SUCCESSION AND THE NIGHTMARES OF FORMER RULERS
(Modest
thoughts with Ayuba Yilgak'ha, April 5, 2022;
SMS: 08116181263)
Against
the erroneous motion that the term ruler and leader are the same and can be
used interchangeably; there is a thin but distinct difference between rulers
and leaders. This distinction is reflected in several works of literature, but
one of which will form the context of this expository discourse.
A
Non-Governmental and non-profit organization, Vision International Christian
Ministries (VICM) attempted to distinguish between the two terms. It defined a
ruler as someone who dictates the rules with the assumption that being the head
means having absolute right and authority over others who have no choice but to
follow and peradventure anyone acts otherwise, the consequences for
disobedience include death, imprisonment, and/or physical harm. In this sense,
rulers are associated with power-drunk dictators who use instruments of power
to exercise coercion or load it on their subjects.
Leaders,
on the other hand, are those in a position of authority who influence
direction, guidance, motivation, empowerment, inspiration, and encouragement in
others to be the best they can be, putting their skills, potentials, and
abilities into proper use (VICM). This implies that leaders are a catalyst for
inspiration, and motivation towards the realization of a person's best potential for the greater good of the total population. In other words, they
are a legitimate representative of people or institutions who stir others
towards the attainment of greatness both at the micro and macro levels of living in
a society.
In
a democracy, people are more favorably disposed to leaders than any form of
rulership. In anarchist doctrine, "rulers are undesirable"(Skyler,
2015). Despite the abhorrence of rulership in democracy and anarchism, rulers
have stealthily sneak their way into supposedly democratic offices and are loading
it on people in parts of the world, especially, Africa. In most African
countries, elected leaders rule like emperors and dictators whose trade in
stock is the use of deceit and brute force to administer their will to the
people who elected them, forgetting that leadership is transient.
In
this world, "Nothing", they say, "lasts forever." This
takes us to the idea of succession which has to do with the transition and
transfer of powers and authority from one leadership or rulership to another.
Leadership is a relay where power changes hands as time kicks. The word
"former" or "former" is a product of time and the reality
of the transiencee of power.
History is engaged with catalogues of the rise and fall of emperors, tyrants, rulers, and
leaders of all kinds. Today we can only read about great, mighty, or even
infamous leaders of yesterday in the annals of history.
Do
you remember names like Emperor Nero, Alexander the Great, and King Herod?
History has documented rulers like Adolf Hitler of Germany, Charles xiv of
France; Napoleon Bonaparte, also, of France. Do you remember Mobutu Tseseko?
What about Idi Amin of Uganda? Have you forgotten about Fidel Castro of Cuba?
These names, just a sample of many others, shared one adjective in common:
Former! They were former this or former that.
There
is this song lyrics, "I still remember... I still remember...I still
remember" that we had people like Abraham Lincoln, Tony Blair, Barack
Obama, Donald Trump, Olusegun Obasanjo, Jonah David Jang, all of them former
this or former that. Tip tap tip tap tip tap, time is moving and moving very
fast. Time ushers people into a position of authority and ushers them out in
the same manner. This is part of the nightmares of rulers!
History
is kind to leaders who transform people through the power of inspiration, motivation,
and modeling but harsh to rulers who deploy tyranny and rule their subjects
with an iron fist. If anyone thinks of himself or herself as a ruler, consider
these lines from Lord Byron's Poem titled, "The Ocean". It says:
"The armaments which thunderstrike the walls
Of
rock-built cities, bidding nations quake,
And
monarchs tremble in their capitals,
The
oak leviathan, whose huge ribs make
Their
clay creator the vain title take
Of
lord of thee, and arbiter of war,—
These
are thy toys, and, as the snowy flake,
They
melt into thy yeast of waves, which mar
Like
the Armada’s pride or spoils of Trafalgar.
Thy
shores are empires, changed in all save thee:
Assyria,
Greece, Rome, Carthage, what are they?
Thy
waters washed their power while they were free,
And
many a tyrant since; their shores obey
...."
In
Nigeria, as 2023 approaches, outgoing leaders at various levels are already
shopping for their successors and preparing handover notes. The fundamental
question that must be placed before those on the saddle now is this: How do
they want to be remembered or how do they want to see the constituencies they
now govern managed when they are out of power?
One
of the nightmares of an exciting good leader is succession contradictions. When
a good leader is succeeded by a bad successor, the legacies of the former shall
be put in reverse gear or the promises of the future stalled. This is always a
frustrating experience to behold by any former leader who is passionate about
the next generation.
For
rulers, those who have failed to be objective with power will remember too soon
that their time is up. In no distant time, they shall be on the bad side of
history with many regrets because they had the opportunity but betrayed it.
History will come reminding them of their worst actions or inactions.
Another
worse nightmare of a former ruler is the failure to get with energy and stress
what he could have gotten by a word of command while in power. It is failing to
have their way with people who were once their least aides or servants, and
cannot do anything about it that often makes them allergic!
Tyrants
are reminded of the words of Chaplin which says, "As long as men die,
liberty will never perish." Therefore, when you have the opportunity to
lead, use it well because another might not come your way anymore. Also, when
you want to be remembered for good, be good; when you want to be remembered for
bad, the choice is entirely yours to make. The treatment you meted unto others
today shall be meted unto you tomorrow even worse. That is Buddhist's law of
Karma for you!
You
may be President today, tomorrow is another;
You
are a governor today, tomorrow it can be me; you might be a senator today;
someone is waiting to take over in the next four (4) years. If you are a Chief
Executive, retirement must come calling someday.
If
today was yesterday's future; then, today must be tomorrow's yesterday. This is
the verdict of nature dictated by a restless but fair distributor of human
fate: Time!
If
the man on the saddle gets it right by being objective (not subjective),
chances are that the best, even in succession, will emerge. African China
featuring Efe in his song titled, "Mr. President" offered the
following profound charge to those in the position of authority whether as a
leader or professionals. It is for our listening pleasure and for deep
reflection too:
"Make
una lead us well
No,
let this nation fall inside well
Mr.
President
Lead
us well
If
you be governor
Govern
us well
If
you be a senator
Senate
am well
If
you be the police
Police
well well, no dey take bribe." That is the message, doing the best you can
to serve the common good while in power.
Let
me conclude this piece with the following words by Distinguished Senator Shehu
Sani who represented Kaduna Central in the Nigerian Senate between 2015 - and
2019. He wrote:
"In
some months ahead, the people that move about like Gods today would become
ordinary people you will meet at the train stations, Airports, Mosques, and
Churches. They will be deserted by their aides, loyalists, and hangers-on. They
will move without the crowd of security men that surrounds them. Their phones
will no more be busy and they will start calling missed calls. They can be
arrested so easily. They will meet those they disfavoured or persecuted. They
can no more order and direct but request, beg or appeal. They will have no
immunity and will watch their words and steps. They will harvest their
crops." What a reminder and a warning signal to the political class
especially those in the position of authority in Nigeria who will have to face
an election in 2023 with every possibility of winning or losing. It is already
a nightmare, especially, for those with despotic inclinations while in power.
Tomorrow
shall always come if men are alive. Regimes come and go but the state remains.
As recent as 1999 was Obasanjo in power; today is Buhari. New sheriffs are
coming at all levels to replace those our laws exit!
References
Skyler,
J. (2015). Rulers vs. leaders. https://everything-voluntary.com/rulers-vs-leaders.
VICM
(2021). Rulership vs. Leadership.
https://vicmnigeria.con/rulership-vs-leadership/
