The Firebrand Cock (1)

Just as the folk-lore, when the cat was the most powerful and feared animal in the wild, he went about gallantly and devoured any other animal he wished and at will. On a fateful day, the valiant cat, for the first time came in contact with the cock, and on spotting the red comb on the cock’s head, thinking the bird carried fire on his head, the once fearless cat fled for his dear life. Curiously, foolishly and unfortunately, the cock sought to build confidence in and make friends with the cat since there was nothing, the cock thought, scary about his own personality. On a courtesy visit to the cat, the over-trusting cock made and convinced the cat to touch the comb of his head to be assured that it was not fire. After the cat realized that the cock’s comb was no fire but very succulent flesh, he breathes a sigh of relief, “Wow! This cock has come to satisfy my appetite at last”, he thought. Once his cock-friend glanced away, the cat bounced on him and the day’s feast began.
The same analogy is directly typical of what happened between Africa and the colonizing Europeans. Africa before the advent of Europeans was developing in her own way along with other parts of the world technologically, politically, philosophically and otherwise. Africa was a self-sufficient continent in which all she needed for her development were available.
Europe on the other hand, since the middle of the 17th century had being going through various political economic revolutions and as a result, needed expansion. Portugal, because of her small size and very little influence in Europe, began the expeditions and was the first European nation to have contact with Atlantic Africa. Seeing the new opportunities, other Europeans moved in their large numbers to Africa for economic opportunities. They needed slaves on their farms, raw materials for their factories and market for their over-produced goods. In other to have an economic footing in Africa, the Europeans also realized that they needed the political subjugation of Africa first. So, behind their economic alliance was political subjection.
In the accommodating nature of Africans, they were all too welcoming of their new guests who came under the guise of transacting business. As an important tool, religion also played a decisive role in softening the ground and the heart of Africans to submit to the imperialist government when it was finally established. Nevertheless, the Europeans did not approach every part of Africa with trade and cordiality. Some Africans actually proved to be cocks with real fire on their head, but unfortunately they succumbed to the fire-power of the Europeans.
These events do not however mean that Africans were or are inferior to the might of Europeans, rather, it was just the case that while the latter was destructively deceptive, the former was too friendly and less watchful.