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More Lessons from Utopia and the Nigeria Experience (Leadership Series II) By Prince Charles Dickson Jos, Plateau Nigeria
"The 2007 election will present a true test of strength and character of Nigeria's democratic system, specifically its ability to manage a successful electoral system, which would be the first in its history". Utopia! The addition of the word character is mine.
"Unfortunately, the previous two elections were marred by serious irregularities and these have been few systemic improvements since... There is suspicion among northern Muslim Nigerians that the President, perhaps with American encouragement (for which there is no evidence), will seek to charge the constitution and run again or extend his term. The Nigeria experience.
The above is a quote from the report, More than Humanitarianism. A Strategic U.S. Approach Toward Africa, it further in the report predicted "An election in 2007 that lacks credibility with significant parts of the population, or that is seen as unconstitutional, would spark tremendous unrest. It would jeopardize the economic reforms that President Obasanjo has instituted. There is an urgent need for electoral reform, clarifying rules for presidential succession, and building a strong system of civil society election monitoring.
The report ends by stating that the United States had cut back sharply on its democratization support funds. To the unschooled this may mean nothing, and absolute anything, but the views are not just hog wash but the truth about where we are in the Nigerian experience.
In my first part of this series I lamented on how shame had departed, how everything has a misconception, how leadership has thrown away the little that is left of our reputation as a nation. I compared our leadership to the British Gentleman Rod Aldridge of outsourcing firm Capita. I will continue with that analysis except that now I will focus on the system partly and continue on the players…that constitute leadership.
However before I conclude that episode let me state that the contents of that report is not far from the truth of what is on ground, we are in a deep mess, and far from utopia, despite all the swarm song of reforms…Mantu has set bomb to his own house to attract empathy and is blaming every shadow, the PDP chairman has accused Journalists as the only one against the third term. With the coming of e-voting and the non inclusion of election monitors as stated by the chemistry don in charge of the election body, the Nigerian experience is no where close utopia.
Chancellor Gordon Brown said the political funding system had to be reformed to increase "transparency", working towards a form of Utopia. The Nigeria experience is quite different as the PDP collects all that it can lay its hand upon, and moves in the opposite line of transparency. It does not blink an eyelid. If you do not collect receipts for your donations…at your own risk because you will not get patronage, better you will be hoodwinked. Our political funding system has the most bizarre of styles, which include the visits to the likes of Okija to cement the agreements. Our Nigerian experience has given birth to a system that has a small boy Chris Uba being a Godfather to an elderly Chris Ngige, while Ladoja ex-governor of Oyo can spell the name Adedibu better than most of us.
An inquiry has been launched on the funding system in the U.K, Tony Blair’s chief fundraiser Lord Levy was invited and the public administration committee had an invite for him. However in Nigeria billions are raised for candidates not even the parties, the money disappears; the poor masses look on, asking if there will be hope. No one is questioned no morals abused. It is the Nigeria factor, a myth or just the real deal, the real everyday experience, utopia is far away.
The PDP as a party has no financial constitution; no proper accounting method, money comes in, and then abracadabra, it has…’you know now’. We have a house committee on ethics on paper, it is no surprise that our children would continue to cheat during mere qualifying exams, they are aware that there is nothing called reputation, nor misconceptions, you have to be like daddy who is in the Senate and you see him bring money everyday home or you will be like the men and women you see, come to beg daddy for a piece of the action. So no one really bothers because everyday the ethics of society is broken by masquerading power drunk persons.
The essence of Rod Aldridge stepping down as Chairman of Capita and the launching of an inquiry by the influential commons committee and all the noise by Chancellor Brown, the denial by Tony Blair was “...to ensure public confidence in the integrity of democratic process". Utopia, where things are done rightly and when done wrong there is the intent to right it and the parties are willing to show with a sense of guilt readiness in making the system work. In our case it is totally different, as I continue this utopian journey in the next of these series we head to India. Allah gives us the breathe of life, at least our leaders to a large extent are no custodians of the air.
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