The Grandeur of Power

By Tazoacha Asonganyi, Yaounde
By nature, the human being and power are not very good friends. Invariably, possession of any form of power results in humans seeking to control and manipulate other humans. And as it is with human nature, most humans always seek to please those who possess some form of power over them, most of the time to gain favours even at the cost of displeasing themselves! This relationship between control freaks and their preys always engenders the one-upmanship that blocks the benefits of the synergy of human thought and action that is the force behind strong organizations and strong nations. This is why Joyce Meyer advices that if someone is controlling you, you should take responsibility and stand up to him or her; you are as guilty as they are if you allow yourself to be controlled (and manipulated).
    Elizabeth Tamanjong’s resignation from her post in the SDF once more brings to the fore some of the antics born of the interaction of humans and power. Pushing her hand, or ordering her to remove chewing gum from her mouth, or refusing her a constitutional right may appear banal, but they are heart-rending because they are small acts that drain energy, joy and vitality from human action, and suffocate synergistic relationships. However we look at her revelations, they constitute a damning statement about the quality of political leadership we have in Cameroon.

    I was witness to some of such antics, like rudely ordering a fellow founding member to remove his hands from his pockets before talking to him; ordering a lady NEC member to put away her car keys before greeting him; boasting to me that I "cannot advise" him when I started a statement with “my advice is…;” or leaving his seat during a condolence visit by NEC with a confidential note I had sent to him and thrusting it at me, ordering me to take and read it aloud to NEC… That meeting ended abruptly because of my reaction to that affront.
    Human development depends on human interactions. Successful human interaction depends on the full grasp of the complexities of human nature, familiarity with the virtues and infirmities of politics, and the understanding that ambition is a strong human passion and a universal feeling. Successful human interaction depends on how strong human egos, divergent views, and the general feelings, motives, and desires of others are handled; how injured feelings are repaired. Successful human interaction depends on several qualities of decency and morality – kindness, sensitivity, compassion, honesty, and empathy; on the ability to overcome personal vendetta, petty-jealousies, humiliation, or bitterness.
    The transformation that is necessary in the Cameroon society requires the harnessing of free human elements to produce results; uniting and conjugating human forces to achieve desired ends. Since such human interactions failed in our Cameroon society, it was initially hoped that opposition political parties like the SDF would be a crucible for nurturing them. This has not been the case because of the one-upmanship that slowly bred an association of vocal sycophants. It has not been the case because of the self-abasement that has slowly replaced the self-esteem that powered the formation of parties like the SDF.
    Cameroon as it is presently structured and run must change. This means that the political parties and party leaders that have been clamouring for “change” since the ‘90s must necessary change too because they have not appeared to be differentiable from the party in power and its leaders that run the affairs of the country. Political mediocrity may prevail for a while but in the end it is exposed and shamed by the changing times. That is what has happened to the darling parties that came to “change” Cameroon.