BY: PROF. MIKE A. A. OZEKHOME, SAN, CON , OFR, FCIArb, LL.M, Ph.D, LL.D, D.Litt, D.SC, DA, DHL
INTRODUCTION
In the first part of this treatise, we set the tone by examining its meaning with the aid of historical sketches and nuggets. Today’s feature explores power generally and man’s dominion over it, political power, it’s abuse – noting the ephemerality of life itself. I pose the question: ‘what is power?’. I then observe that God controls men of power, concluding that nothing lasts forever. Enjoy
Power and man’s dominion
Power is as old as the creation of the world. The first expression of power was by God – when he created the Heavens and the Earth. [Genesis 1 v. 1 – 2]. The Qur’an states that ‘Allah created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them.” [7:54].
God proceeded to create man in His own image and likeness when he said, “Let us create man in our image, to our likeness. Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over the wild animals, and over all creeping things that crawl along the ground.” [Genesis 1 v. 27]. This means that man looks like God and possesses the attributes of God – with absolute dominion [power] over all things created by God. Psalm 82 puts it poignantly: “I said, you are ‘gods’; you are all sons of the MOST HIGH”.
Political power and its abuse
In the labyrinthine corridors of political power, a captivating dance of death unfolds- where the mighty ascend to the throne with the grandeur of illusion and tall promises, only to find themselves ensnared in the maze and quagmire of their own making. Such is the hypnotic and seductive tale of power and its ephemeral grip on those who wield it. In the Nigerian political landscape, this narrative has played out time and again, as public officeholders have succumbed to the allure of authority, often leading to the abuse, misuse and disuse of power.
Edmund Burke was on target when he admonished that “the greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse”. The reason is that in the words of Paul Harris, “personality has power to uplift, power to depress, power to curse and power to bless.”
Life itself is ephemeral
The ephemeral nature of power, as highlighted in religious texts such as the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran, emphasizes the transient and fleeting nature of human existence and the potential pitfalls of wielding power in a capricious, whimsical, arbitrary and unconscionable manner, without humility, righteousness and due regard to those at the receiving end.
In James 4:14 of the Bible, it is expressed that humans do not have control over what will happen in the future. Life is compared to a vapor that appears for a short time and then vanishes away. Hear James: “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” This metaphor conveys the brevity and fragility of human life. It also suggests that power, like life itself, is temporary and also dissipates rapidly. Similarly, the Quran, in verse 28:76, narrates the story of Korah, a person of power during the time of Moses. Korah abused his authority and tyrannized his people. He was granted immense wealth and treasures that “even their keys would burden a group of strong men”. So, his people advised him, “Do not be prideful. Surely, Allah does not like the prideful.” The supremacy of divine power surpasses the transience of mortal power. God stands as the ultimate force to be acknowledged, while humanity’s existence is temporary. As they say, “Soldier come, Soldier go, Barracks remain”.
The Legendary musical icon, Prince, once said passively that, “But life is just a party, and parties weren’t meant to last.”
The historical Chinese politician and poet, Li Shang-yin, also told us that, “And a moment that ought to have lasted for ever has come and gone before I knew.”
The much celebrated Indian author, Krishna Udayasankar, also echoed this, “No empire lasts forever, no dynasty continues unbroken. Someday, you and I will be mere legends. All that matters is whether we did what we could with the life that was given to us.”
I once a read mesmerizing poem that is engraved in my everyday thought of action. It was a poem written by the highly celebrated English poet, Percy Shelly– “Ozymandias”. This was the first foremost metaphor for the ephemeral nature of power. It was written in a parlance – depicting a traveler telling the speaker a story about two vast legs of stone standing without a body, and near them, a massive, crumbling stone head lies ‘half sunk’ in the sand. The words on the statute read thus: “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! But today, the statute is broken and even decayed, where is the self-acclaimed king?”.
Same long-living Biblical figures still died anyway: Adam (930 years); Seth (912); Kenan (910); Noah (950) and Jared (962).
Even Methuselah reputed to be the longest-lived human whose lifespan was recorded as 969 years in Gen 5:27, still kissed the dust. When man became swollen-headed and too sinful, God cut his age to a maximum of 120 years (Gen 6:3). This God’s ceiling of human lifespan is why the oldest ever recorded Guinness Book of Records human being is Branyas of Spain who lived for 113 years and 364 days.
