LIBYA AND LEADERSHIP LESSONS FOR NIGERIA
Gaddafi rode on Libya’s leadership stool with such presence like an iroko for over four decades. He shone like the beautiful stars of the skies from the beginning and became larger than life. But the way he came to end points to how human we all are even we when wield such powers like he did. Then his star faded off when his lust for more powers and desire to elongate his stay held him like a demented soul.
Time flies and all that he stood against he later have become and the result is his didn’t just endangered himself but brought a whole to nation to a needless and bloody war.
His immortality and fabled love by his people were all shattered. And this has exposed a fact too: he had no friends who were ready to lay their lives for him. He would have to carry on and until he was felled.
As we all are expected to die, we long to be remembered for good deeds. Libyans it is argued were better led by him but his ambitious were all geared to benefit his tiny circle; as such he schemed his people away from the national wealth.
We have to note that leaders are opportune to the lead their states by advancing the common good while the citizenry pay their taxes to make the state work for all. But Gaddafi lived wealthy at the exclusion of the citizenry and created value for a privilege few: his tiny circle.
Finally the lesson is that life is short and that we should appreciate the voices of others as oracle of the powerful. We must keep our eyes open that no individual hijacks the state power for any longer period and always promote the gospel that power resides with the people and that leaders at all levels are mere mortals if on the wrong path they should be stopped by words or subsequent actions when need be.