Dear Africans,
It is rather blue to greet your screens with such condescending headline when the future is full of gloom following a series of global extremist acts over the last few years.
For while Ghana, a country that cannot fight market fires recently allegedly kowtowed to American papers to accept individuals that the world’s dreaded security forces are terrified to accommodate, Burkina Faso is still reeling from an Al Qaeda massacre in one of the country’s most luxurious hotels.
Over the past months, I have been bequeathed names for maintaining an unwavering deportment towards what is “right”.
‘Too known’, ‘all-knowing’, ‘rude’, ‘ungrateful’, the appellations have trickled in
Yet truth cannot be compromised in any circumstance, no matter how harsh or inappropriate the state of affairs.
For this reason, kindly exonerate my shortcomings. And if I happen to step on a few toes, am open to more vilification. To err is human.
Tell you what Africans, like all others that preceded its kind, “Charlie Hebdo” was expected to be the last.
You would agree with me that after three days of terrorist brutality, the capture of saboteurs Cherif Kouachi and Said Kouachi accompanied with its worldwide opposition to the journal staff’s in-humaneness marked arguably the most impacting stance ever taken by an international community.
Yet allies of the wrongdoers would not be moved.
In Stade de France, two national teams had gathered to play football as 80,000 fans watched on, President Francoise Hollande among the spectators.
Not far from the Place de la Republique, close to the centre of town, local party-goers were destressing the week’s activities around nightlife spots at a popular concert venue.
At a fast-food outlet near the stadium, guests were dining and placing orders for dinner, all oblivious of the spectacle that was to befall them a distance away,
Ben Grant, who was with his wife at the back of the bar relates. “People dropped to the ground. We put a table over our heads to protect us”.
That evening, Paris’ Friday night ended with at least 129 people dead and hundreds wounded from deadly attacks by gunmen and suicide bombers.
Last Sunday in America, in what has now come to be known as the Orlando Night Club Shooting, Omar Mateen opened fire on celebrants in a gay nightclub killing 49 persons.
In the aftermath of these anarchist brutalities Facebook activated a Safety Check feature to help people in the French capital tell loved ones that they were safe.
According to Facebook’s Chairman, the feature was launched in October 2014, with the intention that it be used for people caught in natural disasters.
Then came the profile picture background of France flag option for sympathizers to share their warmheartedness towards the victims.
The feature has since been activated for the Brussels Bombings that happened earlier this year in March and most recently the Orlando Night Club Shootings.
While many appreciated being able to use the feature in the recent attacks on the social network, you heavily criticized the innovation.
Africans, you cited Western partiality in activating the feature for the Paris attacks but not for the Beirut bombings which had happened a day before.
You opined that the many other terrorist attacks that had earlier happened around the world, most importantly the Kenyan university bloodbath which also happened earlier the same year deserved similar attention.
Mark Zuckerberg, together with his management entourage, eventually responded to the criticism. They explained, “Safety check is a relatively new feature and until yesterday we had only activated it in the wake of natural disasters. We are of course open to activating the tool given how reassuring it has been in Paris”.
Later, the company’s Vice President of Growth Alex Schultz added, “we made the decision to try something we’ve never done before: activating Safety Check for something other than a natural disaster.
There has to be a first time for trying something new, even in complex and sensitive times, and for us that was Paris”.
Fellow brothers and sisters, you may be oblivious of the fact that since Safety Check’s release, Facebook has deployed it five times- following the earthquakes in Afghanistan (yes Afghanistan), Chile, Nepal, the South Pacific and the Philippines, worth noting that in all instances cases of natural disasters.
What makes you think dear Africans that Zuckerberg is indebted to develop safety checks for you when you are struck with tragedy just like he did for France or say any another country?
Considering that you form a substantial populace of his Facebook users, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say indeed that whatever is sauce for the goose is equally sauce for the gander.
Yet quite frankly, the axiom can only hold as far as the farmer per his convictions decides that sauce is “truly” equally good for the gander.
