By Gabriel Okhao
Controversial Nigerian musician and singer, popularly known as Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, recently aired his views on his Instagram Live session titled, “Capitalism Has Failed in Africa.” As is typical of the singer, he expressed his thoughts on the current economic crises crippling the Nigerian state and affecting the majority of its populace.
At the beginning of his briefing, Seun expressed solidarity with the people of Ghana regarding the reported water crisis currently affecting the neighbouring West African country.
The singer then quickly emphasised the need for “Nigerians to create a forum for dialogue with Nigerian professional judges and courts, as it seems that both institutions have simultaneously gone rogue and selfish, to the detriment of the nation and its populace at large.” He highlighted the misconception that one’s skills and resources as a professional should not be used solely for selfish purposes, but also for the service and development of one’s nation and the broader African society.
Mr. Kuti, later in his remarks, while addressing the Ghanaians and commending them on their resistance against the institutions responsible for the crises in their country, strongly advised the people to reject “capitalism” in their struggle. He asserted, “Capitalism has failed the countries and people of Africa, and has made their struggles ultimately futile.” He added, “We must socialise so we can move forward together; we must seek to amend and resolve issues through well-defined African socialistic principles and structures.”
The Pan-Africanist, in his closing statement to his viewers, declared, “You cannot be a capitalist without capital. Africa, in itself, has no capital to compete in this global game of capitalism. We must seek cooperation among ourselves instead of competition, as that is the only viable way we can ever move forward as a people.”