Politics
‘Nigeria Needs To Strengthen Democracy’
Who should be an ideal person to rule this country? If I say I know who should rule this country then I am pre-empting democratic principles; I am saying that there is no need for elections.
A country like Nigeria of 150 million people, blessed with natural resources unparalled should be led not ruled, by somebody of integrity, somebody who has character, a democrat par excellence; and somebody who is visionary and has the interest of the ordinary people in this country at heart. Somebody who will look back and say that sincerely the past leaders of this country rather than moving the country forward have retarded the country and that the day he takes up office say 2011 is the beginning of change in Nigeria. That is the kind of person I would want to lead this country. That is the kind of person those of us in the civil society have been struggling over the years from military to civilian dictatorship to run the affairs of this country. So that the environment would be open, conducive for ordinary people, for every hard working Nigerian.
Nigerians are not lazy people. With the right environment, Nigerians can thrive, they can compete favourably with anybody anywhere in the world (black or white).
Those I would not want to run this country in 2011 are people like Babangida who have had an unparallel opportunity whether military or whatever to run the affairs of this country but were over-run by power.
Instead of moving this country forward, they destroyed some of the fabrics that would have made this country great. We are where we are today because leaders like Babangida, rather worked to retard the progress of this country. They went to the root of this country and cut off the root because of their selfish interest.
There is no point saying I build this and build that when the basic foundation that can give the present and future generations opportunity to grow in the land were removed. I don’t think that characters like Babangida should be allowed to run the affairs of this country. And I think that Babangida should typifies a kind of person I would not want to rule this country not just me but majority of Nigerians; look back at the June elections that would have helped to sabilise democracy in this country and give all of us an opportunity to grow. Babangida deferred but he has not been decent enough to come out and say “Nigerians, I am sorry”.
He has refused to bear responsibility for all the murders, Dele Giwa and the rest of them that were alleged. Yes, he ran a military dictatorship but we have also seen military dictatorship that had decency elsewhere in the world and they helped in building their country. So, you don’t use military tyranny as an excuse to fundamentally abuse the right of people, to fundamentally deny people opportunity and deny them their fundamental right to life. People like General Vasta was killed on a trumped up charge of organising a coup.
People who cannot take responsibility for their actions are no ideal leaders. We hear of the Okigbo report of the oil wind fall, over N20 billion; who cannot clear themselves. People who can not come before the Oputa Panel and tell the truth about what they did when they were in power, cannot come and insult the intelligence of Nigerians. I think what he is coming to do is to finish up what he has left of us. So characters like that I don’t think can run the affairs of this country.
Now for Nigeria to move forward democracy must be strengthened. Because that is the only way that, people who are as diversed both in ethnic and religious terms can live together. If you don’t have effective democracy, if democracy is not strengthened in Nigeria, it becomes extremely difficult to have the right leadership to move this country forward. In that scenario, you will continue to have the Jos crisis, the Niger Delta crisis, the Odual people crisis, religious crisis among others. So there is need to strengthen democracy to tackle the crises.
Nigerians are expected that after the military, there should be a semblance of democracy and growth; that their GDP would improve but we all know since may 1999 across this country especially in the Niger Delta, that it has not been easy for ordinary people to freely go to the poll to elect their leaders. What this means over the time is that people get into public offices where they don’t care about the welfare of the people but about themselves. They grow themselves at the expense of the ordinary person.
The violence we have in the Niger delta is as a result of bad governance and leadership. If you go to other parts of Nigeria, the same thing applies. That is the reality on ground. So we need a democracy that is strengthened, a democracy that offers ordinary people the opportunity to freely go to the ballot box and elect credible candidate.
We need a situation in which an elected person will know that if he does not perform well, he could be voted out in the next election. But this is not what we have now. What obtains presently is “no matter what I do I will come back the people don’t matter”. But the people actually matter. That they are not on the street marching against government on daily basis is not the reason to believe that they don’t matter.
They can withdraw their co-operation; they can withdraw quietly their obedience to civil rule hence they would embrace, kidnapping while those in positions of authority continue to steal.
In the constitution, the primary responsibility of government is to protect lives and property. If the people do not feel secured, how would they wake up in the morning and go looking for money. So we need a leader that must emanate from the people – be it a councilor, local government chairman, legislator or whatever. People say fear of God but also there should be fear of the people because the mandate belongs to the people. We need a change of our electoral regime, and that calls for the implementation of Uwais Report. That report should be faithfully implemented, since the content of the report is what Nigerians want; it should infact be made the law of this country.
Also, whoever should take over from Iwu should be somebody who has been in this system, understands the system, understands the legal workings of electoral bodies across the globe. Somebody who is also willing and ready to take risk on behalf of Nigerians not on behalf of Mr. President or National Assembly. So, that when 2011 comes whoever emerges, the world at large would accept him.
It is important they choose some body who will be able to organise something that is close to free and fair election.
I believe that perfection is probably impossible, so something that will be calculated by both local, regional and international observers as free and fair. So that Nigerians can begin to talk about a leader of their own, they can begin to talk about their own value.
Today, the life of a Nigerian is worthless the way we are treated by our own leaders. People are killed on daily basis and nobody cares. It is only when one big man or politician is kidnapped that you see it on the pages of Newspapers.
In freedom House Index an independent Non-Governmental Organization based in Washington DC that monitors freedom across the world, Angola, Botsana, Sierra Leone, Ghana are far higher rated in terms of democratic strengthening. But Nigeria is rated as what is called as autocracy. And this is a country that is supposed to play a major role in Africa. Today, if a nation is not democratic in nature forget it and she can not play at the international level.
No rebranding is not a public relations exercise; you can have one hundred million national orientation agencies, they will not make any impact until you have leadership stands at the podium at United Nations building in New York or international conference centre, Levi and proudly say that, “I am piloting a democratic Nigeria”, and that statement would also concretely and constructively be supported by the opinions of the majority of the people of this country and the external watchers.
So until we have a leader that can stand out, and people can say he is not an abuser of human rights; he did not kill Nigerians with impunity in the past; he did not steal Nigeria’s money and he did not force himself to power. Until you have somebody of repute, somebody of integrity at the global state representing our interest.
It takes a good leader to liberate Nigeria and Nigerians from betrayed hope. I don’t know if that person is Jonathan. But if Jonathan is the character that can bring back integrity to Nigeria; integrity to leadership, human decency, taking ordinary Nigerians seriously, adding value to humanity of Nigerians if he is, he is free, he is a Nigerian, he should contest. But because of the circumstances, I would say Jonathan should concentrate on three main issues – reform the electoral process, work with the National Assembly and give Nigerians an effective electoral instrument.
Also, there should be a provision that once the election is over all the electoral cases arising from that election should be disposed of before anybody takes the position. Once any position is contested, the election tribunal should dispose all cases before anybody mounts the position of governance.
Anyakwe Nsirimovu is Executive Director, Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (1HRHL).
Anyakwe Nsirimovu
The former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.
In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.
“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.
“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.
“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.
Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.
“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.
He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.
Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.
He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.
The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
