I never knew Popes resign – I mean the one in charge of the Roman Catholic Church, not the other ones. Well, I used to think the Pope was like the General Overseers (GOs) for whom resignation is probably not God’s will. Now I know better, thanks to Pope Benedict the XVI. I have lived to witness the election of a Pope (yes, I watched the white smoke coming out from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on TV back in 2005), his coronation and hopefully I will see a resignation of the Pope (which you wouldn’t have seen either if you were born after Pope Gregory XII’s resignation in 1415). Hopefully in March 2013, the circle will begin again with white smoke and a new Holiness. What will Pope Benedict XVI be called when he leaves office? Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger? Will he still be considered holy? I guess we will have to wait to see.
But what lessons can the Pope teach Africa? Well, probably you already know that life expectancy in Africa is 55.16 compared to 75.36 in Europe. It is not only the poor who die daily in Africa; death seem to have no respect even for the security fortifications of our State Houses. In Nigeria, we have had the misfortune of losing 2 sitting Heads of State since 1998. Recently, death has been prowling the State Houses in Accra and also in Addis Ababa. You can view a list of 10 African presidents who died in office here.
While old age might not be the sole cause of death for these leaders, the youngest of the 10 was Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi who died last August at 57 (just slightly passing the continental life expectancy of 55 years) and the oldest was Malawi’s Bingu wa Mutharika who died at 78 last April. There are other leaders alive who are older than that. Robert Mugabe will turn 89 on 21st February and we pray that he may live long[er]. So recomputing Allison’s Presidential Mortality Rate for Africa since 1998, we have an alarming 19% mortality in office. Being President surely is no easy task; but in Africa more than anywhere else, it is a public health emergency!
So, far away in the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI has been praying and soul searching. Whether or not the Pope prayed also for God to purge his flock of priests with eyes for little boys, we know not. But we do know that he meditated on his strengths in relation to the enormous responsibilities of his office being both a spiritual leader and a Head of State. Obviously, the Good Lord said “mene, mene, the Pope must resign” – and that is just what Pope Benedict XVI has announced. While many experts and conspiracy theorists have different explanations for the Pope’s resignation, Pope Benedict XVI only cited “lack of strength of mind and body” (but not of spirit!).
Bear this in mind, it is crucial: the pope is not retiring to a slush fund he has stashed while in office or to launch his foundation in London. Instead he is going to devote his life to prayer in a monastery in the Vatican – of course, not in the St. Augustine’s Major Seminary in Jos, Nigeria or some other such city in need of much prayer.
Pope Benedict XVI is only 85 years old but has personally – without coercion from any man as far as we know, ruled that his mind and body are no longer fit for the office he holds. In Nigeria, different delegations have deemed it important to visit Danbaba Suntai in hospital in Germany not only to wish him well, but also to snap pictures and tell tales that will ensure his office is kept vacant pending when the Lord would heal Suntai who crashed a plane in 2012. Recently, hitherto absent Governor Chime returned to Enugu and proclaimed that he owed no one apologies for his 140 days absence from his place of work.
Across Africa we are surrounded by reports of public officials battling ailments the nature of which are highly guarded secrets and receiving treatment in sometimes in undisclosed locations. In Nigeria, President Yar Adua’s sickness was a treated with such utmost secrecy that only a select few (The Cabal) knew the details until he died on 5th May 2010. While the President was in hospital in Saudi Arabia though, the budget of Nigeria was flown to him and he signed and sent it back to be implemented. And we were told our President can rule us from anywhere he pleases; we dare not ask that we could see him.
By the way, health infrastructures in Africa are in shambles. I know. But this article will not call for improved medical care or health insurance coverage or anything that makes a difference to the poor; I will write that tomorrow. Obviously, the African health care system is not designed to cater for Their Excellencies and their close relations. No, their paracetamol is dispensed in Germany.
But health and gerontocracy are not the only issues with our presidents; youthfulness could be an issue too! In The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh (47) has ruled his country with a tight fist since 1994 (he was 28 then). Apart from such a broad extracurricular activities ranging from exorcism to pharmacology, Jammeh has earned the distinction of being every human rights’ activist’s worst nightmare. In Uganda, Museveni who has been in power for 27 years claimed there is no one in the country fit to take over from him should he decide to relinquish power. Nearby, in Rwanda, their Presidential elections are not due until 2017, but already there is talk of “it is not easy to find someone with the same qualities as President Kagame”. In Zimbabwe (and beyond), there is so much discussion about the health of President Mugabe, but Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has ruled he is “not sick, just old”. In South Africa, they are able to change their Presidents when the time comes; their only concern is how many women a President should be entitled to.
Perhaps those who are Catholics would tell better what the spiritual legacy of Pope Benedict XVI is; I will tell you his political legacy. We learned from the Pope that there comes a time when one could be unfit to perform the duties of one’s position. This may be due to ill-health or old age as is his case, but it could also be on account of a public office holder losing the confidence of the electorate or simply over-staying one’s welcome. If you are a President, it may be that The Opposition is silent or that the fellows at The Haque are not looking for you, if it is so then you should be thankful. But it still you should not count that as a sign that you should continue in office.
Finally I wish the conclave God’s guidance and speed as they elect the new Pope later on. Hopefully, it would not be as it was in the years 1268-1271. But during the vote, if the conclave is sure that it has not yet elected the right pope, they should kindly get someone from the Woji Abattoir in Port Harcourt, Nigeria to make the fire to avoid doubts. As, I recall they make the blackest smoke by far.
Whatever the duties you are called to do, see to it that you can say with all confidence and under the witness of God that you possess the strength of body and of mind to discharge them. If on the other hand, you feel that you lack of strength of mind and body like the Pope has felt. Do the honourable thing to step down.
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Daniel Nengak
Nengak Daniel Gondyi is presently a post-graduate student in International Migration and Ethnic Relations at Malmö Högskola inSweden. He is also a Senior Programme Officer of the Abuja based Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD. He holds a Bachelors’ in International Studies from the Ahmadu Bello University. Read his full profile here.
