While it is not criminal for a magistrate or judge to err in law, same cannot be said of a president when he or she errs in democracy. In law, an appellate court will simply correct the error which is also seen as “mistake of law.” In a presidential democracy, the electorates will correct an erring president by voting him out of office if he or she is seeking re-election. On the other hand, the electorates are easily persuaded to embrace the opposition if the erring president is not seeking re-election. This has happened several times in American presidential democracy.
There is an emerging line of reasoning that sound political leaders can never be misled by their lieutenants in a democracy. This is not true. It must be noted that different people are in government for diverse reasons. While some are for service, others for personal gains. There are still some who seek power just to protect the interests or agendas of third party organizations. Of greater worry are those who stay in government to deliberately give counsels that will pitch the people against government. In most cases, those who prime themselves to deliberately mislead political leaders wear honourable personalities and also parade very attractive credentials that can flatter anybody. They are the ones I term “false patriots.” This is what Jesus Christ said of such people in Matthew 24:24-25, “For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.” There are very many “false patriots” in the corridors of power in Abuja. The only way to survive this minority but influential clan of “false patriots” is for the president to stand with the masses.
One question that readily comes to mind at this point is: why are political leaders easily misled by “false patriots” even in the light of all the deliberate designs put in place to protect the culture of democracy and promote good governance? Specifically, political leaders are misled due to the peculiar template of democratic bureaucracy, where internal independence is usually granted some specialized sectors such as military, economy, agriculture, science and technology. For instance, current and past global economic crisis are products of internal independence granted some specialised agencies of governments in the West. To be more specific, former president George Bush of the United States was misled into ordering the invasion of Iraq in 2003 owing to false intelligence. It has now become clear that internal independence gives too much room for administration officials to mislead political leaders and heads of national government.
As part of efforts to effectively tackle this problem, most legislatures in the developed climes have responded by showing deeper interests in critical national issues that are traditionally left in the hands of the executive arm of government. The aim is to safeguard national security and economy. In almost all advanced democracies today, national security has been elaborated to consciously identify causes of dissent arising from unpopular government policies. Members of the legislature and the media play a major role in this regard.
It is in realization of this important fact that the fanatical anti-subsidy apostles in Nigeria have now shifted their battle to the sacred floors of the National Assembly in Abuja. The aim is to lure lawmakers to endorse plans by the federal government to remove fuel subsidy next year after stiff opposition from NLC, TUC, NUPENG, NBA, and other pro-masses organizations. Nigerian masses have come to the conclusion that the promised palliative measures cannot adequately compensate for their already feeble purchasing power that will be further weakened by the increase in the prices of goods and services that have direct and indirect link with petrol. This writer does not know of any product or service that does not have direct or indirect attachment to petrol.
One basic fact need to be highlighted here. The nation’s economic advisers and fiscal policy formulators are lazy and non-creative. They are merely “copying and pasting” foreign fiscal policies. An economic strategy that works in country A may not necessarily do well in country B. This is because population, literacy level, culture, religion, science and technology determines which policy works where and when. The IMF and World Bank have all accepted this fact. Sadly however, both the IMF and World Bank are quick in advising developing economies to devalue their currencies and abandon subsidy regimes. But unknown to many, the United States, Canada, and members of the European Union subsidize critical sectors of their economies in order to protect their citizens cum national security. High unemployment, poverty, and hunger pose great threats to the national security of a country.
In 2010, the European Union spent €57 billion on agricultural development programme. Of this amount, €39 billion was spent on direct subsidies. Who is fooling who? The West is indeed fooling Africans. They are however using some of our willing intellectuals to do so. It is the duty of every government to identify the critical sector in its economy to intervene. Frankly, it would be wide of the mark for Nigeria to remove fuel subsidy because Britain or the United did so. It is so sad that our fiscal policy formulators and economic advisers have become so lethargic that they have relegated themselves to merely copying and pasting foreign fiscal policies that do not fit with our peculiar circumstances.
For months now, our nation’s “false patriots” have been fighting dirty to win the subsidy removal battle. It is extremely absurd for anyone to remind Nigerian masses of the pump price of petrol in the United States, Canada, or Europe all in a bid to buttress their campaign for the removal of fuel subsidy. Apart from the fact that unemployment figures are low in those climes, they also have cheap and efficient mass transportation systems, discounted housing and health care programs. These are just a few of the safety nets put in place by governments in developed democracies to protect the welfare of their citizens. These safety nets were not deployed in four or eight years. For instance, it would take up to a decade to build an effective national transportation infrastructure. That is one reason why those who are in a position to appreciate what it would take government to put in place safety nets to cushion the effects of withdrawal of fuel subsidy suspect government’s sincerity. For the avoidance of doubt, it would cost government more than what it spends on fuel subsidy to deploy effective safety nets to cushion the effects of increase in the price of petrol. Government should not make the mistake of tying the deployment of new and the rehabilitation of existing national public infrastructure to the removal of fuel subsidy. It is something government owes the citizenry.
It will also be necessary to remind the minority clan of anti-subsidy campaigners that Nigerians would be too willing to buy a liter of petrol for even N150 if public and private sector workers earn as much as their contemporaries do in America and Europe. Instead of being creative, the nation’s fiscal policy formulators and economic experts in government have chosen to take the short-cut to national transformation by merely copying and pasting World Bank and IMF prescriptions. It is longer secret that both the World Bank and IMF are tools used by the West to pursue their hidden economic agendas against developing countries especially in Africa. Most of the fiscal prescriptions that come out of the World Bank and IMF are usually anti-people and specifically designed to pitch the masses in developing countries against their governments so as to brew economic crisis and consequent social dissent. With this, they would be able to discreetly sabotage rapid economic growth in Africa and protect the export-based economies of Western democracies. Some of such fiscal prescriptions are Structural Adjustment Program, Currency Devaluation, and Anti-Subsidy policy.
The time has come for President Jonathan to hear the truth. There are too many “false patriots” in his administration. No doubt, they are honourable in appearance and eloquent during debates. The truth is that they do not mean well for him and Nigeria. Like it is in every developed country, the people are the centerpiece of democracy. For this singular reason, any policy that will injure the welfare of the people must be jettisoned. Call for the removal of fuel subsidy is one of them.
It has been very clear right from the onset that the federal government’s fiscal plan of withdrawing fuel subsidy next year is not the idea of President Goodluck Jonathan. Nevertheless, he will bear whatever consequences that may arise from it. This is the major reason why the president must ignore the minority clan of well-heeled elites and stand with the Nigerian masses like he promised during the campaign season. To do this, President Jonathan would have to quickly separate reality from cheap logic as being postulated by some of his lieutenants in the corridors of power.
For the avoidance doubt, it is the fundamental responsibility of government to see that the welfare of the citizens is protected through deliberate policies with human face. The planned removal of fuel subsidy would not have human face as far as the poor and hapless Nigerian masses are concerned. Government should rather look for other means of raising money to fund the nation’s socio-economic framework. In the last five decades, it has been the low and middle class that have shouldered the burden of national transformation, leaving the wealthy few to swim in their typically questionable affluence. Government can raise up to N1 trillion by imposing 2% annual tax (for 5 years from date of purchase) on every private car above N3 million, 2% tax on every private residential house costing more than N7 million, 1% on each local flight ticket, 2% on each international flight ticket, 2% tax on accommodation in luxury hotels, and 50% reduction in the salaries and allowances of elected and appointed government officials.
Furthermore, government should build more refineries and also ensure that the four existing ones operate at optimum capacities. With this, the pump price of petrol will fall in line with what is obtainable in other OPEC countries, where a liter of petrol sells between N9 and N45. The masses should not be punished for the deliberate ineptitude of some government officials that sabotaged our local refineries in order to promote the fuel import business.
Showing posts with label democracy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label democracy. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Reuben Abati: When Snakes Change Skin
I grew in an environment surrounded by thick forest on all sides. Seeing snakeskins was therefore not strange to me because there was never a week I did not stumble on one or more while playing in my dad’s then beautiful and serene landscaped compound. In my childhood innocence, snakes meant just one thing to me: a shy crawling creature that loves changing cloths always. I was however not jealous because my father succeeded in making his children to accept the fact that unhealthy desires were sin against God and man. Mind you, not many parents were that lucky.
