When
'No Politicians' Are In Politics
By
Paul Mamza
The primary objective of participatory
democracy is the enthronement of liberty "Politics' according to M. Stewart
"starts with the fact of community life; it discusses the problems which
that life creates; it also examines and compares the different kinds of
community. The central problem is liberty. Community life,
therefore, means giving up certain liberties, which are liberties in name only,
in order to get more liberty in fact". "Government" said Stewart
"has not only the negative task of preventing disorder, but the positive
task of creating the conditions of a good life; this is what the people expect
from it in return for the powers they have given to it". It is in
this regard that the eighteen-century writer, Rousseau, speaks of a 'social
contract' - an agreement, not formally made, but understood between rulers and
ruled- the latter to obey, the former to do justice.
By Stewart's position about government, Nigerian experience during the Fourth Republic has presented a government that lack the commitment to initiate a negative task of preventing disorder and positive task of creating the conditions of a good life. The three years of democracy has ultimately proved the incapabilities of its leadership. The court jesters that gathered at the Otta farm to persuade the President to succeed himself under a non-performance platform were not only self-centered and deceitful but are enemies of the progress and posterity of the nation. What is more intriguing is the '34 wise men' led by Chief Soloman Lar that persuades the Late General Sani Abacha not to heed the call by court jesters to perpetuate himself in power have themselves transformed into court jesters (probably with the exception of Alhaji Abubakar Rimi) to propagate what they have earlier denounced. It becomes apparent from the Otta under happenings that even their initial 'wisdom' was motivated by selfishness and deceit. Actually, it is a legitimate aspiration for any Presidential candidate (including the incumbent President) to indicate interest in contest but past experiences revealed that misguided agitations similar to the Otta declaration is normally tailored to subvert due democratic process and pollute the polity. The message by Chief Solomon Lar, the self-appointed leader of the North-Central is nothing short of a deceitful declaration. "We have" said Lar "given you our 100 per cent support, we will support you a hundred times because we did that before".
The North-central by current Geopolitical groupings is made up of Kaduna, Niger, Nassarawa, Plateau, Benue, Kogi and Kwara. I doubt very much if Chief Lar consulted 'his constituency' before making this declaration on their behalf. The reaction by prominent politicians from the region revealed otherwise. Senator Joseph Kennedy Waku, Chairman Senate Committee on insurance a prominent politician from. Benue state described the Otta visit as" an April fool gimmick and the biggest act of sycophancy". He described the Governors and Ministers that assembled at Otta as electoral liabilities whom he said lost touch with their local communities at their various constituencies "Why should they go to Otta" queried Waku "the same Abachanism has re-surfaced. Why did you accuse YEAA (Youths Earnestly Asked for Abacha): They are the same. This is even more criminal and more sycophantic". In the same view the Executive Governor of Niger state Alhaji Abdulkadir Kure has earlier denounced the visit as an act of sycophancy and demanded for a drop of his name amongst the list of the court jesters. I am sure that other prominent politicians like Alhaji Olusola Saraki (Kwara), Chief Sunday Awomiyi (Kogi) Rtd Lt-General Jerry Useni (Plateau), Senator Haruna Abubakar (Nassarawa) and Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa (Kaduna) will not be desirable to join this show of same.
The true picture of the general feelings of Northerners under this present dispensation is contained in the Governor Attahiru Bafarawa's declaration on the occasion of the Second Anniversary Celebration of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) held in Kaduna on 28th March, 2002 - "Majority of the Northerners", said Bafarawa "irrespective of religious or party differences, unanimously supported the candidature of Chief Obasanjo, in the firm belief that the interest of the North would be adequately taken care of should the PDP be elected. When the elections were over and Chief Obasanjo declared Winner, the hearts of millions of Nigerians were trembling with deafening joy and happiness because most of us saw him as the messiah who could take Nigeria to the promised-land. This was in consideration of his wealth of experienced as a former Head of State, and judging from his past record as a detribalized leader who firmly stood for one Nigeria, without regard to ethnicity, creed or geo-political considerations. Today, it is 34 months that the President has been in office. Unfortunately, however, instead of helping the North to prosper, the foundation for sustainable development laid by our past leaders are regrettably being systematically destroyed with brazen recklessness. It is really a matter of great concern that since May, 1999 our people are made to suffer unjustifiably. Officers of Northern extraction in the Federal service are thrown out of job at the slightest opportunity. In terms of development, there is virtually nothing to show federal presence in the North, as most of the development-oriented projects profits are executed largely in the West". Governor Bafarawa offered that "As the 2003 elections are drawing closer, we must put our heads together and set aside our political, social, religious, and economic and other differences, speak and act together and mutually present a consensus candidate that has the genuine interest of the North at heart, irrespective of faith or party affiliations.
We should be under no illusion; nor should we
allow the mistake of the past to repeat itself. We must never mortgage the
North again for the pleasure of a few individuals who do not have our interest
at heart. We must strive to live by the examples of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the
Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Region". The major thrust
of the Bafarawa's paper concluded by saying "Let us be prepared to
sacrifice our today for our children's tomorrow. We should endeavour to
translate our vision into concrete deeds and conduct. The unity and
progress of the North must never be compromised. We must steadfastly hold
on to our motto-One North, One people, One Agenda. History is the final
judge of our deeds". Actually what Governor Bafarawa narrated
especially the ordeals of the North- which has been caged during the present
dispensation has been alarmed several times by some of us, what is new is that
it is becoming a popular agitation even amongst our leaders in the North. Unless
a Northerner who would not like to agree that he is a human being with liberty,
the gross injustices vested on the North during the Obasanjo's era is enough to
disqualify him in the North.
As we await the outcome of the fasting of the
President, we pray that God will touch his heart to follow the path of honour by
allowing a free and fair election to take place come 2003, so that the
activities of court jesters in politics will be subdued once and for all.