TEXT N°4

THE TRUTH ABOUT COLONIZATION: Indoctrination

My indoctrination went far deeper than just a name. The missionary school
tried to teach me that Saints make better role models than scientists. I was taught to
write in a new language. As a result, I became literate in French but remain illiterate
in Fang, my native tongue. I learned Latin, a dead language I would never use in the
5 modern world, because it was the official language of the Catholic Church, which
owned the school I attended. Today, there are more French speakers in Africa than
there are in France. There are more English speakers in Nigeria than there are in the
United Kingdom. The Organization of African Unity never approved an African
language as one of its official languages.

10 We won the battle of decolonizing our continent, but we lost the war on
decolonizing our minds. Africa was a colony, but it is also a key contributor to many
other cultures, and the cornerstone of today's society. The world's view tends to
dismiss the value of colonized people. Again, I must impart my own experiences to
illustrate this point. I grew up serving as an altar boy to a French priest called
15 RUELLO, living at Angone my native village. I wanted to become a priest, but ended
up becoming a teacher of English. Religion is based on faith, while Science is based
on fact and reason, and science is neutral to race. Unfortunately, scientists are not
neutral to race. Take for example, our colonial education's system, some will even
argue that schools play a significant role as western indoctrination centers used to
20 convince children during their formative years that Whites are superior to other races.

If scientists were neutral to race, they should have taught that all men are
created equal, from Europe to Africa, to Asia and to America. Even history has
degraded our African roots. We learn a history filtered through the eyes of White
historians. It scares me that an entire generation of African children is growing up
25 brainwashed by western civilization and promotion of white people. Our children are
growing up idolizing white people with whom they cannot personally identify. Do we
need to tell our children our own stories from our own perspective? Do we need to
decolonize our thinking and examine the underlying truths in more than just a dream?

By Maxime NZE MBA and the English Department of LERNB © Nov. 2008.

MAXIME NZE MBA, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TLE B3 SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019

 TEXT N°3

WHY IS AFRICA SO POOR?

Africa was poor, Africa is poor and Africa will continue to be poor if we, the
Africans, are not ready to change Africa, Africa will remain poor if Africans are not
ready to make Africa rich. There is poverty in Africa and there is hunger everywhere
on the continent. HIV/AIDS continues to kill Africans in record numbers, Africa is S
5 poor and there is no doubt Africa is poor. The question is not why Africa is poor but
may be how we can make Africa rich. What we can do as individuals or groups to
help change Africa?

There is poverty in Africa but Africa has almost all it takes to be the richest
continent on earth. The major problem facing Africa today is corruption and poor
10 leadership. There are greedy people in Africa including our leaders who don’t care
about their poor mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. Some people are too greedy
and that is why Africa remains poor. People are killing their own brothers, sisters,
mothers and fathers just to make money, People didn’t care about yesterday and
people don’t even care about all only money and that is why Africa remains poor.

15 All African leaders I know are corrupt in one way or the other. They come as
Saint and leave as devils, an African president of a country is a president for only the
educated and president for only those in higher class. An African president sees no
HIV. An African president knows no orphan.

An Africa president sees only money and nothing but money. Not just the
20 African President but the African Prime Minister, the African Governor, the African
doctor, the African Judge, the African Lawyer; the African King, and even the African
Pastor. And that is why Africa is still poor and that is why Africa continues to wallow
in poverty...

Cozy Africa, 2011

MAXIME NZE MBA, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TLE B3 SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019

 TEXT N°5

CHILD PROSTITUTION: A TRAGIC REALITY

Maria became a child prostitute when she was 14 years old. She adopted this
horrible lifestyle at the insistence of her own mother, who told her that she was
beautiful and that men would like her very much. Besides, she would earn a lot of
money. In the evenings Maria's mother took her to a motel where they made
5 contacts. The mother remained nearby to receive the payments. Each night, Maria
had sex with three or four men at least.

Like many other families of their community, Maria’s family sold her body- to
supplement their limited income. What leads to this horrific situation? Why do so
many tolerate or even- promote such a criminal activity?

