Who is Hijacking Democratic Principles in Rivers State? Let’s fix what is broken
It is interesting to note that a protest,
tagged, ‘One-day Global Action in Defense of Democracy in Rivers State,’ is
scheduled for Tuesday, July 30, 2013. According to “THISDAYLIVE” publication of
Sunday 28 July, 2013 (http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/senate-approves-takeover-of-rivers-assembly-s-functions/154497/ ), this protest will address politically motivated violence and
other anti-democratic norms in the state.
A lot of never-ending articles, stories,
editorial comments and blogs have been written on how the crisis in Rivers
State is hijacking democratic principles in Nigeria. In spite of the wealth of
information available on democracy, most analysis I have read miss the central
point of democratic principles.
There should be no disagreement about protecting
democratic principles in Nigeria. It is an issue that affects all of us and
future generation. Indeed democracy is an economic imperative as it is believed
to be a foundation stone of how we install the doctrines of responsible
government. I will therefore like us to understand basic democratic principles
because it's important that we get this right in other to fix what is broken.
We have been hearing ugly rhetoric statements
from politicians in Nigeria on how democracy is being constrained by Abuja
based politicians. The Rivers State crisis is a complex issue that raises
strong feelings in the nation. In the Rivers State case, it is very easy to
overlook the underlying issues, because on the surface, everything seems to be
about presidential politics.
The question begging for answer is: Who is
barricading or exploiting democratic principles or should I say dodging the
main issues of the people? In Nigeria it seems the answer depends on the
fitting political agenda of who you ask.
We cannot be self-absorbed when we are
discussing democratic principles. It is therefore crucial to answer this
question objectively. First, let us fully understand what democracy means.
Democracy comes from the Greek word, “demos,” meaning people.
Therefore the driving force of this system of
government is “the people”. Understandably, in a true democratic system, people
hold superior power over parliament and the government. It is a system where
rule of law is zealously protected. In this notion, even the chief executive is
under the law and is expected to utilize every legal means to govern.
It equally forces governments to the rule of law
and respect for the decision of other arms of Government (e.g. court ruling).
This serves as a foundation to epitomize the fact that all citizens receive
equal protection under the law. Accepting the power of the judiciary and
respecting the rights of those with differing points of view are paramount
under a democratic system that is designed for the people.
While I have not observed the Federal
Government’s involvement in the suspension of any duly elected official, it is
sad to see the numerous instances where local government chairmen and
councilors were suspended in Rivers State under the current administration due
to ideological differences.
Undeniably, democratic principles were observed
in the nation when judicial rulings were upheld and respected without crisis as
in the case of: His Excellency Celestine Omehia (former governor of Rivers State)
vs. His Excellency Chibuike Amaechi (governor of Rivers State) and the recent case of Mrs. Turai Yar'adua (former First Lady of
Nigeria) vs. Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan (First Lady of Nigeria) over Abuja
land dispute is another reminder. These exemplify the importance of accepting the
power of the judiciary by the politically influential in a democracy.
However, it is not comforting also to observe
that judicial weight of a competent Nigerian High Court, which dissolved the
Rivers State PDP executive, was utterly rejected by Rivers State government in
an unlawful manner. In retaliation, the Rivers State Governor collaborated with
the House of Assembly to suspend the entire Obio/Akpor Local Government Council
on April 22, 2013. This is an impediment to a dependable democratic system.
Press freedom is another major tenet of a true
democracy. The press should operate free from governmental control. Governments
that have ministries of information to control content of state owned
newspapers, radio and television stations ultimately scrutinize the activities
of state owned journalists. Interestingly, while the federal government is
restricted in this aspect, it is a commonly observed practice in most States.
This practice breeds false reporting that is not only counterproductive to a
free press but also disruptive to democratic system as the populace is quite
often fed with government propaganda.
Another major goal of democracy is to make the
best possible decision for all citizens with available scarce resources. This
can only be actualized when elected officials enforce transparency,
accountability and effectively exchange ideas with citizens and stakeholders.
It’s not reassuring in a democratic system when governors create policies and
programs that are not well debated by the people and shove such policies down
the throats of the House of Assembly as well as their citizens.
Ironically,
there is still this general view that if a member of the House of Assembly or a
citizen has ideological differences with their State governor, he or she is an
“Abuja Rebel” without a cause. Your intentions are questioned and most
times branded corrupt. Generally speaking, society is composed of people with
divergent viewpoints and enriched diversity. Therefore this autocratic approach
to governance which tends to silence the views of citizens is purely against
the tenets of democracy, so it must be rejected.
Limiting abuse of power is another core
principle of any democracy. In a democracy, government is structured to limit
the powers of the three branches of government. This includes creation of
independent courts, parliament and executive that can provide checks and
balances to the abuse of power. While the Federal government does not seem to
have control over the two other branches of government, the Rivers State
government seems to be very much dominant in all branches of government. This
is evident during the recent crisis in Rivers State House of Assembly where the
Governor, notarized the gruesome violence we observed on “YouTube”. Such
actions promote abuse of power in any democracy.
Free and fair election is another indispensable
road sign to democratic principles. This entails impartial and balanced system
of conducting elections where election results are verified to the satisfaction
of the body of voters. In this regard, the last election under the leadership
of President Goodluck Jonathan undoubtedly fulfilled the best democratic
ideology Nigeria ever enjoyed. We witnessed trained election officials that
were politically independent. It is public knowledge that election supervisors
freely permitted representative of the various political parties in the vote
counting process.
Therefore, it is imperative to imbibe this
democratic principle that empowers the electorate to freely vote for whom they
want to lead them. The culture and practice of “godfatherism” and imposition of
leaders on the people at various levels of government is not only dictatorial,
it disenfranchises the people. End result is apathy, endless acrimony and
litigations amongst party members which often results in what we are all
witnessing in Rivers State
Kudos must be given to the Federal Government
for showing restraint in the following democratic principles: Rule of law; its
control on parliament as well as the judiciary. Clearly its neutrality on press
freedom and its efforts on conducting free and fair elections equally deserve
admiration.
For us to find a lasting solution to the
political crisis in Nigeria, the democratic fundamental principles that
contribute to making a government work effectively must be enshrined as part of
our constitution and rigorously enforced. These include the following: POLITICAL
TOLERANCE; REGULAR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS; CONTROL OF THE ABUSE OF POWER;
ACCEPTING JUDICIAL RULINGS; RESPECT FOR RULE OF LAW; ACCOUNTABILITY and
TRANSPARENCY.
I remain optimistic that rational Nigerians will
muster the courage to fix what is broken in our system with particular emphasis
on the autocratic tendencies of some Governors as we have seen in the Rivers
State example.
Dr. Young Fiabema
Writes from Raleigh, North Caroline, USA
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