As years continue to take the better part of my sojourn on earth, my childhood opinion about snakes began to melt like ice-cream on a sunny afternoon in Kano or Sokoto. Interestingly, I have come to realize that snakes mean different things to different people. While some snakes are poisonous, others are not. Even though, many will detest the presence of snakes around them, some keep them as pets. There are others- snake charmers who are believed to possess the ability to manipulate the mind of these multi-specie creatures.
Since I appreciate how much space religion occupies in the consciousness of Nigerians; let me take a plunge into the deep waters of the Bible to appraise the unique place of snakes in the lives of Christians, which I am one. While commissioning His disciples in readiness for the task of spreading the gospel of hope and salvation in an unfriendly world, Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:16: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” What will you find if one takes down the walls surrounding this counsel? Two mysteries. The first one is wisdom if in the midst of unfriendly people. The second mystery is magnanimity in victory.
This brings me to the foundation of my piece. There are usually two camps in human life. You are either on the defensive or on offensive. Whichever camp one finds him or her self, there is a moral code of engagement. This is where many people- especially newspaper columnists have failed. The fact that the media is the conscience of the society is no longer in doubt. The problem has been that many newspaper columnists and reporters only celebrate failures and ignore excellence. They believe that it is unprofessional to clap for political leaders even when the need becomes obvious. Those that sing praises of the excellent efforts of politicians are quickly tagged “corrupt” or “derailed.” Funny enough, the apostles of “anti” and “attack” brand of journalism will not bother to point their high beam torchlights to dry grounds in order to enable the masses walk through hard grounds. This does not make sense.
As a commentator on contemporary issues, I do admire the philosophy behind the “attack” brand of journalism. I however do complement writings with quite a handful of “how tos.” Every criticism must come with one or more alternative ideas. This makes it positive and healthy for the growth of democracy.
Unarguably, Reuben Abati is among the small community of Christian journalists that heeded the counsel of Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 10:16. He has lived most of his public life as a snake when the situation demanded and like a dove if it was necessary. This is one reason snakes change skin.
Now that Reuben Abati has just changed skin, I want to hope that the unambiguous job prescription of a spokesperson of the president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the federal republic of Nigeria will not make him live all his days in Aso Rock only as a dove. No doubt, the snake in him will help his charmer- the president to be on his toes always. Benefit? Democracy would be energised and the masses will have many reasons to rejoice.
However, while I was on the last paragraph of this piece, a close friend of my family called to inform me that a snake has just bitten its charmer at the market square. I tried to find out what happened afterwards but his line went dead. Each time I made attempt to get back to him, a mysterious feminine voice kept on reminding me that my friend’s number has been switched off. Because of the nature of his job, my friend will never switch off his phone. Could it be a problem of flat battery? Immediately, my mind flashed to PHCN. Abati- sorry, God help Nigeria!
As years continue to take the better part of my sojourn on earth, my childhood opinion about snakes began to melt like ice-cream on a sunny afternoon in Kano or Sokoto. Interestingly, I have come to realize that snakes mean different things to different people. While some snakes are poisonous, others are not. Even though, many will detest the presence of snakes around them, some keep them as pets. There are others- snake charmers who are believed to possess the ability to manipulate the mind of these multi-specie creatures.
Since I appreciate how much space religion occupies in the consciousness of Nigerians; let me take a plunge into the deep waters of the Bible to appraise the unique place of snakes in the lives of Christians, which I am one. While commissioning His disciples in readiness for the task of spreading the gospel of hope and salvation in an unfriendly world, Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:16: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” What will you find if one takes down the walls surrounding this counsel? Two mysteries. The first one is wisdom if in the midst of unfriendly people. The second mystery is magnanimity in victory.
This brings me to the foundation of my piece. There are usually two camps in human life. You are either on the defensive or on offensive. Whichever camp one finds him or her self, there is a moral code of engagement. This is where many people- especially newspaper columnists have failed. The fact that the media is the conscience of the society is no longer in doubt. The problem has been that many newspaper columnists and reporters only celebrate failures and ignore excellence. They believe that it is unprofessional to clap for political leaders even when the need becomes obvious. Those that sing praises of the excellent efforts of politicians are quickly tagged “corrupt” or “derailed.” Funny enough, the apostles of “anti” and “attack” brand of journalism will not bother to point their high beam torchlights to dry grounds in order to enable the masses walk through hard grounds. This does not make sense.
As a commentator on contemporary issues, I do admire the philosophy behind the “attack” brand of journalism. I however do complement writings with quite a handful of “how tos.” Every criticism must come with one or more alternative ideas. This makes it positive and healthy for the growth of democracy.
Unarguably, Reuben Abati is among the small community of Christian journalists that heeded the counsel of Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 10:16. He has lived most of his public life as a snake when the situation demanded and like a dove if it was necessary. This is one reason snakes change skin.
Now that Reuben Abati has just changed skin, I want to hope that the unambiguous job prescription of a spokesperson of the president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the federal republic of Nigeria will not make him live all his days in Aso Rock only as a dove. No doubt, the snake in him will help his charmer- the president to be on his toes always. Benefit? Democracy would be energised and the masses will have many reasons to rejoice.
However, while I was on the last paragraph of this piece, a close friend of my family called to inform me that a snake has just bitten its charmer at the market square. I tried to find out what happened afterwards but his line went dead. Each time I made attempt to get back to him, a mysterious feminine voice kept on reminding me that my friend’s number has been switched off. Because of the nature of his job, my friend will never switch off his phone. Could it be a problem of flat battery? Immediately, my mind flashed to PHCN. Abati- sorry, God help Nigeria!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Bakare: A clergy that will not wait to hear from God
Not minding the fact that men have openly attempted to take over the position of selecting political leaders from God, the point still remains that power belongs to Him. God gives and takes away political power from whoever He wishes and at any time He so desire. This is responsible for the many unpredictable developments in the polity of nations all over the world. Even at this, many have failed to see the hand of God in the selection of political leaders. The fact that many political leaders have failed to live up to expectations does not in any way cancel God’s role.
It was the above reason that many were shocked when Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly took a plunge into mainstream politics. While this writer is of the opinion that clergies are not forbidden from politics, events have shown that the fiery preacher did not hear from God before accepting the offer of a vice presidential slot from Gen Mohammadu Buhari. The result of the April 16th presidential polls has confirmed this.
To a very large extent, many have been tempted to rush to conclude that Pastor Bakare was deceived by the wide support he enjoyed from his Save Nigeria Group (SNG) campaign. As good as the intentions of the SNG were, many had expected him to stay on the touchline like coaches normally do during football matches. Perhaps, he was discouraged by Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration that he has “no enemies to fight.” There was therefore no reason for him to contemplate being on the sideline to coach the president. No doubt, Bakare has lost many of his admirers. He might lose some of his followers in the weeks, months, and years to come.
Even as a spirit, God is not secretive. We must appreciate the important fact that God does not do anything without first revealing same to those concerned through one or more of His messengers. I cannot recall any of God’s envoys talking about a clergy sitting on the Nigerian presidency in 2011.
More than that, the fact was quite obvious that Gen. Buhari and Pastor Bakare were millions of miles apart in ideology. It would then be easy for one to argue that their union was built purely on the faulty foundation of desperation. The duo was out to use any means possible to dislodge the PDP- not Jonathan from the presidency. As painted by the result of the presidential election, very many people in the opposition gladly isolated Jonathan from the ruling PDP. In politics, this is unexplainable and seems to have some divine attachment. On the other hand; even if the CPC had won the April 16th presidential polls, the presidency wouldn’t have lasted the first 12 months. Buhari and Bakare would have easily rubbished the Obasanjo-Atiku record of presidential acrimony.