10 In many parts of the world, the problem of child prostitution is a frightening

reality, and prostitution itself represents the world’s largest commercial activity,
surpassed only by drug arid weapon trafficking. The results are then tragic. Often,
child prostitutes, whether occasional or full-time also become Involved in crime and
drag abuse. Many of them feel frustrated and worthless, seeing little or no prospect of
15 escaping their wretched lives. Influential personalities recognize the devastating
effects of this shameful trade. Brazil's ex-President Fernando Enrique Cardoso aptly
stated: “Child prostitution is a barbarous crime.” Yet, despite the noble intentions of
those who want to stop child prostitution, the problem is still growing. According to
20 the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization),
there is a steady increase in all kinds of prostitution. For example, in Asian countries,
about one million young girls are reportedly used as prostitutes in conditions
comparable to slavery. Some lands have the reputation of being real dens for child
prostitution and sex tourism. Furthermore, because of the high incidence of sexually
25 transmitted diseases such as AIDS, customers are willing to pay far higher prices for
children who axe considered more likely to be virgins arid less likely to be infected,
which makes the problem even worse.

Child prostitution thrives in environments of misery and poverty. According to

one government official, child exploitation and prostitution axe “clearly linked to the
30 disintegration of the family and are the fruits of misery and hunger.” Is there any hope
for these unfortunate children? Realistically, there is little that men can do to
eliminate poverty and incidentally child prostitution, but parental care and guidance, if
fully performed, may surely alleviate it and bring it down to very reduced proportions.
th
AWAKE! February 8 2003

MAXIME NZE MBA, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TLE B3 SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019

 AFRICAN SCHOLARS MOVING AWAY (also called, The Brain Drain)

Hundreds of African-descended people believe in what late President

Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Instead, ask what you
can do for your country One of the prime issues in Africa is how to reverse the
current brain drain into a brain gain. African taxpayers pay for their poorly resourced
schools and universities to train their doctors, teachers and other professionals only
for them to be poached by, or leave for European and North American countries, in
other words, Africa is subsidizing developed countries.

A study by the World Bank has shown that over 70,000 highly qualified African
scholars and experts leave their home countries every year to work abroad. There
are fears that Africa’s development efforts will keep oh being undermined as long as
the brain drain goes on.

Frustrated by socio-economic conditions and low wages, these Africans are

drawn, to the better wages and superior facilities of developed countries. But a solid
middle class of professionals with technical expertise, entrepreneurial, and
managerial skills, places great strain on those remaining who must struggle with
limited resources.

One of the most perfect examples of that brain drain is undoubtedly the
Nigerian computer scientist, Philip Emeagwali. He currently lives in the United States.
He left Nigeria as a young man in the 1970s. Since then, all the discoveries he has
made including the world’s fastest supercomputer calculation, have benefited
America and not his native Nigeria.

Africa cannot achieve long-term economic growth if it is losing its most useful
resource, its best, brightest, and most qualified people. The need to reverse this
ongoing brain drain is now widely acknowledged as a major challenge for the
continent.

Adapted from Ben Yedder’s article, New African, n 420, July 2003

MAXIME NZE MBA, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TLE B3 SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019

 TEXT N°1

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

Environmental pollution is a term that refers to all the ways by which people
pollute their surroundings. People dirty the air with gases and smoke, poison the
water with chemicals and other substances, and damage the soil with too many
fertilizers and pesticides. People also pollute their surroundings in various ways. For
5 example, they ruin natural beauty by scattering junk and litter on e the ¡and and in
water. They operate machines and motor vehicles that fill the air with disturbing
noise. Nearly everyone causes environmental pollution in some way.

Environmental pollution is one of the serious problems facing humanity today.

Air, water, and soil-all harmed by pollution- are necessary for survival of all living
10 things. Badly polluted air can cause illnesses, and even death. Polluted water kills
fish and other marine life.

Pollution of soil reduces the amount of land that is available for growing food.
In addition, environmental pollution brings ugliness to our naturally beautiful world.

Everyone wants to reduce pollution. But the pollution problem is as

15 complicated as it is serious. It is complicated because much pollution is caused by
things that benefits people, for example exhaust from automobiles causes a large
percentage of all air pollution. But the automobiles provide transportations to millions
of people. Factories discharge much of the material that pollutes air and water, but
factories provide jobs for people and produce goods that people want. Too much
20 fertilizers or pesticides can ruin soil, but fertilizers and pesticides are important aids to
the growing crops.

Thus, to end or greatly reduce pollution immediately, people would have to

stop using many things that benefit them. Most people do not want to do that, of
course. But pollution can be gradually reduced in several ways. Scientists and
25 engineers can work to find ways to lessen the amount of pollution that such things as
automobiles, factories cause. Governments can pass and enforce laws that require
businesses and individuals to stop or cut down on certain polluting activities. And-
perhaps most importantly- individuals and groups of people can work to persuade
their representatives in government, and also persuade businesses to take actions
30 towards reducing pollution.
An article by Alan Mc GOWAN, President of the Scientists' Institute for Public Information.

MAXIME NZE MBA, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TLE B3 SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019

 TEXT N°8

HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE BIBLE

Christians have to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible, (Rom.

