By Emmanuel Nduka
Kenyan lawyer and activist, Professor Patrick Lumumba, has lamented that most African countries continue to suffer because they keep electing the “worst” leaders.
Lumumba who made this remark while he appeared as Guest Speaker at The Covenant Nations Platform on Monday, said Africa will only realize its potential in all areas when it begins to elect its best to serve.
“Just this morning my wife sent me a proverb from Turkey that when you elect a clown and you think he would be a king, what he does is to convert the kingdom into a circus. And I am suggesting to us that that is part of the African problem because it starts with political hygiene.
“Most of Africa is suffering because we do not have democracies. We have kakistocracies and kakistocracy is government by our very worst. This is what we must deal with and this is what we must say. Who do we elect into our public offices? As I have said before, when you allow hyenas to take care of the goat, why should you be surprised when the goats are eaten?
“This is the same. And Africa is only going to realize its potential when in all areas, by dint of choice, we enable our best men and women to serve in different areas,” Lumumba said.
According to Lumumba, countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and others were able to get it right because of the conscious decisions on the part of the leaders and their followers.
While he acknowledged that some African nations are doing well as there is no country without trials and tribulations, he posited that the followers of African leaders must also step up their decision-making.
“Africans for some reasons are attracted to thieves. Africa for some reason is attracted to men and women who can’t serve and when they are not served they complain. When Africans are told choose you now whom we shall release, Jesus of Nazareth or Barabbas, they say release Barabbas and when he behaves like Barabbas, they say why are you not behaving like Christ.”
