'Africa at a time was a force to be reckoned with in terms of civilization. Education, arts and science were well developed in Africa before the colonial masters came.'
The military governed by decrees that never took into consideration the feedback from the people and gave very modest attention to the development of social welfare institutions. The military years were marked with grave socio-economic difficulties that dislocated families resulting in increased rates of abuse of illicit drugs among our youths, teenage pregnancies and school dropouts to mention a few.
As a nation we have been floundering without a sense of history and destination that has impacted negatively on our mental health. Our universities and polytechnics are turning out graduates that are unemployable. The hospitals, schools, prisons and other social institutions have deteriorated without creative leadership. The pre-colonial rulership model frustrated the potentials of the ordinary citizens that could have been beneficial in nation building.
This culture was also reinforced by long years of military rule where only a few privileged elites determined the fate of others without any mechanisms to channel inputs from the ordinary citizens. It has always been a culture of the leader as bigger as and larger than our societal institutions.
Our societal institutions require servant-leadership that can deliver their sacred mandates for the ultimate welfare of the masses. This style of governance banishes the megalomaniac elite system and entrenches participatory democracy where individuals have a sense of connection to the government rather than the coercive style of the rulership model perpetrated over the years by the selfish elite class.
The indices of sound mental health definitely appreciate in a democracy more than any other government, where the institutions are well governed and individuals have a sense of contribution and connection. Let us strengthen our democracy as we obtain our permanent voters cards and cast our votes for candidates that can guarantee collective participation in the governance of our country for the common good.All rights reserved.
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