The colonial state was absolute and arbitrary
Political independence only brought changes in the
composition of state managers
The state continued to be totalistic in scope (statist
economy)
The state continued to present itself as an apparatus of
violence
Its narrow social base was not broadened
Just like the colonial state, it continued to rely on
coercion for compliance rather than authority
All these were so because political independence in Africa
was short of being the neroic achievement that was touted, but a convenience
deradicalization by accommodation and integration of the political elites
These elites desirous of retaining power, were not
interested in broadening the social bases of state power nor serving the
general interests of the people
The only change that occurred, was the proliferation and
intensification of conflicts within the nationalist coalitions
The nationalists movements had been a coalition of
disparate groups united by common grievance against colonial oppression
Thus, solidarity weakened as the reality of independence
dawned
Who controls the enormous power of state as the
colonialists recedes, created tension and conflicts among factions of the
nationalist movements
The forces of centrifugalism within the coalition became
prominent as political competition arises from mutual alienation
More value was placed on capture of political power as the
inevitability of pulling apart within the nationalist coalition became manifest
Along with this was the fear that gripped factional members
of the consequences of losing to rivals
It was this that elevated the premium placed on political
power
Given these scenario, the rival elites has no choice but to
politicize national, ethnic and communal formations in their quest for power
This weakening of a cross national and ethnic solidarity
was at a great cost
This is because it engendered strong divisions and
exclusivity in the society that further intensified political competition
This tendency reinforced the use of state power to
strengthen the material base of these ruling elites so as to sustain their hold
on power
The result is the manipulation of primordial division which
promoted outbreak of conflicts across the length and breadth of Africa.
But why has the African state failed to deliver?
First is that the inherited state at independence was a
violent and undemocratic and privatized structure
The state was not designed for efficient delivery of
services
The state was insensitive to local needs and values
It imposed taxes, levies, fees and laws at will without
consultation
Its primary concern was the maximization of profit and
extraction of surplus to satisfy the interest of metropolitan state and
dominant classes
It relied on extreme force and used its military power to
visit violence on African communities without hesitation
Its economic, political and social programme were informed
by a pathological fixation on satisfying the greed of Europeans merchants and
consumers
This state structure was not dismantled at independence
Therefore the post-colonial state lacked autonomy and
legitimacy
It relied on manipulation and intimidation
It became an instrument of accumulation for a weak
capitalists class
It was this character of the state that turned it into an
arena of struggle between groups
Their concern being how to penetrate it and use it to support
all sorts of primordial claims.
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