#FROM #CHILENJE, #ZAMBIA #TO #THE #WORLD-

#THE #PATH OF #ONE OF #THE #LAST OF THE #PANAFRICAN #TITANS

#TRIBUTE TO #HIS #EXCELLENCY, #PAPA DR.#KENNETH #KAUNDA ON HIS #96TH #BIRTHDAY.

Today, the creme de la creme of Africa would have converged on Lusaka, the African leaders, Past and Present, across a broad spectrum of the African continent, the SINCERE FRIENDS NOT FIENDS OR EXPLOITERS of Africa would have arrived in Lusaka to accord a great African, one of the greatest to ever walked the continent the well earned honour and deserved adulation as he turned 96 years old today.

A man with chequered history launched to the world from that rustic village, of Chilenje, from where he started and became the compass as one of the greatest African statesmen, the first President of the republic of Zambia, a country of very affectionate people with a rich history, through the years of apartheid and exploitation.

When in September 1945, in the British city of Manchester, at the concluding meeting of several others before it, some young Visionaries, conviction driven personalities, who all they had to their names was the spirit of struggle, got together for this last meeting with a moving farewell speech given by the greatest Pan Africanist that ever lived, in person of Kwameh Nkrumah of Ghana.

He said "...rising from this moment, you all go back to your separate "states" in Africa and prepare your states for independence"...with that charge, the curtains were drawn on further talks and opened the new chapter in pursuit of what today will be known as independent countries making up the continent of Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, kenya, etc

One of those titans at that meeting is the young Kenneth Kaunda.

Many of those who were at that meeting had since gone the way of our ancestors leaving just about one or two left, and Kenneth Kaunda is one of them, still healthy, with firm grip and clear minded and sharp clarity of thought.

These modern Ancestors before leaving had undeniably lit the candle of ##panafricanism, which in simplest terms meant #ONEUNITEDAFRICA, where the focus and full interest is Africa and the well being of Africans.

It was a case of one for all and all for one!

But what do we find today?, efforts to extinguish that fire of Pan Africanism, thank God that it had become a huge inferno though with reduced intensity.

If it were still a candle, the successor generation of leaderships on the continent may have through their coldness and indifference allowed that Pan african fire to be extinguished.

Today Africa from Zambia to Zamfara in Nigeria is being ripped and raped by those who do not mean well for Africa and Africans.

Where our future is being fettered by ridiculous loans and aids from modern colonialists masquerading as altruistic friends and benefactors when indeed they are rabid EXPLOITERS in pursuit of self interests only

Our mineral endowments are being illegally exploited, or compromisingly ceded or looted, abuses of our sovereignty as nations go on without let or hindrance, with instances of China wanting to take over of a part of the Zambia police, after taking over some of the public utilities.

Not to forget the illegal chinese people caught in economic sabotage of counterfeiting Kenya currency and sale of fake products, or the flogging of Africans for coming late to his work post by a chinese in Kenya!

The most ridiculous was the picture of a chinese man openly handling the breasts of under age African girls in what will pass as the greatest incestuous travesty, assault and insult of all times on our collective sensibilities as Africans.

This must be grieving moments for the great Dr Kenneth Kaunda. Because the emerging Africa is not the Africa of their dreams, himself and other compatriots of Africa.

Burdened by this sad spectacle and realities,I alongside others who found all these putrid, odious and noxious took up the challenge to start a revival of the idea and ideals of PAN AFRICANISM not mouthed or in sloganeering but to reconnect with the vision of the Kwameh Nkrumahs , Kenneth Kaundas and others.

So we started the #ONEUNITEDAFRICA dream, first and foremost triggered by the senseless manifestations of XENOPHOBIA among Africans on the continent, we know that a home divided against itself cannot stand, and if that festers then in another ten years, the African spirit will be dead.

We will be left only with a geographical expression as the reminder that we once had a "continent" passed on to us by the likes of Papa Kenneth Kaunda, a land of great people called the cradle of human race and MOTHERLAND will be gone, and when the spirit leaves, what is left will just be the carcass, so we committed to bring back the African spirit.

This goal was what took the convener of the #ONEUNITEDAFRICA, my humble self working with my colleagues to Lusaka, Zambia to get the blessing for the task ahead from the only living ancestor in Person of Papa Dr. Kenneth kaunda in February 2020,in pursuit of the #AFRICA2020:#ONEUNITEDAFRICA dream.

When our friend , a great young diligent African of Zambian Extraction, My brother Chishimba George worked hard to get the appointment scheduled with Papa it was one of the greatest breakthroughs for our vision.

I set off to Lusaka to meet with destiny, it's not often that one had the opportunity to meet with a legend and a "living ancestor" that you only read in books! Or hear about from fairy tales!

Touching down at home it felt like home, indeed it was home, Lusaka streets looked like another part of any city in Nigeria, I was gratified and delighted, the African spirit was too alive, almost touchable.

I took the first day to visit Chilenje, the building where Papa first lived and I saw the history of struggle, I saw the giant footprints of a great man, a man totally sold to struggle for the emancipation of his people and Africans from the shackles of mental and physical slavery..

I connected with the chequered history of this African legend , his track record in social reengineering vision and positioning of the nation of Zambia in the bigger African context. Visiting Chilenje was historic and a connection with history, and the African essence.

The following day, my opportunity came to meet with the man, the living legend,the uncommon African Persona.