For a nation with very deep religious sentiments, Nigeria needs only leaders with moderate spiritual convictions. This was a big minus for the CPC. Assuming that the CPC won the presidential election; there is this fertile fact that many of Bakare’s followers would have rebelled against him the moment he buries his fire-brand religious beliefs in the grave of politics. In the case of Buhari, countless citizens believe that a leopard cannot change its spots. Many Nigerian families, communities, and businesses have not recovered from the hurt that was caused then by the Buhari-led military regime in the early 80s.
Furthermore, the greatest charge against both Buhari and Bakare are their inability to appreciate the honour that is attached to the presidency. This was several displayed by their arrogance and high temperament. Gen. Buhari was alleged to have urged his supporters to lynch whoever that was believed to have rigged the election. The same thing goes for Pastor Bakare that fueled the theory of Wild-Wild-North. What do they make of the judiciary?
Good leaders are supposed to be humble and economical with hate-words and insults. Buhari and Bakare quickly forgot that a greater percentage of the Nigerian population have come of age. As insignificant as it had appeared; while Jonathan and Sambo were busy boasting about their antecedence with humility, the duet of Buhari and Bakare spent a greater amount of their campaign time pouring venom not just on PDP but on the person of Jonathan and Obasanjo. At the end, the CPC only succeeded in telling Nigerians that it will fight corruption, introduce effective security network, improve on power supply, raise the standard of education, provide improved health care services, and guarantee a robust road infrastructure. There was nothing different from what the PDP has been saying.
To many Nigerian voters, what actually separated PDP from the CPC was the composure- maturity of Goodluck Jonathan and Namadi Sambo. There was never a time they rubbished other political parties or abused the personalities of their political opponents even at the height of provocation. Take the case of Rev. Chris Okotie, founder of Household of God Church and presidential candidate on the platform of FRESH Democratic Party who posited that as a zoologist, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was not grounded for political leadership. In rejecting the results of the presidential polls, Okotie even went on to call for the setting up of an interim government. This was clearly trillion of miles away from the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria. What manner of leaders does Nigerians really deserve? Use your tongue to count your teeth.
It was the above reason that many were shocked when Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly took a plunge into mainstream politics. While this writer is of the opinion that clergies are not forbidden from politics, events have shown that the fiery preacher did not hear from God before accepting the offer of a vice presidential slot from Gen Mohammadu Buhari. The result of the April 16th presidential polls has confirmed this.
To a very large extent, many have been tempted to rush to conclude that Pastor Bakare was deceived by the wide support he enjoyed from his Save Nigeria Group (SNG) campaign. As good as the intentions of the SNG were, many had expected him to stay on the touchline like coaches normally do during football matches. Perhaps, he was discouraged by Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration that he has “no enemies to fight.” There was therefore no reason for him to contemplate being on the sideline to coach the president. No doubt, Bakare has lost many of his admirers. He might lose some of his followers in the weeks, months, and years to come.
Even as a spirit, God is not secretive. We must appreciate the important fact that God does not do anything without first revealing same to those concerned through one or more of His messengers. I cannot recall any of God’s envoys talking about a clergy sitting on the Nigerian presidency in 2011.
More than that, the fact was quite obvious that Gen. Buhari and Pastor Bakare were millions of miles apart in ideology. It would then be easy for one to argue that their union was built purely on the faulty foundation of desperation. The duo was out to use any means possible to dislodge the PDP- not Jonathan from the presidency. As painted by the result of the presidential election, very many people in the opposition gladly isolated Jonathan from the ruling PDP. In politics, this is unexplainable and seems to have some divine attachment. On the other hand; even if the CPC had won the April 16th presidential polls, the presidency wouldn’t have lasted the first 12 months. Buhari and Bakare would have easily rubbished the Obasanjo-Atiku record of presidential acrimony.
For a nation with very deep religious sentiments, Nigeria needs only leaders with moderate spiritual convictions. This was a big minus for the CPC. Assuming that the CPC won the presidential election; there is this fertile fact that many of Bakare’s followers would have rebelled against him the moment he buries his fire-brand religious beliefs in the grave of politics. In the case of Buhari, countless citizens believe that a leopard cannot change its spots. Many Nigerian families, communities, and businesses have not recovered from the hurt that was caused then by the Buhari-led military regime in the early 80s.
Furthermore, the greatest charge against both Buhari and Bakare are their inability to appreciate the honour that is attached to the presidency. This was several displayed by their arrogance and high temperament. Gen. Buhari was alleged to have urged his supporters to lynch whoever that was believed to have rigged the election. The same thing goes for Pastor Bakare that fueled the theory of Wild-Wild-North. What do they make of the judiciary?
Good leaders are supposed to be humble and economical with hate-words and insults. Buhari and Bakare quickly forgot that a greater percentage of the Nigerian population have come of age. As insignificant as it had appeared; while Jonathan and Sambo were busy boasting about their antecedence with humility, the duet of Buhari and Bakare spent a greater amount of their campaign time pouring venom not just on PDP but on the person of Jonathan and Obasanjo. At the end, the CPC only succeeded in telling Nigerians that it will fight corruption, introduce effective security network, improve on power supply, raise the standard of education, provide improved health care services, and guarantee a robust road infrastructure. There was nothing different from what the PDP has been saying.
To many Nigerian voters, what actually separated PDP from the CPC was the composure- maturity of Goodluck Jonathan and Namadi Sambo. There was never a time they rubbished other political parties or abused the personalities of their political opponents even at the height of provocation. Take the case of Rev. Chris Okotie, founder of Household of God Church and presidential candidate on the platform of FRESH Democratic Party who posited that as a zoologist, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was not grounded for political leadership. In rejecting the results of the presidential polls, Okotie even went on to call for the setting up of an interim government. This was clearly trillion of miles away from the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria. What manner of leaders does Nigerians really deserve? Use your tongue to count your teeth.
Monday, April 4, 2011
JEGA HAS THREATENED THE FOUNDATION OF NIGERIA'S DEMOCRACY
There is no doubt that up Until January 2011, a larger percentage of the Nigerian population had lost hope in the Nigerian electoral system. It took a lot of persuasions and reassurances for Nigerians to develop some faith in the Attahiru Jega-led INEC. Furthermore, President Goodluck Jonathan's "One-Man-One-Vote" campaign also played a major role in changing the mindset of Nigerians about electoral umpires. It is assumed that only the highest bidder can win elections in Nigeria. In most cases, the incumbents have access to cheap funds to compromise electoral officers. This negative political culture has mostly reduced the important place of the electorates in the democratic landscape. Instead of playing a determining role, the electorates are treated as inconsequential elements. This is glaringly against acceptable democratic practices.
Democracy is all about offering quality political leadership. Without the electorates, the quality of political leadership would be abysmal. This is the reason why problems of political apathy are usually given serious attention in modern societies. It is believed that the fear of the power of voters is responsible for the high quality of political leadership in Europe, Canada, and the United States. If our political leaders must perform, votes would have to count so as to put our political leaders on their toes. Not just that, the war against graft must be taken to the bedrooms of every person living above his or her income. Without this, let us forget about democracy.
As an individual, I have respect for Attahiru Jega. This is based on the much I know about him. It was for this reason that when some hitches were experienced during the voter registration exercise, I called for calm. It must be remembered that millions of Nigerians refused to come out to register simply because of what happened in the first few days of the registration exercise. They rushed to the conclusion that nothing has changed despite all the assurances from Jega. It will be difficult to blame them. A hitch free registration exercise would have changed their deep-rooted perception of electoral umpires in Nigeria. Jega and his commissioners blew this golden chance.
The unfortunate postponement of the 2011 elections from 2nd April to 9th April will further swell the ranks of Nigerians that have been consumed by the political virus called "apathy." This is not good for our democracy. It will take days, weeks, months, years, and probably decades, to win back the millions of Nigerians lost to "apathy" due to the shocking postponement of the 2011 elections.
Following the hitches that nearly marred the voter registration exercise in January, Attahiru Jega quickly pointed accusing fingers at some "Vendors." He has again fingered these faceless "Vendors" for being responsible for the late arrival of ballot papers when we have more than enough aircrafts in the country and elsewhere to deliver on time. The truth is that, Jega was not on top of the situation. You cannot place the future of a country on the heads of some faceless “Vendors” without carrying out an oversight function. If he had done so, planes would have been dispatched from Nigeria to fly in those ballot papers from whatever destination they were printed. It is very sad that Jega allowed a dog- "Vendors" to bite him the second time. This shows clearly that he is not proactive.
