Challenges to Governance and Leadership in Africa

Challenges to Governance and Leadership in Africa It is undeniable the fact that governance and its progeny, leadership, pervades every aspect of human life and existence. In nations, organizations, families and wherever human life is found, these two variables exist in one form or the other. It is also a truism, that there exists a huge governance and leadership gap in many countries in the world, especially, in Africa. The slow pace of Africa’s development is concomitant to this governance and leadership predicament. A 1989 World Bank report on the topic â€Å"SubSaharan Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Growth: A Long-Term Perspective Study† affirms this position by stating that â€Å"underlying the litany of Africa’s development problems is a crisis of governance† (p60). In a similar way, Walumba et al posited that â€Å"while African countries are richly endowed with all manner of natural resources, their economic performance since independence has been generally abysmal with a few exceptions† (426). They further argued that â€Å"ultimately a country’s economic performance is contingent on the effectiveness of its leadership† (425). These assertions, dispassionately underscores the governance and leadership predicament in Africa. Consequently, this essay seeks to discuss some of the reasons why governance and leadership still remain a big challenge in Africa, and also proffer ways to alleviate these bottlenecks, respectively. To begin with, this essay would want to point out that several reasons contribute to why governance is impoverished in Africa, especially in the Sub-Saharan region. These reasons include the wrong form of governance the continent practises as a result of colonialism, selfish leadership, weak institutions, and too much foreign interference on the continent. First and foremost, it is not a ruse that the governance and leadership challenge Africa faces is an upshot of the wrong form of governance the continent is practising or being coerced to practise. Historical evidence have shown that, many years ago, before Africa was colonised by the Europeans, Africans governed themselves through the chiefs, clan and family heads, etc and the form of government they practised was gerontocracy and monarchy. These systems of governance as practised by these pre-colonial Africans had its root in their cultural and religious beliefs. Thus, governance and religion/culture were intricately interwoven. Yet, after being colonised, the Europeans forced their form of government on the indigenous people. These forms of government, which are the different forms of democracy we see around the world nowadays, had obstructive and damaging consequences on the religio-cultural orientation of the indigenous people. However, the colonial masters turned a blind eye on these developments. Decades after Africa gained independence, these colonial forms of governance are still being practised in Africa, with much complicatedness. This is simply because, the cultural and religious underpinnings of the African orientation of what governance is, and should be is different from those of the colonial masters. As Africans, our cultural upbringing upholds, fundamentally, communalism which is expressed in our proverbs, religion, folklores, songs, and mythology. In a sharp contrast, the colonial masters’ form of governance had as its foundation, capitalism. Hence, putting the square peg in the round hole has led to the current governance and leadership challenge in Africa. African leaders are thorn between satisfying their people based on tradition and pleasing their colonial masters because of the carrot and stick model of diplomacy they (colonial masters) employ. This complexity is the basis of the governance and leadership predicament in Africa. Moreover, selfish leadership is a major setback to good governance in Africa, and the underdevelopment of the continent. Post-independent Africa has seen the rise of selfish, stomach-driven and inconsiderate leaders. Some came to power through coup d’à ©tats, amidst shedding of innocent bloods, destruction of infrastructure left for the continent by the colonial masters, and looting of the wealth of these African nations. These leaders used the power they ceased to amass as much wealth as they could for themselves, their families and cohorts at the detriment of their nation’s development. Obviously, these leaders had no expertise or knowledge about governance or effective management, hence the worsening of the socio-economic lives of their country, and countrymen. Principles of fundamental human rights were not honoured, while individual, ideological, partisan or even labour dissent were strongly stamped out. The result was regimes’ collapse either internally or externally engineered between 1963 and 1966, and which attracted international outcry against the governance style of post independence Africa- Leaders. The other set of leaders, who supposedly were elected to lead their countries, were of no significant difference from their predecessors. Most of these leaders only have as their aim, the comfort and satisfaction of themselves and their families at the disadvantage of the populace. They had no clear vision for their countries. Democratic rule, in their various countries, witnessed horrible governance style, mismanagement of resources and propagation of self-aggrandizement. Undoubtedly, the leaders Africa has had after independence, under the guise of liberating their people, have rather contributed to the free-fall/underdevelopment of their countries. This they did by their profligate spending, inept management of state resources and infrastructure, and visionless governance. Furthermore, weak institutions since independence have contributed significantly to the governance and leadership predicament in Africa. After most African countries gained independence, instead of the leadership to focus on building strong institutions, where in their absence, those institutions could work to achieve the development they sought for which reason they fought of independence, they rather built strong personalities and empire around themselves. This phenomenon has continued perpetually till now. In Africa today, there is the practise of â€Å"rule by law† not â€Å"rule of law†. This is because, people in authority (government) use their power, position and influence to tweak institutions in their favour when it comes to matters of the law. Institutions cannot hunt certain individuals in society nowadays because those people are above the law. This phenomenon which is brought about by the partisan politics we practise, have corrupted majority of the state institutions in Africa. It has made justice, accountability, transparency and fairness a fairy tale, simply untenable. Institutions in Africa are simply weak and frivolous. Adding to the non-functional institutions is a collection of skewed and corrupt civil society organizations. Instead of these civil societies to be a watchdog of the populace to strengthen state and institutional efficiency, most of them are pursuing partisan agenda. Even more, too much interference of foreign nations on the continent is worrying and highly destructive. This phenomenon is as a result of globalization. Virtually every decision and every action that most African leaders make, is contingent on the approval of their pay masters, the foreign nations. These foreign nations come into the continent in de guise of helping develop it, but with the mindset of draining the natural and human resource of the continent. They determine for us almost everything, from economic policies, to education, to religion, to who should lead the country etc. The ordinary African has a limited stake in deciding for himself and in helping build his country or continent. The Constitutions’ in most African countries rarely exists due to rule by foreign powers. The ordinary African is not consulted on any issue as power is in the hands of these overlords while our leaders only serve as errand agents to ensure compliance of their subjects.

