National Assembly Victory: No Stain

By

Mohammed Umar

moh_umar2003@yahoo.com

 

 

Good morning Nigeria or whatever times of the day it is for you Nigerian.  You are free, at least for the moment, and hopefully for ever.  The National Assembly has saved you from four or endless years of hell in the hands of President Olusegun Obasanjo (fondly called Baba).  You probably had watched Baba on the live television coverage of the PDP NEC meeting telling us that he maintained a “studied silence” as the third term issue raged despite our bad behavior and disrespect, including the media, for him.  He accepted the verdict of the National Assembly to halt the constitution review process and urged for reconciliation.  In his entire gist, Baba, true to character, felt he owed us no apology.  It was Senator Jibril Aminu that advised Baba to address the nation, an advice that has remained unheeded.  What choice did Baba had, was it to reject the verdict of the National Assembly?  Obviously, Baba had lost out and to contemplate any other option would be to court anarchy as he seems to enjoy doing.  It was thus annoying and amusing at the same time, but also truly sycophantic as always, to hear PDP members who spoke at the NEC meeting eulogizing Baba and saluting what he has been doing for Nigeria and even counting our indebtedness to him.  Haba PDP.  This piece is not an analysis of the performance of the present federal government in Nigeria that is a gist for another piece.  This is about the victory of the National Assembly and by implication Nigerians, who the members of the National Assembly represent, in throwing out the monster called “third term”.  If you have ever had the opportunity to read the history of blacks in America, you might begin to understand what we have been saved from, slavery.  But perhaps recent developments and experiences from sister African countries is clear for all to see.  If the National Assembly had done so well by throwing out the amendment bill, then who should take responsibility for the torture that Nigerians were put through?  Typical of the PDP jargon and as postulated by Baba at the NEC meeting, there should be no victor no vanquished.  In other words, no one should take responsibility for the pains inflicted on us.  We should just forget all that has happened and cosign it to the tumultuous nature of democracy.  As they say, this is democracy in action.  I dare to say no.  The victor in this case is the National Assembly and Nigerians and the vanquished is Baba, all his collaborators and PDP.  Sure not all members of PDP are guilty, but if politics is true then all the good PDP members should change camp because PDP as a party is finished.  I urge every Nigerian to shun PDP in the next round of elections as that is the only way we can hold responsible all those who put us through this torture.  After all, it is democracy in action.  If you had carefully watched the PDP NEC meeting, you would have been able to decipher the victors and vanquished.  The victors were smiling, while the vanquished wore forlorn faces.  The rule and beauty of democracy lies in the power of the electorate to reward deserving political parties and politicians who had served the community with diligence, excellence, merit, sincerity, credit, respect and consultation.  It also lies in the power of the electorate to punish political parties and politicians who have tortured the people in the way and manner the PDP so tortured us on the vexing issue of “third term” by refusing to put them back in office.  And the way the constitution amendment bill failed in the National Assembly is indication that the Nigerian electorate have begun to appreciate their power.  The electorate must also extend their reward and punishment to all members of the National Assembly.  I hope and pray that not long in the feature I would have cause to write again saying yes Nigeria and Nigerians have been saved again by the action of the electorate in weeding out the chaff and maintaining only the grains in the National Assembly.

 

If the action of the National Assembly is a victory for all of us who were on the side of respect for law and disdain for our torturers, why are Nigerians confused?  A subtle complaint (a stain) has been left in the wake of the action of the National Assembly to the effect that the whole amendment bill was thrown out rather than the “third term” portion only.  Perhaps nothing seems to be engineering this argument like the review of the derivation formula in favor of the oil producing states.  The agitators from the Niger delta region, especially the militants, have taken the issue so seriously to have ordered the National Assembly to resume the consideration of the constitution amendment bill without delay.  Other issues such as rotational presidency and immunity have also generated interest.  I am not sure how the stain surfaced and who championed it.  Is it the propaganda arm of the Baba machinery that threw sparks in the victory of the National Assembly in order to resurrect the skeletons of the “third term” or was it the media that championed it thereby making a mountain out of a mole.  Be that as it may, let us take the issues, dispassionately, one by one.  Firstly, all Nigerians have interest in the review of the constitution to amend portions that would make live better for us all, but the process of the constitution review was flawed from the start as it was predicated on pushing a “third term” for Baba.  The process was thus hijacked by elements within and outside the National Assembly prone to the tenure elongation agenda.  All pleas for a transparent process were ignored and consequently the bill was killed even before it was born.  Secondly, the state of affairs in the Niger delta is unacceptable both in terms of the devastation of the region as a result of oil exploration and neglect by the federal and state governments, but also unacceptable is the militant action taken by the region in view of its glaring implication for Nigeria.  More disappointing and vexing in the issue of the Niger delta is the lack of any consistent and constructive policy on dealing with the looming danger.  The history of militancy, at least the little I know, suggests that the activities of the militants in the Niger delta would not disappear suddenly and neither would the complacent policy of government address the issue.  I am not even convinced that a new revenue sharing formula, at least the one proposed in the constitution amendment bill, will lead to lasting peace in the region.  Sincere dialogue is the only key that would unlock the door of peace in the Niger delta backed by willingness on both sides for compromise.  Unfortunately, Baba has been too busy and uninterested to give serious thought to the issue.  Thus, to tie the issue of resolving the problems of the Niger delta with the aborted constitution amendment process and thus stain our victory in throwing out “third term” is to shift the blame from Baba (the executive) for lack of clear policy on the Niger delta and to load it on the National Assembly that is supposed to guide and facilitate the executive by making laws.  The case here is that Baba has refused to develop any constructive policy on the Niger delta.  Lets we forget the proposed amendment bill was a National Assembly bill and not an executive bill.  Thirdly, consideration of the constitution amendment bill, as had been made clear by the National Assembly, could be entertained at a later date.  This implies that all the important issues would be considered by the National Assembly at a time when the atmosphere in the nation is conducive and through a transparent process devoid of torture and devilish intentions.  After all, it is democracy in action.

 

 

Finally, let me urge all well meaning Nigerians not to stain our victory and the victory of the National Assembly.  The National Assembly while listening to the electorate must resist any blackmail to get it to reconsider the constitution amendment bill now, now.  I also hope and pray that the treatment proposed for PDP would serve as deterrent for future Babas and PDPs.  The victory of the National Assembly has no stain.