fat from Africa, leaving African carcasses all over Africa. Both France and Britain own and manipulate many African countries. Many are not independent in the true sense of it. That is why Nigeria after 60 years of independence can't boast of ordinary electricity or good road network.

The manipulation of the African minds by the foreign powers is enormous. They first sow ignorance and then use religion to water it. They planted the Fulani who thinks they are fighting for religion, but they are being used by the British. In all, it is pure racism. That is exactly why Flora Shaw had to name Nigeria out of the racist slur called Nigga. It actually means Niggas living in an area. It was modified as Nigeria.

It is as an escape from the chains of the abnormality of the British construct called Nigeria that Biafra was born in 1967. The match against racism will not be complete until all the racist creations of Britain in Africa are completely dismantled. When you bring down a statue of a racist in America, Belgium and Britain, then what of Nigeria?

Nigeria is pure racism against us all and we must end all racism for humanity to heal.

Written By Elochukwu Ohagi (A Philosopher, Teacher And Activist.)

Edited By Paul Ihechi Alagba
For Family Writers Press International.

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