Bcg Matix

Placing products in the BCG matrix results in 4 categories in a portfolio of a company: BCG STARS (high growth, high market share) – Stars are defined by having high market share in a growing market. – Stars are the leaders in the business but still need a lot of support for promotion a placement. – If market share is kept, Stars are likely to grow into cash cows. BCG QUESTION MARKS (high growth, low market share) – These products are in growing markets but have low market share. – Question marks are essentially new products where buyers have yet to discover them. – The marketing strategy is to get markets to adopt these products. Question marks have high demands and low returns due to low market share. – These products need to increase their market share quickly or they become dogs. – The best way to handle Question marks is to either invest heavily in them to gain market share or to sell them.BCG CASH COWS (low growth, high ma rket share) – Cash cows are in a position of high market share in a mature market. – If competitive advantage has been achieved, cash cows have high profit margins and generate a lot of cash flow. – Because of the low growth, promotion and placement investments are low. Investments into supporting infrastructure can improve efficiency and increase cash flow more. – Cash cows are the products that businesses strive for. BCG DOGS (low growth, low market share) – Dogs are in low growth markets and have low market share. – Dogs should be avoided and minimized. – Expensive turn-around plans usually do not help. And now, let's put all this into a picture: Main Steps of BCG Matrix * Identifying and dividing a company into SBU. * Assessing and comparing the prospects of each SBU according to two criteria : 1. SBU’S relative market share. 2. Growth rate OF SBU’S industry. Classifying the SBU’S on the basis of BCG matrix.* Developing strategic objectives for each SBU. Benefits * BCG MATRIX is simple and easy to understand. * It helps you to quickly and simply screen the opportunities open to you, and helps you think about how you can make the most of them. * It is used to identify how corporate cash resources can best be used to maximize a company’s future growth and profitable too Limitations * BCG MATRIX uses only two dimensions, Relative market share and market growth rate. * Problems of getting data on market share and market growth. High market share does not mean profits all the time. * Business with low market share can be profitable too BCG analysis Unilever MISSION STATEMENT * Unilever's mission is to add Vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition; hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. From sumptuous soups to sensuous soaps, our products all have one thing in common. They help you get more out of life. Brands C ooking & eating Let our culinary experts bring pleasure to your palate. Healthy living Let us make the healthy choice your easy choice. Beauty & styleWe want to help you feel good about yourself. Around the house Hints to make your household chores that little more manageable. BCG Analysis Chart for Unilever Portfolio Cash Cows Stars Products Question Marks Dog Products Decisions after Analyses BCG * Build Market Share: Make further investments (for example, to maintain Star status, or turn a Question Mark into a Star) * Hold: Maintain the status quo (do nothing) * Reduce the investment (enjoy positive cash flow and maximize profits from a Star or Cash Cow) * Get rid of the Dogs, and use the capital to invest in Stars and some Question Marks.

