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Nigeria: On Constitutional and Attitudinal review By Leonard K. Shilgba, Ph.D.
Nigerians relish negative news and foreign “expert” conclusions about Nigeria. We seize on such to give the "government" a bashing. We scan around for excuses and pieces of “evidence” to support our already formed but uninformed opinions about Nigeria.
A terrible misconception is that one part of the Country is “oppressing” other parts of the country. The fad word is “Marginalization”. An unfortunate ignorance – deliberately mischievous - is that of the elite in Nigeria. They feign ignorance of the fact that the part of Nigeria with the preponderance of Heads of State of Nigeria since 1960 remains the poorest in Nigeria. Last year’s Statistical figures on poverty levels in the six geo-political regions show poverty levels of over 70% in the North West and North East; between 60% and 70% in the Middle Belt; between 30% and 40% in the South West; and below 30% in the South – East .
The Conclusion obviously is that the long years of rule (misrule) of Northern officers/leaders and men have not translated to high standard of living of northern Nigerians. Looking at the revenue allocation to all States and Local governments in Nigeria since1999, it should not be difficult to reach a kind conclusion that if the 36 Governors and 774 Local government chairmen had been prudent in the application of government revenue to the development of their areas, the people would have felt the difference, positively of course, in their standard of living.
A consistently ignored truth by people like us who write and thus have a convenient platform to inform and influence public opinion is that a small group of Nigerians from every part of Nigeria has sat upon the commonwealth to dispense according to their whimsical selfishness and at the expense of the generality of Nigerians. Obviously some are paid to peddle an obvious lie so consistently that those who initially waved it aside start having second thoughts.
The problem of Nigeria are the Nigerians with the pen that is abused, the tongue that curses Nigeria, the intelligence that is misapplied , the opportunities that are wasted , and the law that is selective and abused with impunity . The moment the elite who write for public reading refuse to be used to please members of this group of slippery leeches and understand that if Nigeria is a "hell", we have allowed it so to be, our nation’s progress will be sustained and improved upon. I have chosen my words carefully; that, progress has been made in Nigeria in the past 6 years is incontestable.
Nigeria today does not need people who only tell how bad she is with the conclusion that she will never be good. That doesn’t need publishing since the tune is as old as it is no more relevant for a Grammy award on clinical analysis of national ills. Nigeria needs new tunes from our writers who have a generally unappreciated influence on the thinking of the people. And our thoughts influence our actions one way or the other. We need people to speak for Nigeria; we need people who will see through the lies, hypocrisy and pretenses of many politicians in Nigeria and alert the people.
Where should the next president come from? Should there be a third tem for President and Governors in Nigeria? The first question is framed, not because it is relevant or where the president comes from determines the level of development of the president’s region. It is thought by this group of slippery leeches that to become President of Nigeria is one most glorious chieftaincy title they can get. And since in their mind, one of theirs is a personification of their entire region, they can spend anything to incite base passions if their selfish ambitions are threatened.
At the receiving end of the contest of raw egos are the hapless Nigerians who are begging for basic amenities like water, electricity, good health services, good roads and equipment in public schools. Not that the money is not there to provide those from local to federal levels- those slippery leeches are all just insatiable.
Should there be a third term for the Executive in Nigerian politics? This is an unnecessary question. Will a third term be a guarantee for good governance or will the lack of it guarantee the opposite? Those leeches start a selfish distraction and the elite who should alert the unsuspecting public fall flat for it with all the intelligence. Third term is just a distraction.
Let us reason together. Those who seek to be the President of Nigeria in 2007 and are now using sectional sentiments to incite all sorts of destabilizing reactions from the unsuspecting public do not care for the welfare of the people-not even those from their villages. They would ride to the throne on the back of “it is our turn” but never use that “turn” to turn around the living standards of their people.
The billions of naira that each State government (including local governments) in Nigeria has collected from the Federation account since 1999 to date-excluding internally generated revenue in those States- have generally not translated to standard infrastructure in those States. The talk of more revenue is just that-Talk. Our problem in all States in Nigeria is not lack of money but rather rapacity, imprudence in spending and lack of vision by those with the responsibility to make living better.
How can a Governor in a State in Nigeria be in office for 6 or 4 years and at least the State capital is not an epitome of development in terms of provision of infrastructure like pot-hole free roads (with pavements), pipe-born water, good health facilities, clean environment with adequate sanitary vans and waste disposal and treatment system etc.
The truth is that every month, an average Governor must decide how much from the Federation allocation will go to their private account. Their political god father also has a share. Then other Aides in the State who assist in the theft must get their share. The State legislators of course have their portion; no wonder impeachment of Governors becomes difficult even in the face of glaring convicting evidence unless such legislators are threatened on the evidence of corruption against them. It takes the game of blackmail to move them to do what they would normally do should they have some sense of decency and responsibility to the electorate.
The truth is that more allocation to the States and Local governments means more money down the drain in most of those States where those in power cannot say, “I have taken enough, let me address the needs of the people.” I have some information that in one State in Nigeria the Governor gave his god father only 10 million naira monthly instead of the 15 million naira the god father had requested. The short-fall of 5 million naira caused strained relationship between the two of them and what has happened now is history.
