Who says Africa is not under a new phase of colonialism? With the benefit of hindsight, it is commonly known that most of the countries in Africa (as they are known today) were not in existence when the first Hague Peace Conference was held in 1889; many of them started to emerge after the Berlin confab of where the decision to partition the continent by the powers-that-be were taken so the geographical entity known as Nigeria with a population of over 140 million (surely it must be far more than that) came into being just 25 years after, Lagos, the former sit of government having been ceded to the British authority in 1861 and which socially brutalized and politically strangulated it for the next 100 years. Yes, the flag (not economic) independence was granted on October 1st, 1960 , 49 whopping years ago.

With the emergence of civilization which made the few enlightened ones amongst the people to fight for political emancipation, the colonial overlords, not willing to surrender power willy-nilly had to raise up puppets and sycophants who they manipulated to succeed them when they grudgingly leave the saddle. Backing these "new leaders" with coercive means and financial wherewithal, they ensured that there was no brooding of opposition. This enables them to directly and indirectly cart away both the economic and natural resources of their former colonies like no man's business. The puppet leaders would, in turn, oppress their people, throw human rights laws to the dogs and finally become dictators with the former colonial masters pulling the strings.

The reason is not far-fetched why polity in developing countries is often polarized and almost stifled by geographical dichotomy, inter-ethnic conflicts, religious bigotry, minority group politics and politicization of the armed forces. Since the end of the World War II in 1945, nearly all the countries in the so-called third world mostly in Africa were enmeshed in one form of bloody conflict or another. This ranges from communal disputes, ethnic or tribal differences as well as economic, political and social impasse. Countries have also been up in arms against themselves because of borderline disputes.

Since the decision-making bodies of the world governing body now turn their back on militocracy, diarchy is now the fad while very recently it is now the matter of passing the realm of governance from father to the son. This, no doubt, is the glaring position in the post-millennium Africa. Just imagine the political succession from Joseph Kabila of the DRC, Faure Gnassingbe in Togo and Ali Ben Bogo in the just so-called recently elections in Gabon. It is now the matter of passing the realm of governance from father to the son. This, no doubt, is the glaring position in the post-millennium Africa. Just imagine the political succession from Joseph Kabila of the DRC, Faure Gnassingbe in Togo and Ali Ben Bogo in the just so-called recently elections in Gabon. It is always the matter of the hand is that of Esau (the local political overlords who stand to benefit from continuity) but the voice is Jacob's.(the foreign powers - the real hands that rock the governance cradle. More on election in Gabon - the true story.