Tongue Twister - Definition and Examples

Tongue twister is an informal term for a word group thats hard to pronounce  properly. A form of verbal play, tongue twisters rely on a sequence of phonemes that are similar but distinct, and therefore difficult to articulate clearly and quickly. Examples and Observations We supply wristwatches for witchwatchers watching witches Washington wishes watched.(James Thurber, Lanterns and Lances. Harper, 1961)Top chopsticks shops stock top chopsticks.Chester chooses chestnuts, cheddar cheese with chewy chives. He chews them and he chooses them. He chooses them and he chews them. . . . those chestnuts, cheddar cheese and chives in cheery, charming chunks.(Singing in the Rain, 1952)Just about everything in this world is easier said than done, with the exception of systematically assisting Sisyphuss stealthy, cyst-susceptible sister, which is easier done than said.(Lemony Snicket, The Hostile Hospital. HarperCollins, 2001)Dr. Seusss Silly StuffTry to say this, Mr. Knox, please. . . .Through three cheese trees three free fleas flew.While these fleas flew, freezy breeze blew.Freezy breeze made these three trees freeze.Freezy trees made these trees cheese freeze.Thats what made these three free fleas sneeze.Stop it! Stop it!Thats enough, sir.I cant say such silly stuff, sir.(Dr. Seuss, Fox in Socks. Random House, 1965)Betty BottaBetty Botta bought some butter;But, said she, this butters bitter!If I will put it in my batter,It will make my batter bitter.But a bit o better butterWill but make my batter better.Then she bought a bit o butterBetter than the bitter butter,Made her bitter batter better.So twas better Betty BottaBought a bit o better butter.(Carolyn Wells)The Best Tongue TwisterThe best tongue-twister is not Betty beat a bit of butter to make better batter. No. Nor is it Black bugs blood. Or Rubber buggy bumpers. No. And its not Of all the smells I have ever smelt, I never smelt a smell that smelt like that smell smelt. No, no, no. The best tongue-twister is A peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper, wheres the peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked? If you can come up with a better tongue-twister than this I will buy you blackberries, buttons, and a box of mixed biscuits.(Dr San soms Extreme Facts. The Guardian, November 3, 2007)Pad Kid Poured Curd Pulled ColdForget Peter Piper and his Peck of Pickled Pepper--psychologists have come up with what may be the worlds most frustrating tongue twister.It may not make much sense, but the phrase pad kid poured curd pulled cold completely defeated volunteers taking part in a U.S. speech study.Asked to repeat the phrase 10 times at a fast lick, many of the participants clammed up and stopped talking altogether, according to lead researcher Dr Stefanie Shattuck-Hufnagel, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. . . .The tongue twister study, presented at the annual meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in San Francisco, was conducted to shed light on the brains speech-planning processes.(Can YOU Say Pad Kid Poured Curd Pulled Cold? The Daily Mail [UK], December 4, 2013)At a Minute or Two to TwoWhat a to-do to die today at a minute or two to two.’Tis a thing distinctly hard to say, and h arder still to do.For they’ll beat a tattoo at twenty-to-two,A rat-a-tat, tat-a-tat, tat-a-tat, tat-a-tattoo,And the dragon will come when he hears the drum,At a minute or two to two today, at a minute or two to two.(Author unknown)Who Sells Sea Shells by the Seashore?Mary Anning was one of the few women to make a success in paleontology and one of the fewer still whose success was not linked to that of a paleontologist spouse (or any spouse: she was single). She made five major fossil discoveries from 1811 to her death in 1847, and many lesser ones.Why then is she best known as the inspiration for the tongue twister She sells sea shells by the seashore?The answer lies in her gender, her poverty, her lack of formal education, her regional accent--as it might even today.(Katherine Bouton, Tale of an Unsung Fossil Finder, in Fact and Fiction. The New York Times, February 1, 2010)Writing RiteA right-handed fellow named Wright,In writing write always wrote riteWhere he meant to w rite right.If hed written write rightWright would not have wrought rot writing rite.(anonymous)Assimilation[W]e have seen how one sound assimilates to another. As we pronounce words, our tongue moves toward one point in the mouth, but our nervous system has already prepared itself to fire off another impulse for the next sound. In some cases, the impulses pile up and jumble the articulation, as when we try to repeat a tongue twister like rubber baby buggy bumpers or she sells sea shells by the sea shore.(Joseph M. Williams, Origins of the English Language: A Social and Linguistic History. Simon and Schuster, 1975)