It is right to argue that there was actually no need why Nigeria should print her ballot papers abroad. We are only over exaggerating our incompetence. With the new electoral laws, it will be impossible for any political party to rig the elections even if the result sheets were in the hands of any of the political parties. What is important is for all political parties to send their agents to all the polling booths to witness and endorse the result sheets and retain their copies for comparison with what INEC will announce. In actual fact, the success of the elections lies on INEC officials- not the political parties.
In several cases, it is proved that INEC officials connive with political parties to distort results. One way to discourage this is impose heavy sanctions on INEC officials were election results were tampered with. With the new electoral guidelines; even if INEC officials collude with politicians to change election results at the collation centres, voters who witnessed the declaration and pasting of results at the polling booth can testify to this fact at election tribunals. For this and other reasons, there is no reason why billions of Naira should be wasted to print our ballot papers overseas.
Democracy is all about offering quality political leadership. Without the electorates, the quality of political leadership would be abysmal. This is the reason why problems of political apathy are usually given serious attention in modern societies. It is believed that the fear of the power of voters is responsible for the high quality of political leadership in Europe, Canada, and the United States. If our political leaders must perform, votes would have to count so as to put our political leaders on their toes. Not just that, the war against graft must be taken to the bedrooms of every person living above his or her income. Without this, let us forget about democracy.
As an individual, I have respect for Attahiru Jega. This is based on the much I know about him. It was for this reason that when some hitches were experienced during the voter registration exercise, I called for calm. It must be remembered that millions of Nigerians refused to come out to register simply because of what happened in the first few days of the registration exercise. They rushed to the conclusion that nothing has changed despite all the assurances from Jega. It will be difficult to blame them. A hitch free registration exercise would have changed their deep-rooted perception of electoral umpires in Nigeria. Jega and his commissioners blew this golden chance.
The unfortunate postponement of the 2011 elections from 2nd April to 9th April will further swell the ranks of Nigerians that have been consumed by the political virus called "apathy." This is not good for our democracy. It will take days, weeks, months, years, and probably decades, to win back the millions of Nigerians lost to "apathy" due to the shocking postponement of the 2011 elections.
Following the hitches that nearly marred the voter registration exercise in January, Attahiru Jega quickly pointed accusing fingers at some "Vendors." He has again fingered these faceless "Vendors" for being responsible for the late arrival of ballot papers when we have more than enough aircrafts in the country and elsewhere to deliver on time. The truth is that, Jega was not on top of the situation. You cannot place the future of a country on the heads of some faceless “Vendors” without carrying out an oversight function. If he had done so, planes would have been dispatched from Nigeria to fly in those ballot papers from whatever destination they were printed. It is very sad that Jega allowed a dog- "Vendors" to bite him the second time. This shows clearly that he is not proactive.
It is right to argue that there was actually no need why Nigeria should print her ballot papers abroad. We are only over exaggerating our incompetence. With the new electoral laws, it will be impossible for any political party to rig the elections even if the result sheets were in the hands of any of the political parties. What is important is for all political parties to send their agents to all the polling booths to witness and endorse the result sheets and retain their copies for comparison with what INEC will announce. In actual fact, the success of the elections lies on INEC officials- not the political parties.
In several cases, it is proved that INEC officials connive with political parties to distort results. One way to discourage this is impose heavy sanctions on INEC officials were election results were tampered with. With the new electoral guidelines; even if INEC officials collude with politicians to change election results at the collation centres, voters who witnessed the declaration and pasting of results at the polling booth can testify to this fact at election tribunals. For this and other reasons, there is no reason why billions of Naira should be wasted to print our ballot papers overseas.
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Undressing of Bill Clinton's White House
My latest book; The Undressing of Bill Clinton's White House: Enemies of United States' Democracy Unmasked offers a fresh perspective on the primary essence of political leadership. It argues that democracy does not begin and end with organizing credible elections. That, sound political leadership should go beyond appearing in cassock.
While recognizing the importance of morality, the book rejects the opinion that integrity alone can make one a successful leader. It also argues that Bill Clinton's private life failing is better than the public life failure of most American presidents.
The book can be purchased from: http://i-proclaimbookstore.com/unofbiclwhho2.html
While recognizing the importance of morality, the book rejects the opinion that integrity alone can make one a successful leader. It also argues that Bill Clinton's private life failing is better than the public life failure of most American presidents.
The book can be purchased from: http://i-proclaimbookstore.com/unofbiclwhho2.html
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
A Look at Nigeria's democracy
Like many other Nigerians, I have followed with fervour the colourful debate that trailed the official presentation of the report of the Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reforms Panel, set up by the late President Musa Yar’Adua to proffer solutions to the nation’s defective electoral system. This was in fulfilment of a promise he made following his public admission that the election which brought him to power was faulty. The high point of the report was the recommendation that the president be stripped of the singular privilege of appointing the chairman of the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC). From whatever angle one wants to look at it, the recommendations of the panel was a clear-cut statement that Nigerians were truly hungering for a sound political leadership culture. For a period spanning close to the middle mark of a century, the Nigerian nation has harvested the consequences of poor leadership culture.
It is so sad that Nigeria’s barn has been stalked full with shameful tales of corruption, unemployment, poverty, high crime rate, energy crisis, bad roads, and absolute collapse of the educational and health sectors. As the world’s sixth largest producer of crude oil, Nigeria relies on the importation of petroleum products to service local demands. This has forced government to spend billions of petro-Dollars to subsidise imported fuel. Rather than finding ways to make the nation’s four refineries and petro-chemical plant operate at optimum capacity so as to stop the importation of petroleum products, the leadership of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF), and Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have in the last two years embarked on a campaign to stampede government into withdrawing fuel subsidy. This minority colony of upper class citizens did that with the knowledge that they can afford to buy petrol even at N500 per litre. Blinded by the privileges they enjoy, they refused to take into cognisance the nation’s poor socio-economical framework that is glaringly too weak to withstand the instruments of international forces, which is built around the US Dollar.
Apart from the open fact that Nigerian workers are not paid the Dollar equivalent of what their contemporaries earn in Europe and the United States, ¾ of the nation’s workforce cannot rely on their salaries for feeding, rent, transport, health, and educational needs of their families. This is one primary root cause of poverty and corruption in the country. In the absence of a sound socio-economic framework, people are forced to look for alternative means to take care of the basic needs of their families. Painfully, corruption is always the available option! Surely, the CBN, FMF, and NGF have put the cart before the horse. President Goodluck Jonathan should as a matter of national importance ignore the elitist drumming and concentrate on strengthening the nation’s socio-economic framework before withdrawing fuel subsidy.
There is no doubt that with the removal of fuel subsidy, government would save so much money, which can be invested in other critical sectors of the economy. Despite this fact, most developed countries still subsidise critical sectors of their national economy. For instance, agricultural subsidies alone accounts for more than 40% of the total budget of the EU. This has not only helped the agro-allied sector to grow; it has equally guaranteed food security in the EU. The message here is that, subsidy is not as bad as is being painted. It is just that the nation’s fiscal policy formulators and team of presidential economic advisers have run dry of ideas. The fuel subsidy mantra is just but a shortcut to the nation’s economic growth. Relying on shortcuts to stabilise an economy most times end up throwing up associated negative challenges especially when the top-bottom approach is applied to critical issues involving fiscal planning. Calls for the removal of fuel subsidy are primarily aimed at covering their failure and also mislead the president into believing that they are doing a good job. Rather than rely on the immediate gains from subsidy removal, the nation’s fiscal policy formulators and economic advisers should task government on the diversification of the economy through the opening up of the non-oil sector. Through this way, the already battered Nigerian masses would not be forced to carry the burden of a few corrupt government officials and inefficient team of economic advisers and fiscal policy formulators.
