What is Africa…. Shithole? -By Emeka Chiakwelu

Posted by admin American Politics, Articles, Columnists, Emeka Chiakwelu, NNP Columnists Friday, February 9th, 2018

Article for publication:

Poem – What is Africa…. Shithole?
By Emeka Chiakwelu

Ancient landscape of body, mind and spirit
Noble Humanity of innovation, experience and action
Were you not there in the genesis
Relegated as the edged narrative in bondage

Destruction of mind was deadlier than body
Demolition odour of toxic hydrogen sulfide
odour of defeat , smell of capitulation
ever tired of sleeping in the middle of the day

suerly! called Africa plenty names
jungle
lazy
nigger
now called shithole

sadly you know me not
those adjectives represent me not
Compilation of thoughts shift actions
words and actions are related
but actions and words are not same

hands are there to do the works
feet were drained by cottons of the fields
enslavement was from man not from Providence

Africa hands are free from chains of yesterday
legacy of yesterday resisted
freedom lies in your hands
mind refused to grasp

mother of the earth violated
spring water of umuoji polluted
the wealth of Africa harvested and siphoned
gold, diamomnd, silver taken away
Africa is living on will power
Surviving on the metaphysical strength

for how long will misery persist
children photographed with flies on their faces
where did the flies come from?
can anybody explain the source of misery

free but enslaved with names and calamity
the voices of children cried at midnight
where is mother and father ?
Protruding with misery in their eyes
Africa arise and take your stars in your crisp hands

But who is Africa?
I am Mandela
I am Azikiwe
I am Obasanjo
I am Aminu
I am Nkrumah
I am Kenyatta

Yes my name is Soyinka
Achebe that’s my name
my namee is Obote
my name is Fela
my name is Adichie

I am….
not Tarzanic landscape
not dark continent
not nobel savage
And history knows I am not shithole!

Emeka Chiakwelu is the Principal Policy Strategist at AFRIPOL. His works
have appeared in Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Forbes and many
other important journals around the world. His writings have also been
cited in many economic books, publications and many institutions of higher
learning, including Oxford University and Harvard Education.
www.afripol.org, [email protected]_posts