‘Mr. President there is more to being President than accumulating Wealth and power’
It is a universally accepted norm that there is more to being a President of a nation than accumulating wealth; becoming famous and or having absolute power to make every decision and control everything. There are very few people in the history of any nation who have the rare opportunity of becoming President. It is a privilege that the people of a nation bestow on those few citizens. Regardless of how one comes to power it is the people who supports you and give you the chance to make decisions on their behalf. That privilege should be a sacred duty that comes with enormous humility and responsibilities.
Certainly there are stark differences in behavior on people who come to power through the mandate of the people and those who force themselves onto power. Those who come to power through the ballot box understand their limitations and are mostly fully conscious of how they got there. The one’s that force themselves on to the people even after seeking the mandate of the people to legitimize their power grab almost always feels a sense of entitlement and invincibility. They are equally more vulnerable and distrusting of their associates and anybody around them. They live in fear and believe that the only way they can continue to keep their power is through intimidation and systematic elimination of their opponents.
When Yahya Jammeh seized power at age 29 from a government that has overstayed its mandate, he had an incredible opportunity to make history and become one of the youngest leaders to turn the tiny African nation around and established a model democracy in a continent toned apart by civil wars, poverty and an unprecedented governing crisis. This tiny nation was ready for a hero who would seize the verse potentials and peaceful nature of the population to build a model society, develop a sound economy and become a commercial center in the subregion. But as they say education and experience are sometimes the most important ingredients for the development of a human being. Jammeh lacked not only the education and experience but the human compassion to surround him with talent to achieve his populous message of good governance, development, transparency and accountability. It did not take long before he became curse by his actions and took three hundred and sixty degrees for the worst.
One fundamental principle or intelligence Yahya Jammeh lacked from the get go was basic human decency and modesty to learn and develop into a mature and sophisticated leader. Instead of learning from history, from daily events in a more globally integrated world with wealth of information at his fingertips, President Jammeh choose to take a leadership path that has been proven time and again to make the worst foot notes of human history. Ancient as well as modern leadership theories teaches that those who impose power on their people and seek to keep an iron fist to sustain their power grip fails miserably and lose their reign in the most brutal of manners. This is an abiding fate that awaits such leaders who think they know all and can control it all.
But the basic fundamental reality Jammeh and his likes fail to understand is that there is more to being a President than accumulating wealth, enjoying privileges and keeping down every citizen who opposes their leadership. Leaders are supposed to be role models, they are supposed to speak with caution and be humble for the privileges they are accorded. All nations want to look up to their leaders and pride in presenting a decent and intelligent citizen who makes decision on behalf of the nation. When nations meet at events such as the United Nations General Assembly, every country sends its leaders to represent them. These leaders are expected to display maturity, show intelligence and sophistication in dealing with national and global issues.
When President Obama stands in front of the whole world at the UN General Assembly and address global issues, the American people and many around the world admires him and his intelligence, but when leaders who oppress their people, live in denial and focus on other issues that has no bearing on the welfare of their people, they become a laughing stock and an embarrassment to their people and the world. Sometimes one wonders when Jammeh and others attended events such as Mandela’s funeral what was going on in their heads. When they listen to other leaders talk about hope and opportunity – what goes on in the brains of leaders who continue to oppress their people? How long can they be in denial that what they regard as development at the expense of peace and security of citizens is far less important to citizens than their liberty and security? Development cannot be forced on people; it can only be brought by the involvement of the people. The choice is clear and it is never too late to do the right thing. Take advantage of the opportunities that are still there and turn things around. Anything less will inevitably lead to a brutal downfall no matter how long it takes.
By D. Baldeh Commentary