There are abundant potentials in the agro-allied sector alone. In case Aganga, Sanusi, and Babalola need help, I would offer it free of charge for the sake of our dear nation. Government can raise huge sums of money by rejigging the nation’s anti- corruption protocols. Corruption is costing Nigeria more money than fuel subsidy. They should also encourage government to embark on a thorough review of all contracts and audit the activities of the NNPC. It is very clear that most contracts have been inflated to lubricate the wheels of corruption.
There is no gainsaying that a society can only enjoy the luxury of sound political leadership when the leaders are accountable to the people. For now, the electorates have been robbed of their ballot. It accounts for why political power is still in the hands of the president, governors, and council chairmen. By all measures, it is only through a credible electoral culture that political power can be returned to the electorates. This will help to compel public office holders to deepen the foundations of democracy by rendering purposeful and transparent political leadership.
More than that, let us consider the important fact that blames for all the flawed elections in Nigeria are usually heaped on the head of the chairman of the nation’s electoral body. It was in recognition of this very significant factor that respected opinion leaders, the media, opposition parties, cultural organisation, religious and civil society groups held strongly to the recommendation that the exclusive right to appoint the chairman of INEC be transferred from the president to the National Judicial Council (NJC). The major aim of this recommendation was to build a thick and high wall between the president and the chief electoral umpire. My take on this has been that, even if the NJC is empowered to nominate three persons from which the president was to pick one; the possibility of the president romancing the nation’s chief electoral umpire cannot be ruled out. I had therefore banked on the idea of appointing a tested and strong-willed person to the office of chairman of INEC. I am aware of the question on the lips of several stakeholders: Will a sitting president, desirous of contesting election be kind enough to appoint a strong-willed person to umpire his political battle? For obvious reasons, civil society and opposition parties would not afford to trust a sitting president with such sacred privilege.
Surprisingly however, a wide range of negative voices voluntarily drowned themselves in a pool of harmony immediately after President Goodluck Jonathan nominated the vice chancellor of Bayero University, Kano; Professor Attahiru Jega as chairman of INEC. Many, who had become freelance ambassadors of the Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reforms Panel, started praising the courage and sincerity of President Jonathan in nominating a tested no-nonsense academician as the nation’s chief electoral umpire. It was a demonstration that the personality of those to be entrusted with the sacred responsibility of conducting elections remains very critical and even more important than who does the appointment. The few that have expressed regret over the president’s nomination of Professor Jega did so for one underlying reason: There is a strong and genuine fear that just like other fire-spitting crusaders did in the past, Professor Jega too could be flogged into line. This is quite true! However, one yawning question that comes to mind at this point is: What is it that corrupts the spirit of hitherto honest electoral umpires in the past? In my own opinion, lack of integrity and faulty electoral system are the two main cause of electoral fraud in Nigeria. It would take a faulty electoral system and a dishonest president to rig an election. That is to say, the quality of every election is the true reflection of the integrity of the president. That is the reason why the ongoing amendments of the nation’s electoral laws are gladdening. Not minding who appointed him; Professor Jega is a man with the courage to say “No” should the president attempt to muscle him.
For good reasons, I find it difficult to accept the charge that a president, desirous of contest an election cannot be honest with appointing credible electoral umpires. President Goodluck Jonathan has in the last three years demonstrated huge amount of honesty, humility, and dedication to make Nigerians take him by his words concerning credible elections in 2011. There have been several instances where presidents who appointed electoral officers still lost at the polls. This is one important reason for reforming the electoral system. It should also not be taken that the opposition must have to win an election in order to confirm the credibility of the polls.
For now, two fundamental facts have emerged: First among them is that majority of Nigerians have deep confidence in the person of Professor Attahiru Jega. Secondly, by nominating Professor Jega, President Goodluck Jonathan has practically demonstrated that he is serious about the conduct of free and fair elections in 2011. This is true to the extent that the nominee has all the credentials needed for midwifing credible elections in the country. Professor Jega is known to be fearless, intelligent, resolute, and not a pauper. But above all, Jega is not given to materialism. These are some of the factors that would have swallowed him up either by the ruling party or opposition. Many even believe that the opposition does not rig election.
Furthermore, the decision of the Senate to invite members of the general public to make contributions concerning all those nominated to the board of INEC is a good test for the sincerity of President Goodluck Jonathan, who has for the umpteenth time, promised free and fair elections come 2011. Also worthy of note is the fact that the nomination of Professor Jega as INEC chairman is a positive social development. It is surely a practical confirmation that the nation’s reward culture is shifting to the right. For a very long time now, Nigeria has been turned into a country where honest and hardworking people are derided and abandoned to rot away. Nigerians would definitely be encouraged to live clean lives if honesty, integrity, and hardwork are rewarded. This is a very huge challenge to government, religious bodies, socio-cultural organisations, and civil society.
I would however like to warn that the appointment of credible personalities into the board of INEC would not automatically translate into having credible elections. All stakeholders in the Nigerian project must have to join hands and support INEC in order for it to be able to conduct free and fair elections. It is only through credible elections that unpatriotic, dubious, and criminal elements can be kept out of government. Political parties too must have to shun all forms of “do-or-die” politics. Security and law enforcement agencies in the country would need to carry out their duties without fear and favour. Furthermore, as the final hope of the oppressed and cheated during elections, the judiciary must sacrifice everything to dispense justice fairly. There is no doubt that with an impeccable judiciary, money-bags and unrepentant apostles of “do-or-die” politics that are able to dribble past Professor Jega and his team would be quickly tracked down by the long arms of the law.
Let us not quickly forget the fact that some stakeholders were not too eager about making the NJC to nominate the chairman of INEC owing to their perception of the judiciary. They do not see the judiciary as deserving such task going by the number of controversial judgements coming out of the courts. Corruption is known to be Nigeria’s greatest albatross. Many see the judiciary as a major hindrance to fighting the menace of graft in the country. They therefore fear that adding another big feather to its wings may endanger the nation’s democracy. What is critical to Nigeria now is the reformation of the electoral system so as to promote greater transparency during polls. Transparent electoral culture will surely narrow opportunities for rigging of elections. A neutral judiciary will be in a better position to handle election complaints. Whether contemplated or not, people will cry fowl when a judiciary that nominated the chairman of INEC sits on matters calling to question the integrity and activities of the electoral body. Let the judiciary stay detached as prescribed in the doctrine of separation of powers and perform its traditional duties of interpreting the law.
It is so sad that Nigeria’s barn has been stalked full with shameful tales of corruption, unemployment, poverty, high crime rate, energy crisis, bad roads, and absolute collapse of the educational and health sectors. As the world’s sixth largest producer of crude oil, Nigeria relies on the importation of petroleum products to service local demands. This has forced government to spend billions of petro-Dollars to subsidise imported fuel. Rather than finding ways to make the nation’s four refineries and petro-chemical plant operate at optimum capacity so as to stop the importation of petroleum products, the leadership of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF), and Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have in the last two years embarked on a campaign to stampede government into withdrawing fuel subsidy. This minority colony of upper class citizens did that with the knowledge that they can afford to buy petrol even at N500 per litre. Blinded by the privileges they enjoy, they refused to take into cognisance the nation’s poor socio-economical framework that is glaringly too weak to withstand the instruments of international forces, which is built around the US Dollar.
Apart from the open fact that Nigerian workers are not paid the Dollar equivalent of what their contemporaries earn in Europe and the United States, ¾ of the nation’s workforce cannot rely on their salaries for feeding, rent, transport, health, and educational needs of their families. This is one primary root cause of poverty and corruption in the country. In the absence of a sound socio-economic framework, people are forced to look for alternative means to take care of the basic needs of their families. Painfully, corruption is always the available option! Surely, the CBN, FMF, and NGF have put the cart before the horse. President Goodluck Jonathan should as a matter of national importance ignore the elitist drumming and concentrate on strengthening the nation’s socio-economic framework before withdrawing fuel subsidy.