For if he decided to give the gander breadcrumbs or even starve it to death for whatever reasons best known to him, then who is the gander to complain of partiality?
Dear Africans, let’s face it. Facebook is Zuckerberg’s “livestock”, and he alone exerts ultimate power over how his “geese and ganders” be fed.
Yes, it’s sad. It can be very devastating when you do tremendously well in school but have mum and dad congratulate only sister or brother.
Yet that is not the situation at hand with the Paris terrorist attacks that happened last year.
Take it or leave it, France and the US are two countries counted among global powerhouses, in this scenario even shameful to draw a comparison with these two African countries.
The European country’s population is bigger than Kenya and Burkina Faso combined standing close to 70 million and all things being equal would translate as having more Facebook users than the two African countries.
If their powerhouse status is anything to go by, then France’s larger subscription to Facebook should mean they surely receive better treats compared to their counterparts on the African peninsula.
Not to mention that even in times of catastrophe, France’s reputation on the international arena means they always would attract greater attention than all African countries no matter how severe the nature of that on the African continent may be. THIS IS A FACT, perhaps a known truth!
But while you sit aloof and hurl accusations at Zuckerberg for running his business, yes HIS business, you could take the time to think of better ways to help yourselves.
Dear Africans, you cannot celebrate Independence Days annually and run to your colonial masters when disaster strikes? No, no place for any such parasitic behaviour!
Do not turn yourselves prodigal sons and daughters for your “former fathers”, of whom Zuckerberg’s Facebook is an offspring are not so willing to forgive you for the hurried decisions you took decades ago.
For once dear Africans support yourselves without a helping hand from outside of the African expanse.
For instead of chastising Facebook, you rather must reprimand the many computer programmers on the continent who have refused to develop anything that has resulted in lifting the lives of African people.
Facebook is Zuckerberg’s, Burkina Faso and Kenya are Africa’s. You people should allow the young man manage his affairs while you do yours.
Where were you when the young American’s parents gifted him the programming book “C++ for Dummies” in his early ages?
Where were you cantankerous Africans when Zuck built ZuckNet, Synapse, Facemash, Course Match, theFacebook.com, helped develop ConnectU and now Facebook as a school dropout?
When the young billionaire misses meals and is mocked for wearing his routine grey shirt just for the reason that he has billions of humans to serve, have you shared in those subjugated moments with him?
The young man you cast aspersions at made history in 2013 by donating 18 million shares of Facebook stock to Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the first of its kind for an under age 30.
He eats neither fish nor meat and seldom watches television. Yet in all of these, he says that all he wishes for is “trying to make the world an open place”.
I have read your plea messages. “Dear Facebook, remember the display photo thing you did for France? Well it is Burkina Faso’s turn. We are waiting earnestly for that. It’s not funny. You Africans should get a life!
And I can’t even come to fathom where your so-called African pride escaped to when you sat down to come up with these messages. Wait for all Facebook cares.
Do you really need Zuck’s forbearance to show empathy towards your own people? What about you all changed your profile pictures to that of Burkina Faso’s flag ordinarily, does it really have to be the same design and format as Zuck did for France?
How about all your presidents on Facebook and other social media changed their profile pictures to that of Burkina’s?
Your online journalists and writers could have created a solidarity phrase to precede or conclude their reports and editorials, did you ponder its feasibility?
Nevertheless, is Facebook or social media the only platform to show empathy? How about the many sporting disciplines happening over the continent observed a minute’s silence for Burkina Faso prior to contest?
Did you consider the possibility of AU sending word around for the flag of Burkina Faso be hoisted in all African countries at midday for a period of a week? Absolutely not!
Somewhat insensibly, the first doorstep we could lay our shameless, petulant fingers of worthless culpability is that of Facebook, a platform we do not own and sorrowfully are yet to develop close to its kind.
Petulant Africans, let’s give the white man a break.
Each one for himself!
Sincerely,
BarimaNana
barimanana.wordpress.com 
Great piece
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