Wealth Accumulation: The Secret a Babylonian Revealed at 70 The African Leaders Still Keep

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In the days of king Sargon of Babylon, the city was faced with great deflationary pressure to the extent that the king wondered what had happened to a once prosperous economy. The Royal Chancellor traced the economic woe to unemployment which resulted from the completion of the great irrigation canals and the mighty temples of the gods. In perplexity, the king asked where the gold with which these projects were executed had gone. He was later made to understand that the gold had found its way into the possession of a few rich men in the city. Hence, Arkad, the richest man in Babylon had a question to answer.

The 70 year old Arkad appeared before the king and declared his utmost desire to make Babylon truly the wealthiest city in the world by revealing the secret of wealth accumulation to the people. However, in Africa, the people are yet to see the government that will show interest on the people same way it became a burden to the king of Babylon. The Arkad’s secret can be summarized in his seven cures for a lean purse. They are:

(1)    Start thy purse to fattening (saving)  

(2) Control thy expenditure ( Avoid conspicuous consumption)

(3)    Make thy gold multiply (Investment)

(4) Guard thy treasures from loss ( Risk reduction)

(5)    Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment 

(6) Ensure a future income

(7)    Increase thy ability to earn

Lessons for Africa:

The Arkad’s revelation has a lot to teach the African people. These lessons among other things include:

-         The political leader must not be the richest person in the society. Hence, it is unnecessary to be stealing the public fund as it is in Africa.

-         The political leader must not be the wisest person in the society. Hence, he should seek advice even from those not in governments.

-         One must not be a political leader before be contributes meaningfully to the economic growth and development of the society. Hence, the mad rush into politics should stop.

-         The rich in the society should understand the risk they face in the society if the people around them are not empowered. Hence, if you see the road, show it to others

-         Men should learn to be humble and show respect to Authority as demonstrated by Arkad despite his riches.

-         Nation building is a collective responsibility of the government and the people.

In conclusion, Arkad at 70 revealed the secret of wealth accumulation and sustenance to his people. Unfortunately, the African leaders and fathers  have refused to do same even to their children. Hence, their children squander the wealth they accumulate illegally. At 70, African leaders prefer to disorganize the society by rejecting election results, stealing public funds and perpetuating themselves in power. They intentionally refuse to allow light to shine upon the lives of the millions of their subjects. May God help us…