There is no doubt that with the removal of fuel subsidy, government would save so much money, which can be invested in other critical sectors of the economy. Despite this fact, most developed countries still subsidise critical sectors of their national economy. For instance, agricultural subsidies alone accounts for more than 40% of the total budget of the EU. This has not only helped the agro-allied sector to grow; it has equally guaranteed food security in the EU. The message here is that, subsidy is not as bad as is being painted. It is just that the nation’s fiscal policy formulators and team of presidential economic advisers have run dry of ideas. The fuel subsidy mantra is just but a shortcut to the nation’s economic growth. Relying on shortcuts to stabilise an economy most times end up throwing up associated negative challenges especially when the top-bottom approach is applied to critical issues involving fiscal planning. Calls for the removal of fuel subsidy are primarily aimed at covering their failure and also mislead the president into believing that they are doing a good job. Rather than rely on the immediate gains from subsidy removal, the nation’s fiscal policy formulators and economic advisers should task government on the diversification of the economy through the opening up of the non-oil sector. Through this way, the already battered Nigerian masses would not be forced to carry the burden of a few corrupt government officials and inefficient team of economic advisers and fiscal policy formulators.
There are abundant potentials in the agro-allied sector alone. In case Aganga, Sanusi, and Babalola need help, I would offer it free of charge for the sake of our dear nation. Government can raise huge sums of money by rejigging the nation’s anti- corruption protocols. Corruption is costing Nigeria more money than fuel subsidy. They should also encourage government to embark on a thorough review of all contracts and audit the activities of the NNPC. It is very clear that most contracts have been inflated to lubricate the wheels of corruption.
There is no gainsaying that a society can only enjoy the luxury of sound political leadership when the leaders are accountable to the people. For now, the electorates have been robbed of their ballot. It accounts for why political power is still in the hands of the president, governors, and council chairmen. By all measures, it is only through a credible electoral culture that political power can be returned to the electorates. This will help to compel public office holders to deepen the foundations of democracy by rendering purposeful and transparent political leadership.
More than that, let us consider the important fact that blames for all the flawed elections in Nigeria are usually heaped on the head of the chairman of the nation’s electoral body. It was in recognition of this very significant factor that respected opinion leaders, the media, opposition parties, cultural organisation, religious and civil society groups held strongly to the recommendation that the exclusive right to appoint the chairman of INEC be transferred from the president to the National Judicial Council (NJC). The major aim of this recommendation was to build a thick and high wall between the president and the chief electoral umpire. My take on this has been that, even if the NJC is empowered to nominate three persons from which the president was to pick one; the possibility of the president romancing the nation’s chief electoral umpire cannot be ruled out. I had therefore banked on the idea of appointing a tested and strong-willed person to the office of chairman of INEC. I am aware of the question on the lips of several stakeholders: Will a sitting president, desirous of contesting election be kind enough to appoint a strong-willed person to umpire his political battle? For obvious reasons, civil society and opposition parties would not afford to trust a sitting president with such sacred privilege.
Surprisingly however, a wide range of negative voices voluntarily drowned themselves in a pool of harmony immediately after President Goodluck Jonathan nominated the vice chancellor of Bayero University, Kano; Professor Attahiru Jega as chairman of INEC. Many, who had become freelance ambassadors of the Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reforms Panel, started praising the courage and sincerity of President Jonathan in nominating a tested no-nonsense academician as the nation’s chief electoral umpire. It was a demonstration that the personality of those to be entrusted with the sacred responsibility of conducting elections remains very critical and even more important than who does the appointment. The few that have expressed regret over the president’s nomination of Professor Jega did so for one underlying reason: There is a strong and genuine fear that just like other fire-spitting crusaders did in the past, Professor Jega too could be flogged into line. This is quite true! However, one yawning question that comes to mind at this point is: What is it that corrupts the spirit of hitherto honest electoral umpires in the past? In my own opinion, lack of integrity and faulty electoral system are the two main cause of electoral fraud in Nigeria. It would take a faulty electoral system and a dishonest president to rig an election. That is to say, the quality of every election is the true reflection of the integrity of the president. That is the reason why the ongoing amendments of the nation’s electoral laws are gladdening. Not minding who appointed him; Professor Jega is a man with the courage to say “No” should the president attempt to muscle him.
For good reasons, I find it difficult to accept the charge that a president, desirous of contest an election cannot be honest with appointing credible electoral umpires. President Goodluck Jonathan has in the last three years demonstrated huge amount of honesty, humility, and dedication to make Nigerians take him by his words concerning credible elections in 2011. There have been several instances where presidents who appointed electoral officers still lost at the polls. This is one important reason for reforming the electoral system. It should also not be taken that the opposition must have to win an election in order to confirm the credibility of the polls.
For now, two fundamental facts have emerged: First among them is that majority of Nigerians have deep confidence in the person of Professor Attahiru Jega. Secondly, by nominating Professor Jega, President Goodluck Jonathan has practically demonstrated that he is serious about the conduct of free and fair elections in 2011. This is true to the extent that the nominee has all the credentials needed for midwifing credible elections in the country. Professor Jega is known to be fearless, intelligent, resolute, and not a pauper. But above all, Jega is not given to materialism. These are some of the factors that would have swallowed him up either by the ruling party or opposition. Many even believe that the opposition does not rig election.
Furthermore, the decision of the Senate to invite members of the general public to make contributions concerning all those nominated to the board of INEC is a good test for the sincerity of President Goodluck Jonathan, who has for the umpteenth time, promised free and fair elections come 2011. Also worthy of note is the fact that the nomination of Professor Jega as INEC chairman is a positive social development. It is surely a practical confirmation that the nation’s reward culture is shifting to the right. For a very long time now, Nigeria has been turned into a country where honest and hardworking people are derided and abandoned to rot away. Nigerians would definitely be encouraged to live clean lives if honesty, integrity, and hardwork are rewarded. This is a very huge challenge to government, religious bodies, socio-cultural organisations, and civil society.
I would however like to warn that the appointment of credible personalities into the board of INEC would not automatically translate into having credible elections. All stakeholders in the Nigerian project must have to join hands and support INEC in order for it to be able to conduct free and fair elections. It is only through credible elections that unpatriotic, dubious, and criminal elements can be kept out of government. Political parties too must have to shun all forms of “do-or-die” politics. Security and law enforcement agencies in the country would need to carry out their duties without fear and favour. Furthermore, as the final hope of the oppressed and cheated during elections, the judiciary must sacrifice everything to dispense justice fairly. There is no doubt that with an impeccable judiciary, money-bags and unrepentant apostles of “do-or-die” politics that are able to dribble past Professor Jega and his team would be quickly tracked down by the long arms of the law.
Let us not quickly forget the fact that some stakeholders were not too eager about making the NJC to nominate the chairman of INEC owing to their perception of the judiciary. They do not see the judiciary as deserving such task going by the number of controversial judgements coming out of the courts. Corruption is known to be Nigeria’s greatest albatross. Many see the judiciary as a major hindrance to fighting the menace of graft in the country. They therefore fear that adding another big feather to its wings may endanger the nation’s democracy. What is critical to Nigeria now is the reformation of the electoral system so as to promote greater transparency during polls. Transparent electoral culture will surely narrow opportunities for rigging of elections. A neutral judiciary will be in a better position to handle election complaints. Whether contemplated or not, people will cry fowl when a judiciary that nominated the chairman of INEC sits on matters calling to question the integrity and activities of the electoral body. Let the judiciary stay detached as prescribed in the doctrine of separation of powers and perform its traditional duties of interpreting the law.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
ELECTORAL REFORM AND PDP's ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY
ELECTORAL REFORMS AND PDP’s ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY
There is no doubt surrounding the fact that democracy is the best form of government ever known to man. Even so, many democratic societies and its citizens still suffer gross underdevelopment and abject poverty owing to poor political leadership culture. This sad reality has elicited a whole lot of debate among political scientists, journalists, opinion leaders, and commentators on contemporary issues. The consensus opinion is that the masses have been robbed of their powers by the political class. It has become clear that political power no longer belongs to the people- electorates like it is supposed to be. As a result of this, the loyalty of political leaders is mostly directed at electoral umpires, god fathers, and kingmakers. It is for this simple reason that public office holders can afford to ignore the concerns of the electorates and loot the treasury.