Yet, God controls men who control power
With this observation, a compelling pattern emerges, a thought-provoking notion that everything, as if orchestrated by the hands of time, may eventually and inexorably reach its transient conclusion.
The terrific Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylonian, reigned for so many years. After his great fall, and having come to true repentance, acknowledged the unlimited and unending power and greatness of God, thus: ‘The matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the Kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever HE will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.’ [Daniel 4 – 1].
So, what is power?
An American writer – Robert Green, popular for writing international books on human nature, all power-related, was asked the meaning of power. This was his response: “Power is the measure of the degree of control you have over circumstances in your life and the actions of the people around you. It is a skill that is developed by a deep understanding of human nature, of what truly motivates people, and of the manipulations necessary for advancement and protection”.
Returning to the nucleus of our riposte, let us embark on an expedition through the intriguing Nigerian terrain, shedding more light on the fleeting nature of assumed dominion bestowed upon the fortunate wielders of power.
Picture this: Nigeria is a land of vast potentials and immense diversity, where power dynamics dance like fickle flames in the wind. It is a place where nondescript politicians rise to sudden prominence like shooting stars, captivating a tired nation with alluring promises of change, progress, and prosperity. In my Ozekpedia, I once called the “Politrictians” who practise “Politricks”. (See Nigerian “Politricks” and the Politrictians“ https://nigeriaofourdreams.wordpress.com/ November 4, 2014). But alas, as the old saying goes, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In this case, it also evaporates like water in the Sahara. In 1655, King Louis XIV of France proudly stood in front of Parliament and imperiously declared, “L’etat C’est Moi” (meaning, “I am the State”. This was to accentuate his complete hold on power to the total exclusion of all other lesser mortals. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27%C3%89tat, c%27estmoi, February 7, 2024).
Oh, how we have witnessed the Nigerian political stage transform into a theatre of comedy, tragedy and the absurd; an Odeon where the script is written by fate itself. We have seen leaders sprinting towards power, like Usain Bolt, fueled by sheer ambition and infatuation rhetoric, only to stumble and fall on banana peels of their own making. It is as if there is a cosmic prankster, ever delighting them in the ironic twists and turns of political fortune.
Even an era of authoritarian rule or maximum dictatorship no longer guarantees a leader’s everlasting hold on power. While it may prolong their tyrannical reign, as seen in many cases, their grip must one day end. In history, we have seen long-lasting dictators like Nguema Mbasogo, Omar Bongo, Kim ll Sung, Muammar Gaddafi, Ali Khomeini, Sassuo Nguesso, Gnassingbe Eyadema, Paul Biya, Hun Sen, Yoweri Museveni, Omar Al-Bashir, Saddam Hussein, Haile Selassie and Ferdinand Marcos.
Dictators’ and rulers’ rule is inevitably bound to reach its end, sometimes through violent means, as witnessed in the fate of certain long-standing dictators. Even King Louis XIV who ruled the kingdom of France for 72 years, 3 months and 18 days, still bit the dust. Ditto Sobhuza II who ruled Swaziland for 82 years and 254 days, same with Min Hti of Arakan who ruled in the Kingdom of Arakan for 95 years. What about Pepi II Neferkare, who ruled the Kingdom of Egypt for 94 years? They all went the way of all mortals. They became mere dust. Furthermore, the limitations of human lifespan must be taken into account. An individual’s productive years typically fall within the 40 to 50-year range, following a normal distribution pattern known as the “Poisson” distribution. This implies that their most fruitful years span from ages 25 to 75, with the peak occurring between 35 and 65. Considering these factors, the window of power becomes remarkably narrow and encroaches upon the more enjoyable stages of life. Observing some politicians’ desperate and suicidal maneuvers to cling to power forever, one wonders if they harbor the illusion of immortality.
Nothing lasts forever
Nothing lasts forever, even this life is vanity upon vanity. [Ecclesiastes 1:2 – 8 KJV]. In William Shakespeare’s epic in Macbeth, Macbeth himself tells, “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” (Act V, Scene V).
(To be continued)
Thought for the week
“The vanity of human life is like a river, constantly passing away, and yet constantly coming on.” (Alexander Pope)