I wouldn’t mind the ethnic background of the person that would be the President of Nigeria or Governor of my State since those are not qualities guaranteeing good governance. Therefore, I would not waste precious time debating the propriety of a third term for the Executive. Rather, Nigerians should debate the propriety of the Senate’s stand against e-voting and how best to have a credible electoral process in Nigeria. The number of terms an elected official is eligible for will pale into insignificance if the electorate’s votes will count and be counted upon to determine who gets into power and who stays in power on account of good governance.
Let us not be distracted with this 3rd term issue. It may as well be an indefinite term for all I care! We always strain at gnats and swallow camels. What is the matter with Nigerian intellectuals? Can’t we see what is happening right before our eyes?
Some innocent Nigerians have been killed recently for what some journalist wrote in Denmark. Nigerians have to run from one part of their country to another (where they call their home towns; home towns that they only visit in December!). Then we had public hearings on constitutional amendment in all geo-political zones few days after the needless massacre. One should think that this latest cold-blooded and senseless murder of Nigerians by Nigerians would have been a good and fresh substructure on which participants should anchor arguments for a new definition of indigene ship in Nigeria, to give a stake to Nigerians who are called visitors or settlers in their own country. I should think that if one is born in any State in Nigeria he becomes an indigene; if one has resided in a State for a given period of time, like ten years and paid his taxes there, he should be given full rights as an indigene etc.
Is it possible to have economic growth and stability while the political atmosphere remains charged. It is, if security can be guaranteed. Nigeria needs a “dictator” at this stage. Too many people are confused about what our problems and solution are. Our problem is not a third term and even the solution is not just constitutional amendment, although a nifty amendment of some sections can help with regard to its provisions by those who have sworn publicly to defend it. We need security and enforcement of existing laws. But definitely we don’t need unconstitutional security outfits such as we have in Abia and Kano States.
We have freedom to be heard, but we certainly don’t have the right to take the law into our hands and unleash all sorts of violence in whatever name so called. As we cherish our rights, we must regard the rights of others. If we cannot have our way violence should not be the option. It is very strange that a foreigner or Nigerian of any standing would expect violence in Nigeria for some amendment of the Constitution that might be unpopular with certain interest groups in Nigeria. It is an illusion to expect a policy or a constitutional amendment to resonate with the generality of the populace.
It has never happened anywhere that the people have uniformity of opinion on matters of state. It is also a common truth that in a democracy, positions and views are sponsored in order to get as many people as possible behind them. This is why political hustings take place. To accuse people of “sponsoring support for an issue” is abnormal in a democracy. Therefore, as I have said before in other write-ups, anyone who feels strongly for or against the Third term matter now occupying our political space should get their legislators at both State and National levels behind their position.
Accusing the President of Nigeria for nursing a third term ambition or urging him to go for a third term are unnecessary reactions. It needs to be emphasized over and over again that once the Constitution is amended to allow a third term, President Obasanjo will do nothing illegal if he chooses to contest. What we need is a credible electoral process that will truly increase the value of one vote-a Nigerian vote. What the President’s people keep saying is that “Mr. President will not do anything that violates the Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria”. Would he be doing anything that violates the Constitution when it is amended to legalize the action?
There is also this talk of it being inappropriate for the President to contest even if the amended Constitution allows it. On what basis do we measure political propriety- the Koran or bible? We sometimes appeal to so many things but the Constitution when we want to serve selfish interests. Let it be known by whosoever cares that the supreme law of every nation is her Constitution, and those that violate it must be given the punishment prescribed therein, while those that obey it should be rewarded.
It is not the duty of the President’s people to convince anyone that the President would run for a third term or not should the Constitution be amended to allow it. The President should decide whether or not he would contest then. Should he decide to contest, he would go through the primaries and then the national elections; if he scales through both, he will still be our President after May 29th 2007. The State Governors will go through the same process if they so choose. Can we see how a credible electoral process should be the most important issue in political reformation today?
My honest guess is that if the Constitution is amended to allow a third term, Mr. President will run; almost all State Governors will also seek to run. Mr. President has every reason to run. But whether majority of voting Nigerians will vote for him or not is another matter. But our votes must be made to count; how to do that before the next elections should occupy our attention now. If President Obasanjo gets a clear and untainted victory, he will surely not make a bad President. I still remember how some pretentious Nigerians urged him back in 2003 to follow the “Mandela example” and not to contest in 2003. Looking back, I can see what we would have missed if he had sought to be a “Mandela” rather than remain Obasanjo. It is an insult to ask a man to be another; you can only be second best.
We need a “dictator” in our President who will seize on all powers vested on him to stamp out lawlessness- not selectively but globally. Then, we need Nigerians, who will not blindly encourage an evil on the basis of ethnic or religious convergence. As we consider reviewing our Constitution, with the same zeal must we consider a review of our attitudes.
Leonard Shilgba, PhD Assistant Professor of Mathematics Abti-American University of Nigeria, Yola.
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