How the Empires are Fading Themselves Away

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, Prof.R.A Ipinyomi Wednesday, April 9th, 2014

By Prof R.A. Ipinyomi, University of Ilorin, Nigeria

An Empire consists of two or more countries governed by a single supreme authority. The World has witnessed several empires before. Unfortunately most of those empires remain just in a few history books and with only woe tales to tell. Empires were never centres of excellence or cradles of civilization rather they were brutal and anarchically. The British Empire may be of recent memory which conquered other lands using every power and tricks at her disposal at the time. More recently we have the collective Western powers on one hand and the Soviet Union Russia powers on another. These were empires of their own kinds.

The British Empire was certainly glorious and remains a unique Empire till today. Even the new generation of British may often find it difficult to contemplate the fact that their ancestral fathers conquered and ruled at least a third of the world and left their footprints and language everywhere. The United State of America was a British colony too. What naturally defines the future of an empire is the value systems it chooses to uphold rather than its military might alone. It appears to us that in history we have had both bad and not too bad empires in terms of moral value systems, or regimes that were led by fairly good guys and those led by the outright bad guys. The history of the world would therefore be the sum total as well as the resultant of this combination. The overall single index describing acceptability of empires is the consistent request for independence. If every community within the empire had received fair and equal attention the agitations for independence and requests for separation from a common union would have been few. Today Scotland is requesting for autonomy; But from whom are the Scottish making this request, the Monarch, the British government, or from the English? At the same time Russia has just annexed Crimea a Peninsula part of Ukraine due to a disagreement on whether Ukraine should be pro-Europe or pro-Russia.

In an empire representation forms the basic ingredient of its existence as well as consistent pursuance of an open, free and fair value system for the spiritual and physical development of the entire society and community. Most empires operate the class structure. To these empires certain citizens are the bedrock and hence the defining factors and these special citizens are untouchable, they are the law and they therefore live above the common law. In another vein some others are regarded as not members of the ruling class, they belong to the labour market or they are on a lower segment of the ladder of the human scale from birth. This inequality of treatment of individuals in the same empire forms the first set of reasons why empires fade away. Any action or inaction portraying brutality and lack of fairness is capable to destroy a whole empire, a democratic setting or even an organisation that premises itself on human management. The human race has been known from onset to be reactionary, defensive and proud to the extent that leadership is not by birth, height or amount of any acquisition. Empires usually originate from unfair concepts like greed and forceful power grabbing.

We are witnessing several shifts in Nigeria and we want many of us to see these movements and to either adjust or fight them. A major shift is on political and leadership representation where the existing system believes only in recycling and keeping power within a small clique. The ongoing National Conference in Abuja is an example. Under a democratic setting those who speak and represent us in any such national forum should have been by election. The false system that wants to preserve itself brought in recycled individuals and the press has been reporting sleeping sessions and the fact that some had died not of hard work. The shift that we in Nigeria missed for good happened at the mass recruitment poorly conducted by a Nigeria Federal Ministry. God saved Nigeria that day because in nations like Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and others, such a show down could have been the beginning of a national revolt. To change Nigeria from recycling these old hands, those who were there at independence, they were there with Gowon, Muritala, Obasanjo and all of them require two approaches. We need to demonstrate to them the futility of their action on our development and also educate them on the gains promised by fairness, embracing new technology and genuine approach. Those who presently make the most noise in Abuja political house have broken infrastructure at home in their respective constituencies. Their style represents the fastest way to end democracy. Proper representation is crucial in democracy and development of the society, all of which is lacking in Nigeria leadership. Inclusive governance and participation in democracy is germane and you need to allow it to happen through the people but you don’t act it out using false impression and formula. It would not work that way saying ten Christians, eleven Muslims, three pagans, etc, come out. This is not democracy.

Therefore you may ask the wise men of many cultures, and they will tell you that all is temporal, all will pass, there is nothing in this world to cling to, only to transcend, and they won’t improve our collective association. A big Russia annexing small Peninsulas around itself is more likely to fade away into the history than a small Ukraine unable to defend herself today. Similarly a former righteous Britain that has to its credit a King James Bible translation but now sodomizing is equally more likely to fade away rather than improve. Ask a historian of reputable wisdom and he will tell you not the truth but what you want to hear because he has lived long enough to know the insincerity in the system. The vanities of time, the failures of life, they all pass as clouds on a windy day, but truth lives forever. The Western hypocrisies and the Russia refusal to leave the yesteryear old war tactics that had failed are all part of the real big vanity. Sanctions would hurt Russia dearly but the European Economies and the rest of us would be touched significantly. It was better that Russia had allowed Crimea to be managed within Ukraine and sorting out the differences between European expansionists and itself. Americans of Obama are not going to fight any damn wars but no one should have gone to sleep on such fake promises. The new hi-tech war is beyond mere usage of nuclear weapons and rolling out war tanks against neighbouring countries. Even some Americans, especially Republicans may be underestimating Obama as slow, but Russia shouldn’t have been so naive and grabbing. Russia economy was bad before. It would be worse now and ordinary Russians are the worst of it, not Vladimir Putin.

This is our advice and belief that those who lived true lives will live again, in a real and corporeal way. It is a rejection of temporaries, a confirmation that there are things in the world that really matter, that have endless meaning and absolute purpose for humanity and our corporate association. Nations should learn never to war each other ever again. Ask Syria who is currently in civil conflict, or Iran attempting to build nuclear forces she may never have to use instead of feeding its citizens, or ask United State of America whose military men are turning the guns on themselves because of war influences. Ask any wise man whose task is to build a civic society where wolves and lambs dwell side by side and you will hear something near the truth. Whenever a saintly act is performed, all involved are elevated beyond time. Save a life through science or even through faith of religion like a Noah saving the entire world. Feed weary travellers, assist the widows and encourage those undergoing some form of depression in this ever sinking generation. Such act should have been of more focus. At the last time when the falseness of the world will be ripped away and all is elevated to a place of truth, then we shall all see each other as one single piece that we ought to have been.

Prof. R.A. Ipinyomi,

ipinyomira@yahoo.co.uk or/and raipinyomi@unilorin.edu.ng