Setting a seven point agenda for Africa’s development

I came across a new book titled CRUSH-ED, through casual interactions we had with the author, TOPE FASUA, by reading his columns in the Sunday Trust. At a stage he sent me an SMS informing me that he had condensed some of his thoughts into a book and that he hopes to send me a […]

I came across a new book titled CRUSH-ED, through casual interactions we had with the author, TOPE FASUA, by reading his columns in the Sunday Trust. At a stage he sent me an SMS informing me that he had condensed some of his thoughts into a book and that he hopes to send me a complimentary copy. Now, as I read through the book I found out that it is actually about setting some seven point agenda in the quest for the search of a path for the black Africans development. The book is supported by both facts and common sense.

The seven letters of the word ‘CRUSHED’ connotes the seven aspects of the agenda setting.

The C is for us to be courageous, understand the proper concepts of the word corruption and take cognizance of China’s path to greatness.

R is for reasonableness, realism and responsibility.

While U is for unity of purpose and S is for strategy of thought/action action.

And finally H  is for humility, E for education and D for democracy.

CRUSH-ED is truly courageous in analyzing issues in the black African’s world, indicating that the West are ‘Masters of the Game’ in matters of Corruption and that China’s example is where our attention should be turned to, in order to discern our situations.

And by being Reasonable, Realistic and Responsible, the Nigerian, by extension the African, should for the first time in recent history, be able to raise his head high in the comity of nations. This is enhanced by fact that the author, at the risk of committing hara-kiri, has honestly and selflessly exposed ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ sides of his tribe and of the other tribes in Nigeria.

By understanding and appreciating the major differences and similarities in the culture of Africans, the black Africans cause can therefore be Unified for a better tomorrow. The author was also surprised that our leaders do not apply Strategy in their dealings with other leaders of the world. They should be able to smartly sit down on a table to discuss issues of mutual benefit, which is not ‘rocket science’ after all. In doing that they should be humble enough to compare our levels of developments and what we can take advantage of, with Humility.

Education and knowledge is the bedrock of all achievements, which makes it easier to fast track development in this planet of the internet and information technology. Educated people on this part of the world are not being able to use their resources to up-lift their society from its present abysmal levels in this strategy-dependant world. Our true intellectuals have sometimes this feeling of self liberation from mundane cultural things but, due to lack of courage, doubts and subjective loyalty set in, thereby diluting the efficacy of their intellectualism. This author was lucky, through conscious efforts, to have extricated himself from this lode-stone and therefore is a true hero and a patriot.

CRUSHED has the last letter connoting Democracy, that is hinged on the true notion of ‘Government of the People, for the People, by the People’, and the author, being pragmatic and large hearted enough, is saying that not him alone has the solution to the problems. But that it is necessary to convoke a conference of selfless intellectuals to chart a course for our leaders and Governments. And the democracy is not to be the Western type that is bought off-the-shelf, but a self propelled one, evolving to take care of our peculiarities and resources as in ‘non but ourselves can free minds’!

Therefore the book is a path to achievement, to greatness and to self actualization. It is also about our history, ‘for if you fix your history then you fix your future’.

Another title of the book could have been ‘Africans! Be the change you wanted to see in the world’ because this book is for your liberation, since Nigerians are now always ‘guilty’ until proven innocent.

Lastly, however, it should be noted that the author was never pessimistic even for one moment. Clues leading to the liberation of the intellectuals mind are treated in graphic details giving out honest, personal and practical encounters around the world.

Grab a copy and make it your companion!