The Victorian Society of Wuthering Heights - 637 Words

Social standing, and moral values were vital elements in Victorian society, and the fundamental doctrine of establishing this ideology, began at home. The home provided a refuge from the rigour, uncertainty, anxiety, and potential violence of the outside world. (P, 341) A woman’s role was to provide a safe, stable, and well-organised environment for their husbands and families. However, change was on the horizon with an underlying movement of business and domestic changes both home and abroad, with industrialization, and the suffragist movement. Women were beginning to gain autonomy and began to grasp their opportunities, thus significantly curtailing male supremacy and the definable acceptable ‘role’ of the woman. However, despite changes, the literary world remained predominantly male, and women writers not encouraged, or taken seriously. Consequently, to counteract this Emily Bronte published her novel Wuthering Heights, under the male pseudonym of Ellis Bell. Wuthering Heights is the story of domesticity, obsession, and elemental divided passion between the intertwined homes of the Earnshaw’s residing at the rural farmhouse Wuthering Heights, and the Linton family of the more genteel Thrushcross Grange. This essay will discuss how the language and narrative voices established a structural pattern of the novel, and how these differing voices had a dramatic effect on the interpretation of the overall story. In the Nineteenth century, the novel was in its infancy, andShow MoreRelatedCompare How Male Female Relationships in Two of the Following Emma, Wuthering Heights and Great Expectations-- Reflect the Mores and Values of Victorian Society1467 Words   |  6 PagesEmma, Wuthering Heights and Great Expectations-- reflect the mores and values of Victorian society â€Å"The Victorian period formally begins in 1837 (the year Victoria became Queen) and ends in 1901 (the year of her death)† (Kirschen).  British novels such as Wuthering Heights and Emma reflect and uphold mores and values of the Victorian society. This is portrayed through the characters in the novels where high priority is given to the male female relationships and the expectations of society. TheRead MoreEmily Brontes Wuthering Heights: Mental Illness and Feminism1663 Words   |  7 Pages Novels are often taken by the reader at face value, and are never looked into on a deeper level. It is important to search for more than what is seen in a literary work. Wuthering Heights is a great example of a book with its own hidden secrets that can surface with a little research. Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights depicts the oppression of women from mentally unstable individuals. Overview of Author Emily Bronte was born in Yorkshire, England on July 30, 1818 (â€Å"Emily Jane Bronte 1), to a familyRead MoreWuthering Heights By Emily Bronte1555 Words   |  7 Pages2015 Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Brontà « Introduction The novel Wuthering Heights was written in 1847 by Emily Brontà «. The plot unravels with Lockwood visiting his landlord at Wuthering Heights; as Lockwood stays the night, he starts to discover items within the home and later a fatal vision appears, which causes him great curiosity. 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ForsterRead MoreEssay on Violence and Cruelty in Wuthering Heights1020 Words   |  5 PagesHis violence and cruelty seemed too demonic for many readers... Does the modern reader share this view of Heathcliff? Author of Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontà «, was born in Thornton, Yorkshire on 30 July 1818. She was born the fifth of six children and died at the age of thirty from consumption. The Brontà « children had a love for creating stories and small books, but it was sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne who embarked on writing their own novels. They published their work under the namesRead MoreWuthering Heights By Charlotte Bronte1137 Words   |  5 Pagesundisputable female voices in the Victorian period, built unbreakable embankments against the patriarchal flow, paved the way for the free flow of matriarchy and establishes gender equality and above all sets stage for humanity through their works. 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