50 years later, the Wind of change is blowing through Africa Again

Find here a rejoinder that I posted to a social forum on the Wind of change blowing through the continent.

From: FORCHEH, N. (DR.)
Sent: 15 April 2011 16:52
To: 'LECDA-usa@yahoogroups.com'; ACCDF; USNWFC
Cc: 'Alphonse Amey'; SOCIALSCSTAFF; Humanities Staff; Education Academic Staff
Subject: 50 years later, the Wind of change is blowing through Africa Again

In response to this great headline, [99net] Burkina Faso: Mutiny by Presidential Guards

I add the following joiner:

In the 1950s, before most of us were born, the wind of change blew through Africa. After almost 400 years of subordination - from slavery to slave trade and colonization, we had our first smile of freedom when the black star was raised in 1957. A few years ago, Ghana celebrated its 50^th Anniversary and marked the beginning to an end to a dark period for Africa. For those who were lucky to visit Ghana at this time, you would have noticed that something more profound than just celebrating a jubilee had taken place. A former Military leader, Lt Jerry Rawlings, had overseen a constitutional change that introduced multi-part politics, including a limit of 2 terms for any president. He had contested in 2 elections and won. At the end of his second term he had organized free and fair elections, without changing the constitution to enable him to stand again. His party lost this presidential election and a new leader from a different party won and was peacefully sworn in. When John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor completed his two terms of office, he in followed the footsteps of his predecessor and organized a free and fair election, despite still being quite popular. As fate will have it, and as if to test Ghanaian maturity in democracy, his party lost – very narrowly. Once again, there was a peaceful transition of power to the opposition. Thank you Ghana. The Black star is shining brightly.

When the wind of change blew to the USA and brought Barrack Obama to power, he used his visit to Ghana to urge Africans to replace Strongmen with Strong institutions. In most parts of the continent, that message is being spread, and Africans in years to come will reap the fruits.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s, the wind of change took effect in Africa about 4years after Ghana. The cycle has again begun. Like it happened during the colonial period, some of the change is going to be traumatic, some is going to be peaceful, and for some countries, change would come but peace and prosperity would be an illusion for many years to come. What is inevitable is that Africans would once again destroy dictators in the same way that they destroyed colonization and Apartheid.

It is time for all Africanists (Africans and friends of Africa) to join the wind of change and do our best to ensure that the inevitable change is both peaceful and lead to national unity and prosperity. But as Mandela once declared, we are a peaceful people, but if change must come only through use of force, then so be it. The time for change is now. Like a famous daughter of Africa recent wrote in her book, we must put the ghosts of colonialism behind us and take responsibility of our destiny.

Bukinabe are looking for avenues to express their displeasures with the current regime, in power since assassinating Thomas Sankara in 1987. It should not be lost to our memories that Thomas Sankara was one of the few real pan-African leaders after the great era of the fifties and like all before him, his stay was cut short be a greedy and treacherous friend. Now Blaise Compaoré’s time is up. He can heed the wind of change or like Laurent Koudou Gbagbo, he will end up in a bunker with only wife and children next to him, protected by nothing more than a bullet proof vest.

May spirit of Thomas Sankara’s guide the Burkinabe at this trying time for change.

your views are welcomed.

Ntonghanwah Forcheh