Next Elections Leadership, Instead of Next Generation: A “Black, Evil” Mindset of African Leaders

Many have seen AU Summit as talk shop

On Wednesday night, a dam on Kenyan commercial farm in Nakuru County burst, killing at least 45 people whiles more than 40 are missing. The water resource regulator has stated that the dam was built illegally and police has opened “initial investigation into the disaster.

The minister in charge of water also ordered other dams on the property to be drained immediately, a report by Reuters stated.

In August 2017, more than 1,000 people died whiles hundreds were missing and thousands rendered homeless in the worst natural disaster from the mudslide and flooding that hit Sierra Leon's capital, Freetown.

The initial report on the fatal disaster which resurfaced few days stated that it was a man-made tragedy that could have been prevented.

“The economy of Africa has remained in the doldrums for some time. We seemed some kind of stacked. We get locked up because the political cycle is obsessed with the next General Elections instead of being obsessed with the next generation”. Director of Malawi Economic Justice Network Mr. Dalitso Kubalasa stated in a recent interview with the BBC on the economy of Malawi.    

However, because the next generation’s fate hinges on the decisions taken by politicians and key stakeholders today, the economy and the way things are done on the African continent is not likely to be good from any time soon. 

Is it either African leaders have absolutely no or less knowledge on the problems confronting Africa or have decided to pay greater attention to their families, cronies and their pockets rather than the interests and wellbeing of the continent. I think it is both factors. This makes it evil.

I have listed just two of the unending disasters that hit two African countries quite recent because of the number of casualties involved; how and when they occurred. The fact of the case is that such disasters which claimed many lives could have been avoided. So what happened? 

Mount Sugar Loaf  which collapsed causing the disaster

With respect to Sierra Leone, a country that has seen civil war for quite long period should have been cautious of the effects of environmental degradation in order to prevent any unforeseen tragedies not related to any war.

“Freetown is a coastal city built on wooded hills. Though mudslides are a rare event, this incident was not surprising. Over the past 10 years research papers and civil society organisations have repeatedly warned the government, and individuals who choose to build in unstable areas, that the city faces a serious threat from deforestation on the peninsula”.

“As the city pushes up into the mountains, the population pressures are taking a toll on the forest. Trees are being cut down by people who want land for housing and those who cut wood for their daily needs. About 14.7% of dense forest in 1986 was converted to built-up by 2015. This increases the risk of mudslides as trees usually prevent run-off and forests hold water. When there is prolonged or intense rainfall in places with no trees, the soil becomes saturated and erodes”, (The Conversation).

The report added that there were calls to stop “the extension of settlements into the peninsula hills”, but the authorities took no steps in addressing the situation.

A recent report by Aljazeera stated that “land was – and still is – doled out freely by politicians to their loyalists. Permits and paperwork are issued regardless of the location of the property being built. Shacks that are marked for demolition remain standing, and catchment areas are encroached upon with impunity”.  

Some rescue workers pull bodies from the mud 

Regarding the Kenya dam disaster, I was not surprised to hear that the owners of the dam did not have operational permit. There could be few questions: since when did the water resource regulator find out that the owners of the dam did not have permit? Are some officials from the regulator benefitting from the dam? Have some of them benefited from such illegal dams that have been ordered to be drained immediately?

The comments by the Kenya water resource regulator clearly depict that some Africans put in leadership positions are just lazy to implement some basic rules that go a long way to helping their own people. To make the long story short, the culture of doing and managing things in Africa has mostly been reactive instead of being proactive. If this had happened in a developed nation, the official in charge could have resigned.  

These are the same people in most part of the continent put in charge to manage various activities in their respective countries. No physical work is done by them till a disaster struck. In Ghana, a clear example of such institutions is the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO). Most often, we do not see NADMO educating the populace till a disaster struck. They tour around affected areas, give them few items and that is it.  

Here in Ghana, some disasters have occurred which claimed lives of many individuals. One thing which is similar to the aforementioned disasters is that they could have been prevented. Lots of noise is made in the initial stage and after few days, noting is done.

In 2012, an Italian court sent shock waves through the scientific community in a verdict that convicted seven prominent Italian earthquake experts including a former government official of manslaughter in a six year jail term for failing to adequately warn the public about a fatal 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck in the central Italian city of L'Aquila in 2009 which killed more than 300 people.  

This is unusual knowing that earthquakes, just like any natural occurrence can never be predicted, yet these experts were imprisoned. How about the actions that we are directly responsible for?

Our attitudes boil down to the fact that we have elected leaders, who just after winning election, focus their attention on winning the next election rather than fulfilling their mandate. The electorates have also allowed themselves to be bought into this idea, thinking that it is the new normal.