11:18), but we are not to compromise the world of God and participate in those things
to which the scriptures speak against. Furthermore, when we call homosexuality a
sin, we are saying that it violates the world of God. It is breaking the law of God and it
5 is therefore wrong.

But we, Christians, meet sinners everyday, we treat them lovingly. This is
what the New Testament tells us, Jesus said: “by this, all men will know that you are
all my disciples if you have love for one another”. (John 13:35). Still many in the pro-
homosexuality to be spreading hate. This is just a technique in order to silence the
10 opposition and control. How the dialogue is done? Let's take a look at the legal
definition of hate speech.

Hate speech is a communication that carries no meaning other than the

expression of hatred for some group, especially in circumstances in which the
communication is likely to provoke violence. It is an incitement to hatred primarily
15 against a group of persons defined in terms of race, ethnicity, national, origin,
gender, religion, sexual orientation and religious groups.

As Christians, we are not supposed to hate homosexuals, adulterers,

murderers, liars, etc...our speech is not to be motivated out of the expression of
hatred from some groups. We wholeheartedly disapprove their sinful actions, but we
20 also pray for them along with those whose persecute us have wronged us.
th
www.religioustolarane.com, October, 24 2014

MAXIME NZE MBA, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TLE B3 SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019

 TEXT N° 7

ABSENTEE PARENTS

Without any doubt, a father leaving home is tragic, painful event. James was
13 years when his father left home. Caught in the grip of an addiction to alcohol, he
made a few attempt to contact his children after his departure. Sad to say, James is
not alone; many youths have been abandoned by their fathers.

5 If this has happened to you, you may very well find it hard to cope. Feelings of
pain and anger may overwhelm you from time to time. You may sometimes feel sad
and depressed. You may even be tempted to rebel. As the Bible writer Salomon once
said, "mere oppression may make a wise one act crazy” (Ecclesiastes 7:7)
consequently, James “acted crazy'" after his father left home.

10 He confided: "l didn't listen to any authority, not even my mom. I got into a lot
of fights. I was always lying and sneaking out at night because there was not one to
discipline me. Mon tried to stop me, but she couldn’t. ”

When asked what made him so rebellious, James" said:” because my father
had gone. I had no discipline. I didn’t think how much I was hurting my mother and
15 sister, and myself too. I wanted the attention and. discipline of my dad”. But rebelling
only makes a bad situation worse. James, for example, brought problems not only on
himself but also on his mother and siblings, who suffered unnecessary stress and
strain.

How much can you deal with the anger and resentment that you might feel
20 toward your father? First of all, you may need to remind yourself that your father
leaving was not your fault. Nor does it necessarily mean that he no longer loves or
cares about you. In fact, many absentee fathers lose touch with their children, not
because they don't love them, hut because they are overwhelmed with guilt and this
impedes their ability to function.

25 Whatever the situation, try to remember that your parents are imperfect. The
Bible declares: "all have sinned and fall short of glory of god" (Romans 3:23; 5:12).
It’s true (that this does not excuse hurtful or irresponsible behavior. But recognizing
the fact that we are all inherently imperfect may make it easier to let go our
destructive anger and resentment.
nd
AWAKE, December 22 , 2000

MAXIME NZE MBA, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TLE B3 SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019

 TEXT N°2
FROM MARRIAGE TO PORN
My name's Lolita. I am 26 years old. I am from Nigeria. I am a former porn actress
dying from AIDS. My troubles began in Lagos. I came across an internet announcement,
which said that a businessman was looking for women who wanted to get married. There
were photos and stories of happy and successful marriages. Apart from the internet
5 announcement, I also answered to announcements posted in these magazines that we find
everywhere now. It all went very fast. We started communicating via the Internet. He
promised me things that no woman would refuse. In a matter of three months, I had every
paper needed to leave for London. He also gave me the names of persons I had to meet...
Everything was ok, I went to see a guy called "wizard" for instructions.

10 We left after spending three days in a shantytown in Accra (Ghana) where we were
hidden to ″avoid being spotted by jealous people who were not as lucky as us!" ...At the
airport, my fiancé was waiting for me and I followed this man whom I knew nothing about
apart from the fact that he called himself "Bryan". We barely got to his house when the
nightmare began. First of all, he wanted us to do it right away. I was forced to do what he
15 wanted, I knew only him and he had kept all my papers. After sexually abusing me, he asked
me to watch films in which girls were having sex with animals. To give me courage, I took
drugs and drunk before doing those scenes, because without getting high on drugs, I just
couldn't do it.