As he walks in with stately steps, the steps reminded me of the steps this legend had taken to redefine Africa alongside his contemporaries that bestrode the continent.

As he approached with his trademark white handkerchiefs in one hand, I was awed , standing before the GREAT KK OF ZAMBIA nay AFRICA. I went down on my knees in total submission to the human representation of parts of the African history and veritable struggles.

I told him why i flew thousands of miles to connect our efforts with his admonition and IMMUTABLE statement that "

"...with renewed commitment from the continent's younger generation to foster unity and justice, you are able to redress injustice suffered by African people as a result of local and external factors..."-Kenneth Kaunda

"...we must come forward with united strength and claim this century as Africans..."- Kenneth Kaunda

"...there was and still is a real hope with people at the helm to succeed in the Pan African dream, if the young people continue in their quest to build Africa...." -Kenneth Kaunda.

The combined meaning of these profound statements make it a heavy burden to come to the feet of the legend to acquaint him with the vision in fulfilling the charge he has committed to our hands as young Africans.

As if Papa knew, well the African folklore says what the elders see sitting down, the young ones will not see it standing up.

Could it then mean that Papa knew that Pan Africanism will wax cold as they exit the planet?

Could it then imply that Papa knew that the young ones must consciously take that baton and hold the banner of Pan Africanism aloft from their weary hands.

Yes Papa knew. He knew that the generation of younger Africans would have to rise up to the occasion to salvage Africa and the ideals they struggled for.

I told Papa that this is why I have come to see him and that I have come from miles away to stand on the shoulder of a giant that he is, so that we can see farther, while assuring him that , at the fullness of time, he should be able to take the message home to the #Kwameh #Nkrumahs, #Thomas #Sankara, #Mwalimu #Julius #Nyerere , #Nnamdi #Azikiwe that a young set of Africans are ready to take up the challenge he has thrown our way.

Papa was moved.

To also reassure him that the light of #ONEUNITEDAFRICA will not be extinguished, knowing that our ancestors are grieving looking down at what fate has befallen Africa, and that we are going to try our best to keep their vision aglow, even as the struggle has move from seeking independence to a new phase of post independence struggles across Africa from ourselves and conspirators UNITED to plunder Africa and keep her prostrate in global reckoning.

Papa became emotional when I reminded him of the meeting in Manchester in 1945.

He became more emotional as the recollections provoked memorable says, he starred into deep reflection obviously with torrents of memories pouring in.

Papa pulled me closer and prayed for us and the vision , laying his hands, the hands that has done so much for Africa and Africans on my head.

As Papa retreated back into the other part of the serene abode after the meeting , I could see a satisfied man and happy that the charge he gave the young men of Africa is being taken up now.

With gamut of the new information that I gathered on that trip, we felt Africa owed this great icon a worthy 96th Birthday for which we sought his consent and that of the family, to celebrate his birthday and we secured it.

We wanted to honour and celebrate this great son of Africa, to etch his prints impressionably on the minds of successor generation and not wait till when he joins the ancestors to give him, funny eulogies and oration at the graveside .

We felt Papa needed to be acknowledged and celebrated in his lifetime, just like Nelson Mandela, who upon his release from prison visited Papa Kaunda as one of the great pillars of support for the struggle while it lasted, to free South Africa.

Papa Kaunda is one of the last of the titans and a vestige of our past as Africans.

So we committed to give Papa a very worthy 96th birthday, but here we are today, living with the irony of life.

When we planned to put forward the best of convivial and communal African spirit, now we are foisted with a fait accompli of social distancing because of the COVID-19 pandemic!

Our hearts are broken that a day to celebrate one of our greatests on the African continent, we are dealing with the enemy of CORONA VIRUS that is threatening the human race.

Well the resilience of Papa Kk will sustain our vision to still honour this great pride of Africa after the pandemic by the grace of God, we believe and trust God to sustain Papa's life.

Today your incandescent life illuminates our dark path as Africans,even the pandemic has further showed how badly Africa has slipped away from your vision.

Because of the lack of unity among Africans that you and others of your ilk envisioned, Africa is now at the receiving end of opprobrium and jest in the scheme of things, we do not believe in ourselves, not seeing ourselves as competent enough to find solution to our challenges.

All these are antithetical to the struggles you stridently fought alongside other African legends for.

But today, on your birthday Papa, we solemnly commit to do all that will give you some comfort while alive, and at the very fullness of time when you join your contemporaries in the struggle, we hope our humble efforts through our crusade and conscientisation would have triggered a reset, that will lead to an African Pan African rennaisance, rediscovery and repositioning of the continent that you love so much , as we also do, taking a cue from you our living and the departed ancestors.

Your life is a beacon, it is a compass and a foundation for a rebuilding and restoration.

We shall not detract.

Happy Birthday Papa, the last of the Titan, you are a strong hope upon which our tommorow will be built.

You and your works will remain indelible and a refuge , shield and fortress when the storm of neo colonialists assail us.

Once again Happy Birthday, Papa Dr. Kenneth Kaunda.

Yours

#Congressman #bimbo #Daramola

#Abuja,#Nigeria.

#pandemiclockdown 28th #April 2020

The last of the statesmen. He had his flaws (sit - tight) but he was not a thief! Happy Birthday to Kenneth Kaunda!

Africa must be Free.
Happy birthday

The day he left office as president of Zambia, he had no personal house to move his belongings to. It was some friends who ran around to find him a house

Thats to show you what kind of man he is.