AFRICA: THE MONSTER OF EXPEDIENCY

Expediency means carrying out an action that is quickest or most effective in a particular situation even if it is morally wrong. In other words, an action conducive to the need of the moment or an action carried out in self-interest. Spending ample time to reflect on why Africa still suffer setbacks, and remain far behind the western world as well as the rest of the world in terms of human and economic development, I got to realize that though efforts have been made to address problems of various vital areas in the development of Africa, the monster of expediency has often been left unaddressed. While I appreciate and encourage those who are putting in efforts to make Africa a better place, I would like to swing the pendulum of this article to those who feel nothing or less concerned about what they can do to help make where they belong to – Africa a better place!

Those that expect to see a change in the world but don’t want to be that change, those who complain of how dirty the city they live in is but won’t stop throwing (littering) their “trash” on the roads, those who will eat banana in a car and throw the peelings out of the window on the middle of the road. One would ask why it is so. I tell you what, it is expediency! The need of the moment is to dispose off the “trash”, so people litter even if it is wrong. It is expediency that makes drivers not to wait for the traffic light to change from red to green before moving because the need of the moment is to get to their destination even if it is wrong.

Africa suffers setbacks because most of its leaders often borrow from integrity to pay for expediency. It is expediency that makes us lack true leaders. It is expediency that makes students to indulge in examination mal-practice because the need of the moment is to pass the examination, even if it is wrong. It is political expediency that makes politicians to assassinate their opponents because the need of the moment is to control power even if it is wrong. It is expediency that makes people traveling abroad to stash drugs in their abdomen because the need of the moment is to make fast cash even if it is wrong. It is expediency that makes young ladies to indulge in prostitution because the need of the moment is to make quick cash and have influence over their male counterparts even if it is wrong. It is expediency that makes our leaders (public office holders) to loot the treasury of their people because the need of the moment is to amass wealth even if it is wrong. It is expediency that makes a man to rape a girl that is young enough to be his daughter because the need of the moment is to satisfy his sexual desire even if it is wrong.

It is said that if you want to live in your future, plan it! But expediency doesn’t let you plan; it tells you there is no point since you can get whatever you need at the moment. An expedient fellow is like a tennis player who keeps his eyes on the scoreboard instead of the ball. We have to put in more effort to see our continent grow both in human and economic development.

However, expediency unlike in the cases listed above can be resorted to in very practical situations in which morals can be temporarily neglected. It can also be resorted to where there is the need for forceful evacuation in the wake of an impending natural disaster or an epidemic or be resorted to when there is the need to impose a curfew due to any form of security crises or as the situation may demand.

It is up to us to make this great continent and the world at large a better place.
Expediency in the former must be eradicated through self-discipline and patriotism and I mustn’t hesitate to state that expediency in the latter should only be resorted to if and only if it is absolutely necessary!

Kind Regards,
Maple Tammy Dappa