OPINION: The Trap of Power | By Isah Bala

I've read and watched how acclaimed humane individuals and saints fell to the trap of power and became the worst that ever happened to the people they sought to sail from leaders who gain gaiety in drowning their subjects.


No wonder, Abraham Lincoln succinctly opines that, "nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

History has it that Adolf Hitler was religious, a Christian as evident in his book Mein Kampf ("My Struggle") and in public speeches prior to and in the early years of his rule.

He was entrapped with the evil of power in his quest to spread his tentacles, killing and unleashing unimaginable mayhem to his perceived enemies until the world faced him and eventually took his own life to avoid impending humiliation at the age of 56.

Like Hitler, Mobutu Sese Seko of Congo in Central Africa was engrossed with the trap of power, killing and imprison anybody who refused to bow and recognise his tyrant rule.

Mobutu was a victim of evil of power, he was intoxicated with power that he assumed the position of demi-god to the people he once fought for their liberation.

Mobutu's draconian rule was best captured in the book "Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa." It detailed how Mobutu ruled Congo for 32 years and renamed it to Zaire.

As if that wasn't enough, Mobutu Sese Seko claimed to have emerged from the heavens to inspire his lowly subjects. His image was designed to be used just like crucifixes under the religion Mobutuism, which was designed to replace Christianity as the spiritual foundation of the country.

His Interior Minister Engulu Baanga Mpongo, championed this in his words, “God has sent a great prophet, our prestigious Guide Mobutu. This prophet is our liberator, our Messiah. Our Church is the mpr. Its chief is Mobutu. We respect him like one respects a Pope. Our gospel is Mobutuism. That is why the crucifixes must be replaced by the image of our Messiah.”  That was the extent at which power intoxicated Mobutu, before he was ousted and the rest was history.

This also played out in East Africa, Idi Amin of Uganda was intoxicated with power to the point that he declared himself president for life and attached unending tittles to himself,  "His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Alhaji Dr. Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE".

His greedy quest to annex
Tanzania's Kagera Region in 1978, led to his fall when Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere fought back.

Nigeria, wasnt exception, Gen. Sanni Abacha was intoxicated with power, he delt with anybody he perceived will pose danger to his throne which eventually led Nigeria with series of ban from International Organisations because of human rights abuse.

Chinua Achebe captured the scenario in his "Anthills of the Savanna" when he submits that, "power is good but the evil of power will make you to hate your fellow man "

But what is in this power that turns 'good men' to wolf devouring their people and pay deaf ear to every advice, hoot and cry?

What is in this power that makes many leaders to only concern about how to garner stupendous wealth and spread their tentacles at the expense of their subjects?

What is it with power that makes many acclaimed saint fell cheaply and place more premium to praise singing rather than accepting the truth from critics and change their ways?

What is it with power that makes leaders see critics as enemies and prefer to execute them while accepting praise singers as the best of friends?

But then, the current crop of leaders have refused to learn and take hid that power is what man gains and loses and will surely be remembered for what one left behind while overseeing the affairs of the people.

I am forced to ask if it's power that change man or the hidden evil in man manifest when they see opportunity to perpetuate it.

I may align with the school of thought that holds, "power doesn't change man, it only brings out the inherent evil in man."