Title: How African Vandalise Africa
Pages: 407
Author: Adaobi Whyte
Reviewer: Shedie Okpara
How Africans Vandalise
Africa (Focusing Nigeria) is a book authored by Chief (Mrs) Adaobi Whyte and launched on Thursday, November 10, 2016 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. Though it is said, “Do not judge a book by its cover,” this book is an exception to the norm as its cover with an imprint of the map of Africa actually focuses on the African continent inhabited by the black race.
Both the cover and the title of the book speak for itself; it is not only an interesting piece which arouses curiosity, but also explosive, controversial and enigmatic, it is about Africa vis-à-vis the blackman. Even without the title one can easily deduce that the book is about Africa. The book exposes and laments the destiny, slave mentality and wickedness of the black man from the indigenous slavery to the cross Atlantic Slave trade, importation of Christianity and the Islamic religion into Africa.
The book also highlights the religious exploitation, commercialisation, fanatism and hypocrisy in Africa as well as colonisation, vandalisation and destruction of the continent. It exposes how Africans have imposed upon themselves, slave masters, dictators and sit-tight leaders, creating obstacles to the development of the rich continent, these religious and political leaders represent a creature who has eyes and ears that neither sees or hears.
According to the author, the three tragedies that have befallen Africa are indigenous slavery, cross-Atlantic slave trade, apartheid, importation of artificial Christianity and Islam into Africa as well as the recent Chinese colonization among others.
A glance at chapter one of the book tells us about how the Niger Delta region of Nigeria remains a shining example of how African leaders have failed at home and abroad for if the foreigner is not oppressing him, he must be oppressing his brother. Describing the Niger Delta as the treasure base of Nigeria and the goose that lays the golden egg, the writer expresses fear for the negative attitude of the African leaders towards God, even as most of them have turned themselves to demigods. The author blamed the deplorable state of the Niger Delta on the leaders of the region.
Chapter four of the book focuses on the failed efforts of the British colonial masters to stabilize Nigeria after Independence in 1960.
Discussing on the topic, “Federalism: The Nigeria Experience, the author states that the leaders failed to foresee that the tensions of combining federalism, the parliamentary system and regional interests would cause crisis capable of plunging the country into a civil war characterised by bitterness and vengeance.
The author also noted that the inability of Nigerian leaders to negotiate successfully some special problems and complex political forces made nonsense of our parliamentary system of government which landed the country into executive presidential system and will be judged on how far it had succeeded first in solving our special problems of diverse tongues and conflicting interests and cultures … so essential in the founding of a nation.
Nigeria: A case study of blackman’s evil upon fellow blacks is another issue treated in Chapter Six of the book. The author cited the case of the wickedness of the whites on blacks in South-Africa linking it to that of the black Africans on fellow blacks from the Nigerian experience. In that chapter, the writer asserted that Europeans inherited civilisation from Egypt and Asia, developed the system and imported it back into Africa, while the black man inherited the developed system from the whites and engaged in onward destruction.
The author noted that despite man’s faulty nature, the Whiteman has used his acquired resources to build his country, while the blackman destroys his God-given resources. The whites used their knowledge to develop the alphabets that we use today, but the blackman goes to higher institutions to learn mere paperwork. An African president or Head of State sits in his office like the Pharisees receives the nation’s revenue and embezzles the money and shares some to his cronies, while the country begs for development and economic empowerment.
The author in chapter twenty three stated that over five decades, after independence, the black man was better of under the whites. Despite the shortcomings of the whites, they exported beautiful things to Africans including good food, shelter, medical care, better environment and education, but today, the black leaders have vandalised all that the whites imported into Africa.
Other interesting and tantalizing topics that stimulate a good reading of the four-part and 407-page book include “Oppression: The Ndoni Kingdom Experience,” “The Unbroken Curses,” “The Nigerian Presidency in Retrospect,” “The Nigerian National Assembly and Abortive Probes,” Fulani Herdsmen and the Nigerian Farmers,” “the Potentials of the Blackman,” among others.
The author of the book, Chief (Mrs) Adaobi Whyte is a renowned fashion designer, horticulturist, critic/social crusader, mother, politician and writer. Privileged with only the basic primary education, Standard six, as it was called then, the Ndoni-born author has over the years, developed her knowledge by reading and seeking experience in many other areas of life.
She has also proved, through her contribution to life and everything about her that determination is the key to success. Adaobi has four other books: “Abuse of the Nigerian Child,” “Plight of the Nigerian Woman,” “Dr. Peter Otunuya Odili: Threading the path of Destiny” and Ndoni Kingdom and Peaceful Co-existence” to her credit, which are currently in the market.
Indeed, the book is people’s book of lamentations, well written and it will cause many university students and graduates feel challenged to record such outstanding achievements in their lifetime. It is a good source for research students and scholars. The book is recommended for all seekers of historical, socio-political and cultural greatness.