MUSA-ODODO ABDULRAHAMAN
A CALL TO TRUE POWER IN NATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Distinguished Leaders,
Guardians of the Nation,
Servants of the People,
We gather at a defining moment – not just in the life of a nation, but in the unfolding story of Power itself.
For throughout history, nations have not fallen because they lacked power.
They have fallen because they misunderstood it.
Today, I stand before you to speak not merely of governance, but of something deeper – something ancient, something eternal:
The Nature, the Purpose, and the Responsibility of Power.
In the Wisdom of old, power was never described as a possession.
It was described as a force – vast, dangerous, and transformative.
The ancients called it the Dragon.
Not because it was evil,
but because it was mighty beyond control.
And so the question before every leader, in every generation, has never changed:
Will you be consumed by power, or will you command it?
There are leaders who fear power.
They hesitate, they shrink, they avoid responsibility.
There are leaders who chase power.
They grasp, they dominate, they serve themselves.
But history remembers neither with honor.
For both are overcome by the very force they fail to understand.
But there is a higher calling.
There is a Rarer Path.
It is the Path of the Sage.
The sages do not fear the dragon.
The sages do not worship the dragon.
The Sages Ride the Dragon.
To ride the dragon is not to dominate power – it is to Master Oneself.
It is to stand in authority without arrogance.
To act with strength without cruelty.
To lead with vision without losing conscience.
It is to understand that power does not change who you are –
Power Reveals who you are.
Distinguished leaders,
Before you seek to control a nation,
you must first control your impulses.
Before you command institutions,
you must first command your character.
For the greatest threat to any nation is not the absence of power –
It is power in the hands of the unprepared.
Let us then remember the three eternal laws of true power:
First – Power must be understood.
Not all power is visible.
Influence, knowledge, words, and decisions – these shape the destiny of millions.
What you do not understand, you will misuse.
Second – Power must be mastered.
A nation cannot rise above the discipline of its leaders.
If you cannot govern yourself, you cannot govern a people.
Third – Power must serve.
Power is not a throne for self-glory.
It is a burden of responsibility.
It exists to protect, to build, to uplift, and to secure the future.
History has shown us the consequences of forgetting these truths.
Empires have risen with brilliance and collapsed in arrogance.
Leaders have ascended with promise and fallen through excess.
Not because they were weak –
But because they allowed power to become their master.
Today, our nation stands at a crossroads.
We have power – political, economic, intellectual.
But the question remains:
Do we have the Wisdom to wield it?
This is our moment to choose.
To choose discipline over indulgence.
To choose service over self.
To choose legacy over temporary control.
To choose to become leaders who do not merely hold power –
But leaders who are worthy of power.
Let it be said of this generation:
That when power was placed in their hands,
they did not abuse it.
That when authority was entrusted to them,
they did not betray it.
That when the destiny of a nation rested upon them,
they rose to the height of responsibility.
Distinguished leaders,
The dragon is here.
Power is here.
The future is here.
The only question that remains is this:
Who among us will rise as Sages—
and ride the dragon with Wisdom, Discipline, and Purpose?
May we be counted among them.
May we lead with understanding.
May we govern with mastery.
May we serve with honor.
And may history remember that in our time –
Power was not feared.
Power was not abused.
Power was understood, mastered, and used to build a nation worthy of its people.
Thank you.
And may Wisdom Guide us all.
Shepherd of Nigerian Divine Destiny
Musa-Ododo Abdulrahaman
Founder, Initiative for Discovery of Nigeria Heritage and Endowment (IDNHE)
Chairman, National Policy Dialogue – a Dialogue with Wisdom
www.nationalpolicydialogue.org