willieojo@yahoo.com
Military macho men with their coercing barrels of guns once played god over Nigeria’s government business for decades. But, in 1999, the country broke free from the choke-hold of dictatorship as she became one of the 123 countries of the world that embraced democracy. Siding with a democratic rule was an idea fuelled by a consensus and determined attempt to re-write ugly portions of Nigeria’s story. It’s almost 20 years since its reintroduction; Nigeria’s democracy, just like the country itself, is still crawling like a crappy gimcrack crab.
Soldiers gave us democracy but not without the bestial bequeath of a mess called corruption. The monster was wrapped in gold and oil rig lagniappe and sold to the people who free-willingly bought it. According to the Transparency International in its latest Corruption Perceptions Index figures, Nigeria now ranks 31 among the most corrupt nations on earth. Neighbouring Ghana ranks 100th. My eyes have seen, and ears have heard! To glow and glee in thievery and cumshaw is a way of life in Nigeria, no matter who is president. Break your larynx in screams and crack your pharynx in shouts. Approach the World Court at The Hague’s in litigation after you are done filing assuaging papers with the Supreme Court in Abuja. Shed tears, sweat, and lament until the cow comes home; unfortunately, corruption is here with us. It occupies vast hectares of land on our island of wealth and plenty called Nigeria; and also in the hearts and minds of very many leaders and followers.
To a great extent, democracy should be a corrector of all errors in our polity. It should sieve the wheat from the chaff and then give us the best human tools. Great economists, adroitest information technologists, savviest men in medicine, nimblest lawyers, and wittiest administrators and journalists aren’t enthused about this democracy where candidates are already “elected” before the election. Those who have what it takes to lead in Nigeria are either afraid of politics and politicians, or too broke to obtain even a nomination form. But the awkward and wayward have the money. My people adore men with money. And our democracy will always favour moneybags.
Most of the characters democracy has dumped on Nigeria are those who noise more than they nourish; who talk more than they act; and are fellows with zero intention to nurture a nation into self-sufficiency and affluence. If democracy in Nigeria were a breathing being, he is a fool. Sometimes I laugh at our democracy. Other times, I groan. In a democracy, you can vote for a dead man, and you can for the deaf. Citizens are free to elect fools and put in power candidates bereft of ideas.
In a democracy, human demons can be elected, and intellectually leprous can become your president. Democracy in Nigeria once allowed citizens to vote for a man in jail and for a man whose brain was frail. It has allowed vile men and viragos of vainglory to run for elections and win. Don’t tell me democracy is not a fool! In its modus operandi, a nincompoop may become the captain of a people, and a ‘chop-I-chop’ is chaperon at the governor’s mansion. Democracy has many times supplanted vermin as a senator, and a pervert as president. It allows a fool to be full of power and a man full of lofty and progressive ideas hedged out in nasty electoral bets. Men whose hearts pant for servitude end up serving while good guys with hearts for service are sidelined. Is democracy not a fool? Any system where mannerless politicians with manna are preferred over candidates with manners but without manna is a foolish system. Men who have unscrupulous access to mammon in a mammoth magnitude manipulate the process. Low-lifers with lots of stolen stacks of cash are given rousing standing ovations to jiggle and wriggle to and given beaded crowns and scepters to become kings. If you have gold in stacks and stashes, you have a hold on elections. If democracy were a breathing being, he must be a fool!
Another fiesta of democracy called election is around the corner in Nigeria. That season of jostling for power is here again. Campaign of callousness and calumny is here again. Videos will be doctored, and audios will be manipulated. Don’t believe the ancient proverb that says: “Pictures don’t lie”. In a season of lies, pictures will lie. In this age of photoshop, photo trick is king. Social media will be awash with junks, and cognoscente of fabrications and prevarications will be on exhibitions. Distortions, concoctions, extortions, and eliminations will rule in the jungle. There will be too many lies told by too many people in government and those who want to displace them. Lies put food on their table. In this Democracy, lies sell; and there are many salivating buyers. At this time of deception called election, some will be enriched and some impoverished. Some will be missing, and some will be imprisoned. Some will be killed, and some will escape being killed. These are signs of the times in a country running out of time to fulfil destiny. It’s the shtick of our brand of democracy. And it will get worse as elections draw uncomfortably closer.
Next week in my beloved Osun State, democracy will be having another party. I am not enthusiastic to attend. I was there in 2014 when Rauf Aregbesola danced to win. This season, one candidate will dance and those who care will watch it on Youtube. He is a dancing, doling rotunda senator they call a dullard. An all-round F9 graduate from high school who now promises to be an A1 governor! The rivers of waters flow in an unexpected way in Nigerian politics. What will democracy do this time? Who knows? Even when its utterances are foolish, whatever democracy speaks becomes law.
Democracy allows for the recycling of politicians who hold certain positions for many years; and then they hop on others for another languorously lengthy time. Democracy that gives no room for young people to get close to and grow in power pavilions, but builds palaces only for the oldies-bu-goldies who desperately want to control the levers and forever, has no common sense. In 2003, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun was senator. He became governor in 2011. By 2019, he would have held that position for eight years. Now, he wants to return to the Senate where he once held sway in his 40s. Amosun has all the right in the world to run again for the Senate seat; but, it is obvious that government business in Nigeria is a routine merry-go-round route to rout and rubbish common sense in public service. The occurrence of the shenanigans is not only in Ogun State; but all over Nigeria. From Kano to Kwara, from Akwa Ibom to Anambra, the story spins on in endless repeats. A big chunk of men in the Nigerian Senate were once governors. They collect allowances and pensions from their years of service or disservice. And now, they double down on hushed-up freebies and allowances as senators.
If democracy is a fool, then, we must blame something or someone. Blame can go around from the military men to civilians who succeeded them. The latter are reluctant to change rules that will not favour them while they serve. And then, Nigeria’s 1999 constitution. A bird-brained bequeath from the military which is now a constituted authority of confusion. The contused constitution needs a reconstitution. As long as the Nigerian Senate remains a recycling mill of ex-governors, the chamber will never fight against corruption but legislate for its thriving. When the driving force, the constitution of a system, is a senseless piece of paper, it is also senseless expecting commonsense in government.
Follow me on Twitter: @folaojotweet
END
Be the first to comment