AFRICAN LEADERS AND ABSOLUTE POWER

There is no gainsaying that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupt absolutely”. Despite the reign of democratic governance in African, some African leaders still clutch to political power for over two decades using state instruments to prolong their regimes against constitutional provisions.
The aim of this write up is to check, why many African leaders love to stay in power and yet refuse to use the state resources to develop the state of their country.
Though we all proclaim Africa (the continent) as our father land and Nigeria (depending on each individual) as our country, but let us all ask ourselves, do we all treat and take this sayings to our heart? As in do we all treat these two components (continent and country) like our father’s properties or like the way we would love our children to treat our properties? Of course not!
African leaders are too passionate about power, influence, affluence, dominance, hegemony and all sort of selfish authority. African leaders hardly quit public office honorably. It is either their effort to prolong their term in office failed or they die in office. E.g. Omar Bongo of Gabon, Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo, Gen. Sanni Abacha of Nigeria (All Late) all died in power while the likes of Idi Amin of Uganda, Mamadou Tandja of Niger and our own Ibrahim Babangida refused to relinquish power until they were deposed (Olusegun Obasanjo’s effort to extend his administration not excluded).
Now let us ask ourselves, what exactly are our leader’s problems or what is the reason behind the do or die attitude of African leaders with power. Why are our leaders so crazy and power mad?
I keep on asking, If African leaders have passion for absolute power, why not for absolute rule of law?
All these are questions that need to be answered or how can one explain the overstaying in office of the likes of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia who have stayed in power for more than 20yrs? Burkinafaso’s Blaise Campaore is in his 21st year while our neighbouring Paul Biya of Cameroun, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe who has spent 26yrs and 29yrs respectively still wish to surpass the record of Muammar Gaddafi who is the current longest serving leader in Africa and among the top 5 in the world. African situation is pathetic and needs international intervention. This is where the international organizations like U.N., commonwealth and A.U. come to question.

REASONS WHY AFRICAN LEADERS DON’T GIVE-UP POWER
The following are reasons why African leaders don’t give up power.
- Complex reason
- Historical
- Religious/cultural
- National
- Global factors

1. Complex Reason: Africans naturally have exaggerated feelings about things. The superiority complex of our leaders makes them feel that if they leave power to a predecessor then what become of their own influence.

2. Historical: The colonial masters of Africa did not release power voluntarily; countries like Zimbabwe, Angola and Mozambique wagged brutal wars to unseat colonial government refusing to give up power through democratic means thereby laying the precedent in Africa that absolute power corrupt absolutely.


3. Religious/Cultural: Africa’s first generation leaders grew up under colonialism which is majorly from Roman Catholic Church, they learnt that the pope is infallible and dies in office while the British monarchy is hereditary. This concentration of power and privilege did not exist in most pre-colonial Africa, it is from them African leaders learnt to cling to power.

4. Nationals: The hand-over of power in Africa between successive African governments has in many situations been through blood shed or brutal guerilla campaigns. Countries where citizens are not politically inclined and well informed will not have the effrontery to challenge its leaders hegemony.


5. Global Factors: Many a time’s dominant African leaders selfishly get the support of Europe and American country due to one selfish reason or the other. United State of America’s support for IBB was as a result of access to Nigeria crude oil, the support being rendered to Lesotho in recent years is for U.S to have direct control over their raw materials which will be eventually sold to them at high rate when turned to finished goods.


SOLUTIONS TO DICTATORSHIP

Africans should move ahead from wherever we are as there are no more bases to go back to (i.e. no more drawing board). The world is now a global village and the development of information technology wait for no one. What we should do is get ourselves informed about happening in our immediate environment. It is so unfortunate that an average African doesn’t know his/her fundamental human rights. If the zeal in every African is high in terms of seeking for knowledge and getting aware of the political activities then this so called leaders can be check appropriately.
African journalists have a lot of role to play in this aspect too. As the fourth estate of the realm it is their duty to adequately inform the society of the happenings. Africa media personnel should be able to form a formidable force and have one umbrella body (One voice) to constructively criticize any Leader who intends to stay in power for more than his/her country’s constitutional provision.
African elites like Mohammed El Baradei of Egypt, Wangari Maathai of Kenya, Kofi Annan of Ghana, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu of South Africa, and our own Professor Wole Soyinka should all rise up to also condemn, discouraged and intellectually attack such attitude.
Finally organizations like African Union, European Union, United Nations, ECOWAS, Commonwealth, even the likes of FIFA should all disassociate countries whose leader is found wanting in terms of political hegemony and power dynasty.



References:
Kasumu, I. 2009, African leaders and Political Authority, (Unpublished)
Farai, M. 2010, Why African leaders don’t give up power, Wikimedia Commons.