SIR: The concept of sit-down syndrome which has now become a common trademark of many African leaders is something that ought to be of paramount concern to all well-meaning Africans. There ought to be new perspectives into the study of the root cause of the zeal with which some African leaders hold on tenaciously to power and never ever willing to relinquish it for someone else to take over.

Studies must now centre on how sit-tight leaders such as Teodoro Obiiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea who has been in power since 1979, Paul Biya of Cameroon who has ruled since 1982, Denis Sassou-Nguesso , the Head of State of Democratic Republic of Congo since 1979, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda since 1986, Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea since 1993, Ismail Omar Guelle of Djibouti since 1999, Paul Kagame of Rwanda since 2000 and Faure Enassungbe of Togo since 2005 would be convinced to understand the dynamics of governance as including leaving when the ovation is loudest.

Ironically, with the exception of only very few of them, sit-tight governance has hardly ever been on records as benevolent or beneficial to the African people majority of who are kept in abject poverty while sit-tight leaders and their cronies live in questionable opulence at the expense of their citizens. 

Unfortunately, most times the sit-tight concept is discussed, attention often centres only on political leaders alone whereas it ought to be all embracing and all encompassing. There are also religious leaders who have led their flocks since the 1970s and never see anything wrong in holding on to their positions instead of putting machinery of succession in place and stepping aside to watch what would happen in their absence.

With such sit-tight attitudes, it can easily be predicted that when such religious leaders pass on, their various congregation are bound to break up under different leaders and the blame will definitely be on those who refused to put their house in order while they were alive because of their undying love to hold on to their lofty positions and the great privileges attached. What is sauce for the goose should also be so for the gander.

The concept of sit-tight should be dealt with in all its reunification wherever it rears its head whether in the political or spiritual realm so that nobody is allowed to arrogate and appropriate power to themselves alone perpetually.  
Jide Oyewusi is the coordinator of Ethics Watch International Nigeria.