Sex with the animals were unprotected and the man told me that I was not at risk
20 since God had made sure that animals could not impregnate humans but I have to confess
that I made a lot of money. I had a house built back home and my family lives well. I pay the
school fees for the young ones and I am respected and adored. My family is very proud of
me because they know nothing about what I do.

Sometimes Bryan rented me out to a friend of his in the south of France, because in
25 summer, the arrival of a number of yachts and celebrities at the Côte d'Azur, I think that is
where I was infected with AIDS... and because I did not have regular medical check ups the
disease was discovered too late. I was abandoned on the beaches of Saint Tropez. Bryan
disappeared and changed his address. A prostitute from Poland (..) introduced me to an
African girl who was also involved in the same line of work, who introduced me to an
30 association that takes care of African women with aids...

My disease is in its terminal stage. I won't live past thirty. My body is covered with
leeches; I am a drug addict, anorexic, alcoholic... I still work as a prostitute, but I am careful
not to put my clients, who know nothing about my situation, at risk. I do it to help me buy
drugs and alcohol. I take those things to speed things up, you know, my death. The images
35 torture me and it is like a poison killing me in small doses. It is the worst kind of death. I
regret so much for coming to Europe. Back home, I would be healthy, married and by now a
mother...”

«Adapted from the article: A dying African bestial porn actor stranded in Europe. April 2009

MAXIME NZE MBA, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TLE B3 SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019

 TEXT N°9

THE VALUE OF EDUCATION

Education is not an end, but a means. In other words, we do not educate

children only for the purpose of educating them; our purpose is to fit them for life. As
soon as we realize this fact, we will understand that it is very important to choose a
system of education that will really prepare children for life. It is not enough just to
5 choose the system of education one finds or to continue with one’s old system of
education without examining it to see /y whether it is in fact suitable or not.

In many modem countries, it has for sometimes been fashionable to think that,
by free education for all - whether rich or poor, clever or stupid - one can solve all the
problems in the society and build a perfect nation. But we can already see - that free
10 education for all - is not enough: we find in such countries a far larger number of
people with university degree, than there are jobs for them to fill .because of their
degrees, they refuse to do what they think “low” work, and, in fact work with the
hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such countries.

But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of completely
15 uneducated farmer is far more important that of a professor; we can live without
education, but we die if we have no one to clean our streets and take the rubbish
away from our houses, we should get terrible diseases in our towns. In countries
where there are no servants because everyone is ashamed to do such a work, the
professor have to waste much of their time doing housework.

20 In fact, when we must be educated to fit us for life it means that we must be
educated to fit us for life, it means that we must be educated in such a way that,
firstly, each of us can do whatever job is suited to his brain and ability; and secondly,
we can realize that all jobs are necessary to society, and that are very bad to be
ashamed of one’s work or to scorn someone else’s. Only such a type of education
25 can be called valuable to society.

Koffi ANANOU, Recueil de texte et exercices Anglais, p.47

MAXIME NZE MBA, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TLE B3 SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019

 TEXT N°6

THE AFRICAN POLYGAMIST

In an overall view of the typical African family, there are two striking aspects in
which it differs from the American family. First is the idea of the extended family as
opposed to the nuclear family, which exists in the U.S. The other aspect is polygamy.
Among very many African tribes, many men have more than one wife and the family
5 is, therefore, made up of a man and his wives and all children. It cannot be
overemphasized that the African family is not just husband, wife or wives and their
children. It embraces much more.
Uncles, aunts, and grandfathers, great-uncles and all blood relations are part of the
family.

10 After marriage negotiations have been completed, a wedding ceremony

usually takes place when a payment is made in cash or goods by the groom to thé
bride's parents. The bride-wealth should hot be regarded as “buying one's wife”. Its
payment legalizes the marriage and could be regarded as the equivalent of marriage
certificate in western societies. It also establishes a bond between the two families
15 concerned and shows respect for the bride and her family. Then the bride-wealth is
shared among the members of the bride’s family.

The husband is always free to enter more marriages if he wants to and if he

has the financial means. Polygamy, which is greatly prestigious in African society,
offers the husband security and position and ensures that he will have children.. In
20 some African societies, marriage is not complete until a wife becomes pregnant. The
wife usually welcomes the arrival of more wives who will work on die farm and lighten
her labour. Polygamy also has its advantages. Among Africans, we find that some
marriages end unhappily. Because there are frequent quarrels among co-wives and
the result is divorce. But in general, the advantages of polygamy far outweigh the
disadvantages in the African society.

Anthony OKIO OJIOBO

MAXIME NZE MBA, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TLE B3 SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019