We've all heard it said before. There is some universal wisdom in that statement.
For some leaders, the idea of servantship is anathema and the very antithesis of leadership. For many, leadership is the equivalent of kingship with all that goes with "the divine right of kings" or "the shadow of God on earth", kingship as earthly Godhood etc, albeit in some not so democratic republics not yet turned into the monarchical system it has to be kingship without wearing a crown – such as that which was worn by the tropical Emperor Bokassa.
The remains of the Emperor Ozymandias of course still reign over desert sands...
In today's Europe and some other parts of the world the King or Queen is mainly ceremonial.
For Christian leaders - such as Goodluck Jonathan (I don't say that he's perfect, but I've followed him since he became president and in my not so humble opinion, after Madiba Nelson Mandela he strikes me as the most humble of any of the contemporary African leaders I can think of. He is certainly not self-exalting although he has a PhD, whilst in their time, Michelangelo and indeed King David and the wisest King Solomon, Jesus of Nazareth and Islam's prophet Muhammad ( s.a.w) did not pursue any such degrees....
Servantship: There's the story of Jesus of Nazareth washing the feet of his disciples and this is an inspiration to many. For Muslim leaders of course there is the example of the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.) personally leading his army of Jihadists and as "commander-in-chief " not staying behind as some of the modern-day leaders do, staying behind in the comfort of their palaces or some safe haven, some Islamic type of White House or Kremlin, and from that safe distance & a cup of coffee or scotch on the rocks, watching the latest developments on TV, the boys suffering or perishing at the war front. The Prophet of Islam's two front teeth were martyred at the Battle of Uhud.
If only our African leaders (since it's Africa that we're talking about mostly) if only they, and we (who put them in power by voting for them in the first place) could attain to more humility and servantship ( they go hand in hand ) – they would be loved by all their people! I'm not suggesting that Goodluck should turn the other cheek or sheath his sword ( The Nigeria Military) - or that Nigeria's would-be president Muhammadu Buhari should himself personally lead the troops into battle against e.g. Boko Haram, - we are only desirous of our societies evolving in the direction of The leader as servant !
"An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" is also about equality – that the president's tooth or the governor's tooth is also only a tooth and not superior to other peoples teeth , that all teeth are equal so to speak - the poor man´s tooth and the chief executive's tooth...
A little example of the notion of equality in action:
In 1985, a few days before X-mas at the jazz section of the Akademi Bookshop in my neighbourhood at Odenplan I found myself standing next to Olof Palme (he liked Benny Goodman) when I turned and saw him – we were almost nose –to-nose and I almost jumped out of my skin. After he had made his selection, he then joined the long queue (it irritated me that no one offered him a place at the head of the queue) and waited patiently for his turn. Unthinkable in Nigeria!
If Shagari was going to any big town in my neck of the woods the security would be there at least a week before his arrival, combing the town and you could be sure that when he finally arrived you would hear the approach of his entourage from at least a mile away – the Mobile Police constabulary on their motorbikes, the blare of welcoming trumpets (joking), the fanfare of the sirens, and of course a complete halt to any other traffic - almost a state of environmental petrifaction - a mode of not " anything that moves , dies" but "any false move – dies!"
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