In an effort to return power to the people, the late President Musa Yar’Adua stunned the world when he admitted openly that the election that brought him to power was faulty. He thereafter called for understanding and promised to carry out a holistic electoral reform exercise. Unfortunately, many Nigerians have failed to appreciate the true meaning of electoral reform and have therefore restricted it to mean the recommendations of Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee.
For the avoidance of doubt, let it be noted that the main aim of reforming the nation’s electoral system would be defeated if it is not done holistically. We cannot talk of electoral reforms when there is no internal democracy within the political parties. We cannot talk of electoral reforms when some key players in the nation’s electoral body- INEC are card-carrying members of political parties. In the same vein, Nigerians cannot talk of electoral reforms when political parties are allowed to practice undemocratic traditions such as rotational presidency.
One of the major aims of reforming the electoral system is to promote quality political leadership in the country. For this very important reason, whatever action or practice that would not support this objective should be jettisoned. Rotational presidency is one of them. Apart from promoting tribalism, the culture of seclusion is undemocratic. It creates bitterness among party members and also reduces the chances of sourcing for the best hands.
My opinion is not based on the fact that I and President Goodluck Jonathan come from the same state. After all, he has not said he is going to contest the presidency in 2011. Nevertheless, there would be nothing wrong if majority of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wants him to contest. This is the beauty of democracy. Power belongs to the people- not a party’s National Working Committee or Board of Trustee. This is the time when Nigerians should come together and work towards making every vote count and not wasting valuable time on issues that will divide the nation along tribal lines.
Perhaps, it would be necessary to highlight the reason behind the culture of rotational presidency. It is to a very large extent erroneously believed that one has to share the same tribal lineage with the president in order to secure a key appointment or win a big contract. This anomaly is hugely responsible for why tribal lineage is regarded far above every other factor in Nigerian politics. Frankly, tribal-based politics can only be rife in a country where the government pay mere lip service to the culture of transparency, accountability, justice, and fair play.
Just like I have submitted in previous write-ups, one of Nigeria’s greatest problems is tribalism. It is owing to the deep rooted nature of tribalism in the polity that successive administrations have not been able to effectively fight corruption in the country. There is an unwritten law in Nigeria that forbids citizens from exposing or prosecuting fellow tribesmen for corrupt practices. That is the reason why public servants that earns less than N12m annually will build mansions, acquire fleet of exotic cars, and own investments worth over N200m within four years without being asked to show proof of sources of funds.
Furthermore, tribalism promotes national poverty. It makes citizens to become lazy. In a tribal-infected polity, even people that sow nothing can reap bountifully simply because their tribesperson is in power. This is clearly against natural principle. The more we promote tribal agenda above democratic prescriptions, the closer we get to the source of our disintegration.
I do not know their individual names but most of the people championing calls for electoral reforms are carrying nametags that bear “Hypocrite.” That is exactly what those of them that support the culture of rotational presidency are. The reason for the reform must not be bleached to serve tribal agendas. And for those that are threatening the corporate destiny of Nigeria following speculations that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan may run for the presidency come 2011; I wish them well. They should not play God. Nigerian masses are hungry for good political leadership. Let the people be allowed to decide whom they want. It can be Jonathan or any other person. Let us stop playing God and concentrate on how to make our votes count.
There is no doubt surrounding the fact that democracy is the best form of government ever known to man. Even so, many democratic societies and its citizens still suffer gross underdevelopment and abject poverty owing to poor political leadership culture. This sad reality has elicited a whole lot of debate among political scientists, journalists, opinion leaders, and commentators on contemporary issues. The consensus opinion is that the masses have been robbed of their powers by the political class. It has become clear that political power no longer belongs to the people- electorates like it is supposed to be. As a result of this, the loyalty of political leaders is mostly directed at electoral umpires, god fathers, and kingmakers. It is for this simple reason that public office holders can afford to ignore the concerns of the electorates and loot the treasury.
In an effort to return power to the people, the late President Musa Yar’Adua stunned the world when he admitted openly that the election that brought him to power was faulty. He thereafter called for understanding and promised to carry out a holistic electoral reform exercise. Unfortunately, many Nigerians have failed to appreciate the true meaning of electoral reform and have therefore restricted it to mean the recommendations of Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee.
For the avoidance of doubt, let it be noted that the main aim of reforming the nation’s electoral system would be defeated if it is not done holistically. We cannot talk of electoral reforms when there is no internal democracy within the political parties. We cannot talk of electoral reforms when some key players in the nation’s electoral body- INEC are card-carrying members of political parties. In the same vein, Nigerians cannot talk of electoral reforms when political parties are allowed to practice undemocratic traditions such as rotational presidency.
One of the major aims of reforming the electoral system is to promote quality political leadership in the country. For this very important reason, whatever action or practice that would not support this objective should be jettisoned. Rotational presidency is one of them. Apart from promoting tribalism, the culture of seclusion is undemocratic. It creates bitterness among party members and also reduces the chances of sourcing for the best hands.
My opinion is not based on the fact that I and President Goodluck Jonathan come from the same state. After all, he has not said he is going to contest the presidency in 2011. Nevertheless, there would be nothing wrong if majority of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wants him to contest. This is the beauty of democracy. Power belongs to the people- not a party’s National Working Committee or Board of Trustee. This is the time when Nigerians should come together and work towards making every vote count and not wasting valuable time on issues that will divide the nation along tribal lines.
Perhaps, it would be necessary to highlight the reason behind the culture of rotational presidency. It is to a very large extent erroneously believed that one has to share the same tribal lineage with the president in order to secure a key appointment or win a big contract. This anomaly is hugely responsible for why tribal lineage is regarded far above every other factor in Nigerian politics. Frankly, tribal-based politics can only be rife in a country where the government pay mere lip service to the culture of transparency, accountability, justice, and fair play.
Just like I have submitted in previous write-ups, one of Nigeria’s greatest problems is tribalism. It is owing to the deep rooted nature of tribalism in the polity that successive administrations have not been able to effectively fight corruption in the country. There is an unwritten law in Nigeria that forbids citizens from exposing or prosecuting fellow tribesmen for corrupt practices. That is the reason why public servants that earns less than N12m annually will build mansions, acquire fleet of exotic cars, and own investments worth over N200m within four years without being asked to show proof of sources of funds.
Furthermore, tribalism promotes national poverty. It makes citizens to become lazy. In a tribal-infected polity, even people that sow nothing can reap bountifully simply because their tribesperson is in power. This is clearly against natural principle. The more we promote tribal agenda above democratic prescriptions, the closer we get to the source of our disintegration.
I do not know their individual names but most of the people championing calls for electoral reforms are carrying nametags that bear “Hypocrite.” That is exactly what those of them that support the culture of rotational presidency are. The reason for the reform must not be bleached to serve tribal agendas. And for those that are threatening the corporate destiny of Nigeria following speculations that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan may run for the presidency come 2011; I wish them well. They should not play God. Nigerian masses are hungry for good political leadership. Let the people be allowed to decide whom they want. It can be Jonathan or any other person. Let us stop playing God and concentrate on how to make our votes count.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
DEMOCRACY, GOVERNORS' FORUM AND IWU
There is no gainsaying that the foundation of every healthy democratic society is built on the principles of sound and reliable electoral culture. This is so because, it is only through free and fair elections that credible persons could be picked and entrusted with key leadership positions in society. In the last thirty years of Nigeria’s history, several bold attempts have been made by the political class, social-cultural, religious, and civil society organisations to find enduring solutions to the nation’s weak and spongy electoral protocols. The faulty nature of the electoral system has helped to create room for the few moneybags to massage the conscience of electoral officials in order to rig elections in favour of themselves or their stooges. This is the reason why politicians respect electoral umpires far more than even the electorates. Without any fear of contradiction, this is the root causes of failing political leadership in the country.
