Nigerians Reject Autocracy

By

Laura Esem

lauracious@yahoo.com

 

 
Please allow me to cmment on the performance of the current leadership in our country. I am not happy with the way President Olusegun Obasanjo is piloting the affairs of the country. Nigerians had thought that the inception of this democratic administration would be a new dawn for every citizen. The military had performed poorly, especially the Babagida and Abacha dictatorships. Most Nigerian would simply want to forget that sad and painful era of our history; Obasanjo’s emergence in 1999 was supposed to herald an era of purposeful, humane and compassionate government. But alas, Obasanjo has proved to be worse than our worst military governments. Once again, we are witnessing cases of misuse of power, flagrant human rights violation, disrespect for the constitution and the rule of law and the creeping tyranny.
 
The country is spinning out of control and Obasanjo does not appear to be in charge. He has become autocratic, self- possessed, erratic and unpredictable. The President does not consult, does not listen to the people who put him there and acts generally as if he is doing all of us a favour by presiding over the affairs of Nigeria.
 
The situation in Oyo, Ekiti, Anambra, and Plateau is a symptom of gross misuse of power. The President takes most of his decisions in anger and vendetta. He insists on having his way at all times. Those who disagree with him must be hounded out of office. There are crises all over the country. Nigeria is burning. The President has become the biggest threat to democracy and the continued survival of the country. This house is falling.
 
It is so sad that, the citizens are witnessing the destruction of the country by the very man we elected to protect and defend it. The President has weakened the other aims of government as well as the other tiers of government. State governors should rise to their responsibilities and reclaim their powers. The judiciary must prove to us that, it is indeed the last hope of mankind in this land. The National Assembly should begin to seriously consider the impeachment of Obasanjo. He remains a clear and present danger to the survival of democracy in Nigeria.
 
LAURA ESEM, WROTE IN FROM
RUMUKORO,  PORT-HARCOURT.