The African ‘Big Man’ is a sickness!!! So far, this syndrome has no cure and like most illnesses gets worse with time if not treated or eliminated. This is a disease of the mind. Some of the early symptoms of this syndrome include nepotism, crass materialism and kleptomania. The folks also demonstrate a prevalence of murderous instincts, denials, plain stupidity and war mongering. He is a Dictator, a strongman.
The African ‘Big Man’ is not really liked in his country or village, he is however feared. He rules by force and guile. He is a menace and unforgiving. He is surrounded by people who will only tell him what he wants to hear for the right price and gain. He courts and buys favors from people who are hoping he would live forever. They sing his praises, encourage and stoke his ego.
The African ‘Big Man’ is a murderer of babies and women, a rapist-in-chief and Kleptomaniac of his peoples’ treasures. He prefers to live in Presidential palaces while his people live in squalor. A lover of titles, His Excellency, the Chief-Thief, will not hesitate to sell off his countries and peoples’ wealth for his own profits. He will go to war to protect his hold on power. The African ‘Big Man’ does not display the characteristics of a typical African; no empathy, no brotherly love and definitely no heart.
The African ‘Big Man’ has friends and cronies outside his country; these friends help him hide his stolen treasures in foreign bank accounts especially in Switzerland, where no questions are asked. They sell him weapons to fight his own people and provide an escape for him and his family when they require it.
The continent of Africa has always been afflicted by the African ‘Big Man’. All over the black continent they are spread like a bad lesion. They spread poverty, death, disease and turn a blind eye to injustice. The African ‘Big Man’ invents ways to trample on his people. His pitiful and diseased persona is gutless and utterly shameless. They hinder economic development and growth that would render them useless.
At every juncture in history, the African ‘Big Man’ has always been present. These men are not citizens but monsters. The worst of the worst will no doubt include Sani Abacha of Nigeria, Idi Amin Dada of Uganda, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, Charles Taylor of Liberia and lately Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
The African ‘Big Man’ is a threat to the continent; one that could be as deadly as any disease out there.
Good article – It is actually a concept to understand who is a big man in Africa. As a son of the soil, I believe big man in Africa is a disease that can only be cured by a generational change. Hopefully the change is coming.