Nigerians should not wait for Barrack Obama or Hillary Clinton to confirm to us that poor leadership culture has been the bane of Nigeria- the supposed Giant of Africa, now struggling to make impact even among Lilliputian nations. It is a common fact that poor political leadership breeds corruption, underdevelopment, poverty, crime, tribalism, nepotism, and ineptitude among others. Many have therefore not seen it as a surprise that over 90% of the nation’s population are living below poverty line. To the utter dismay of many, a greater percentage of workers in both the private and public sectors earn salaries that are not enough to feed a family of three for just one week. Quite evidently, the rise in cases of ill health among Nigerians can be traced to poor dieting regime. Majority of Nigerian now eat between one and two low diet meals daily. This already bad situation is made worse by the non availability of access to clean drinking water most especially in the rural areas. The international community is shocked that the world’s sixth largest producer of crude oil is relying on the importation of fuel to service her local market. It is an irony that Nigeria is still grappling with power generation with all the option of gas, hydro, wind, coal, and solar at our disposal. With an enormous population size, Nigeria is capable of generating enough power from waste products.
It is also very disturbing that job creation figures have fallen far below population growth levels. The authorities must understand that the consequences of high unemployment rate are capable of compromising the security of this nation. Governments at the local, state, and federal levels must therefore roll out practicable plans to stimulate economic and industrial growth. This will in turn create employment opportunities and improve the human worth of more of the nation’s citizens. With all of the above in mind, one can easily appreciate the reasons for the enthusiasm shown by Nigerians concerning the attempt by the present administration to reform the nation’s frail electoral framework.
While the Governors’ Forum are free to hold their opinions on issues bothering on the country, it is very clear that their hard-line position on the Chairmanship of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was very unfortunate. It bears clear traces of self help. The Governors’ Forum failed to convince Nigerians of what the nation stood to lose if Maurice Iwu is not retained for a second term. If one puts common sense to test, it would point to the fact that the nation’s electoral system cannot be truly reformed with Iwu as INEC boss. This is so because, civil society groups, religious organisations, socio-cultural bodies, and several political actors are convinced that evidences volunteered at election tribunals has stained the hands of Maurice Iwu with blood. Many stakeholders believe that he played significant roles in aiding electoral frauds. Retaining him would therefore pose a whole lot of credibility problems for INEC. Integrity is an important ingredient that cannot be divorced from the personality of electoral umpires.
The huge support that greeted the exit of Maurice Iwu last week was indeed unprecedented. By that singular action, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has made a bold statement that political leadership in Nigeria can surely rise above parochial interests. The only way Jonathan or any other political leader can be encouraged to always stand on the side of truth is for the political class, civil society, religious, and socio-cultural organisations to give them all the backing they deserve. But more importantly, the acting president should not ignore, but rather engage the Governors’ Forum in dialogues to remind them of the important need to put the nation first. In as much as state governors wield a lot of influence, I foresee a dull picture where their shallow and narrow minded opinions on key national issues would pitch the masses against them in the very near future.
Immediately after President Musa Yar’Adua was flown out to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, the Governors’ Forum quickly turned themselves into a mountain that Goodluck Jonathan must climb before taking important decisions. Even without the benefit of a prophet, one can see the handwriting clearly on the wall. The governors are trying to position themselves well ahead of the 2011 elections at the expense of the nation. Their shock and grief following the much expected exit of Maurice Iwu have no doubt distorted a well rehearsed cavalcade.
While there is nothing wrong in governors demanding to be consulted on key national issues, their attempts at sacrificing national interests for parochial ambitions should be resisted by both the presidency and the masses. This is one sure way we can safeguard our democracy. The time has therefore come for all to remind state governors of the important need for them to leave the acting president alone and face squarely the enormous responsibilities waiting for them in their various states. Under normal circumstances, they should not need Iwu to win elections. Let them allow their four year report cards to deliver them at the polls. The governors are certainly afraid that with the expected electoral reform exercise, the opportunity for rigging elections will be greatly reduced. A sound electoral culture will customarily make the electorates kings as is obtained in every democratically healthy society. Nigerian masses should start celebrating. The years of poor political leadership will soon come to an end.
Nigerians should not wait for Barrack Obama or Hillary Clinton to confirm to us that poor leadership culture has been the bane of Nigeria- the supposed Giant of Africa, now struggling to make impact even among Lilliputian nations. It is a common fact that poor political leadership breeds corruption, underdevelopment, poverty, crime, tribalism, nepotism, and ineptitude among others. Many have therefore not seen it as a surprise that over 90% of the nation’s population are living below poverty line. To the utter dismay of many, a greater percentage of workers in both the private and public sectors earn salaries that are not enough to feed a family of three for just one week. Quite evidently, the rise in cases of ill health among Nigerians can be traced to poor dieting regime. Majority of Nigerian now eat between one and two low diet meals daily. This already bad situation is made worse by the non availability of access to clean drinking water most especially in the rural areas. The international community is shocked that the world’s sixth largest producer of crude oil is relying on the importation of fuel to service her local market. It is an irony that Nigeria is still grappling with power generation with all the option of gas, hydro, wind, coal, and solar at our disposal. With an enormous population size, Nigeria is capable of generating enough power from waste products.
It is also very disturbing that job creation figures have fallen far below population growth levels. The authorities must understand that the consequences of high unemployment rate are capable of compromising the security of this nation. Governments at the local, state, and federal levels must therefore roll out practicable plans to stimulate economic and industrial growth. This will in turn create employment opportunities and improve the human worth of more of the nation’s citizens. With all of the above in mind, one can easily appreciate the reasons for the enthusiasm shown by Nigerians concerning the attempt by the present administration to reform the nation’s frail electoral framework.
While the Governors’ Forum are free to hold their opinions on issues bothering on the country, it is very clear that their hard-line position on the Chairmanship of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was very unfortunate. It bears clear traces of self help. The Governors’ Forum failed to convince Nigerians of what the nation stood to lose if Maurice Iwu is not retained for a second term. If one puts common sense to test, it would point to the fact that the nation’s electoral system cannot be truly reformed with Iwu as INEC boss. This is so because, civil society groups, religious organisations, socio-cultural bodies, and several political actors are convinced that evidences volunteered at election tribunals has stained the hands of Maurice Iwu with blood. Many stakeholders believe that he played significant roles in aiding electoral frauds. Retaining him would therefore pose a whole lot of credibility problems for INEC. Integrity is an important ingredient that cannot be divorced from the personality of electoral umpires.
The huge support that greeted the exit of Maurice Iwu last week was indeed unprecedented. By that singular action, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has made a bold statement that political leadership in Nigeria can surely rise above parochial interests. The only way Jonathan or any other political leader can be encouraged to always stand on the side of truth is for the political class, civil society, religious, and socio-cultural organisations to give them all the backing they deserve. But more importantly, the acting president should not ignore, but rather engage the Governors’ Forum in dialogues to remind them of the important need to put the nation first. In as much as state governors wield a lot of influence, I foresee a dull picture where their shallow and narrow minded opinions on key national issues would pitch the masses against them in the very near future.
Immediately after President Musa Yar’Adua was flown out to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, the Governors’ Forum quickly turned themselves into a mountain that Goodluck Jonathan must climb before taking important decisions. Even without the benefit of a prophet, one can see the handwriting clearly on the wall. The governors are trying to position themselves well ahead of the 2011 elections at the expense of the nation. Their shock and grief following the much expected exit of Maurice Iwu have no doubt distorted a well rehearsed cavalcade.
While there is nothing wrong in governors demanding to be consulted on key national issues, their attempts at sacrificing national interests for parochial ambitions should be resisted by both the presidency and the masses. This is one sure way we can safeguard our democracy. The time has therefore come for all to remind state governors of the important need for them to leave the acting president alone and face squarely the enormous responsibilities waiting for them in their various states. Under normal circumstances, they should not need Iwu to win elections. Let them allow their four year report cards to deliver them at the polls. The governors are certainly afraid that with the expected electoral reform exercise, the opportunity for rigging elections will be greatly reduced. A sound electoral culture will customarily make the electorates kings as is obtained in every democratically healthy society. Nigerian masses should start celebrating. The years of poor political leadership will soon come to an end.
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