Said Jack L. Wacker, on The Foundations of Democracy: "The system to which this label refers, however, has been going through a series of modifications and transformations and the system that exists today bears little resemblance to the neatly balanced edifice constructed by the framers."
The above observation cannot be more apt when having in mind the Nigerian type of democracy. It is more of a situation of a boy – child not resembling the father. It is anathematic. The basic and simple definition of democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people. The question is: has there been a government of the people and for the people in Nigeria at all? It is an emphatic No! Government ought ordinarily to cultivate a cheerful and willing obedience to its governance by putting in place some palliative measures for the people, but that is lacking in the Nigerian setting. What exists is a cheerless, forceful and commanded obedience.
In recent Nigeria, notwithstanding the mad celebration of ten years of democracy by some megalomaniac politicians, there is still no democracy in Nigeria and the decisions of the various tribunals all over the country bear testimony to this. In most cases, the occupiers of elected political offices are thump–up leaders, not the peoples’ real representatives. This is why it is not surprising that their actions and inactions have been anti-people and unconscionable.
What really have been the dividends of democracy to Nigerians over the years? Absolutely nothing, except sorrows and tears. The government cannot really pin– point anything concrete. Socially and psychologically, Nigerians have been degraded and dehumanized by government polices. The government had deliberately sidelined education in order to get Nigerians ignorant and not knowledgeable enough to query its policies and fight for their rights. Education, which had in the past been given prime position, is of no concern to the government of the day. Take a look at our public schools and see the infrastructures on ground vis-a-vis the comfort of the students. They are really demeaning. All these constitute sharp opposites to what obtains in private schools, being largely owned by the people who had served in some of the governments under reference and had their resources, largely from what they made from same. There have existed some serious governments in this country, even at state levels who had given education a priority and committed huge sums of money towards ensuring its smooth running. As far back as 1971, the East Central State government of Nigeria proposed to spend £29,440,730 for its services during that current financial year. Its Administrator then, Mr. Ukpabi Asika, in a broadcast in Enugu explained that education, alone would take the largest single share of the budget with an estimated expenditure of £12, 177, 380. In the same year also, Governor Abba Kyari of the North Central State of Nigeria proposed a budget of £19.2 million, the highest ever, and gave a whooping £5million to education.
The resources of this country are large enough to fund free education at all levels, but the government would just not do it, because it pays it to keep the mass of the people in perpetual ignorance. Apart from the decadence in the educational sector, others are equally bundles of neglect.
In Nigeria of 2009, some communities are still praying to have portable water and electricity. All these are traceable to the greed and avarice of our politicians cum leaders. Some of them after loading their bank accounts with both local and foreign currencies, buying houses all over the federation and overseas, and taking time to arrange a ring of miscreants and praise– singers around themselves, using them as bullet– proofs. These categories are drawn from the children of the same people they have impoverished. The political leaders, drawn from the executive and legislative arms, on periodic basis, smile to their banks whilst the bulk of their people cry to their beds, if they have any. Imagine a situation where in a country so much lacking in basic necessities, a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria collects an average of N30million on a monthly basis for doing virtually nothing, when an amount not up to the said sum is needed to put certain infrastructures in place for the benefit of the teeming majority.
Ours is now a chaotic and disorderly society, everyone is lord unto himself and there is the mad rush to make money by all means. The security personnel are only interested in what comes out to him personally in cases assigned to him for investigation. Energies and experiences exerted on the criminals are to raise his bargaining power. The check-points existing nationwide are equally there for personal gains and you are only stopped or delayed if you did not "roger" them instantly upon sighting. Whilst one is not holding brief for them, if you ask them why they do all these, they would always justify same via one inefficiency or the other in the system. The other professionals are equally not exempted. The need for money has been seriously glorified. And worst of all, unlike in the past, nobody ask questions these days.
The neglect by government and the monumental rot in the system throwing a lot on the society these days and the consequences are immense. The Niger–Delta situation has been with us since the days of Adaka Isaac Boro and nobody listened to him, but rather he was put away through a sordid and well-orchestrated official conspiracy. The current unenviable situation in the country now is that we have a new set of leaders, right from the hamlet cum village settings whom the neglect and rot in the system had thrown at us. They have no moral standing to justify the forceful and underserved leadership roles bestowed upon them. The signs of the times are ominous, very unhealthy and are pointers to grave things coming in the future. Even right now, there are talks and calls for revolution in the country.
The French Revolution which began in 1789 was signaled by the inability of the French people to get bread on their tables and thus a mass protest was taken to the Palace of the King, Louis XVI.
The series of Revolutions in Russia, popularly called The Russian Revolution commencing from March 1917 and ending in November of same year, spurred up Vladimir Lenin. The change was stirred by the weak and inefficient system of government of Czar Nicholas 11 with the autocratic, corrupt and anachronistic elements surrounding him, like the present day Nigerian leaders, was out of touch with the needs and aspirations of the Russian people, majority of whom were victims of the wretched socio – economic conditions which prevailed in the then Russia. Much like the average Nigerian leader, the Czar had disowned and rejected the advice of the British Ambassador to Russia, Sir George Buchanan who advised him to "break down the barrier that separates you from your people to regain their confidence".
In Cuba, the corruption and misgovernment of Pulgencio Batista gave rise to an uprising led by Fidel Castro. The uncomfortable situation in the country and the dictatorial regime gave impetus to the assemblage of willing countrymen who rallied round the revolutionary leaders. Despite Batista’s launch of operation Verano to quench the uprising, calling in use seventeen battalions, tanks, planes and ships, they were defeated by the infinitesimally small volunteer army led by Fidel Castro, Che-Guevara, Raul Castro, Camilo Cienfluegos and others. Batista eventually fled to Spain after he and his Generals had viewed the situation as hopeless. Castro and his forces took over Havana and the battle ended, with the will of the people triumphing. The rest also is still history.
The type of situation that brought up Flt-Lt. Jerry John Rawlings in Ghana is doubled in the present day Nigeria.
Nature, they say, harbours no vacuum. It shall continue to manufacture events, depending on the situation on ground. Prior to this time, there were no tribal militias in the country, but now there are OPC, APC, MASSOB and the latest addition, the Niger-Delta militants. The Boko Haram sect and the Shiite Muslims groups have reared their heads to show us they exist. There are great suspicions that we have Talibans in our midst. Nobody knows their mission and aims. The uncared-for Almajiris in the North, with those of similar plights, aimless and unclear dispositions in the East and West are still very much within us. They all would not continue to live and walk unpredictably into the future. Nothing is impossible. All the signs are pointing to the igniting of a small fire, the spread of which no one can yet predict. As nature asserts, there would definitely be a beginning of a beginning, the time, direction, format, drive, coverage and route of which nobody knows. Let Mallam Musa Yar’Adua and the rest so-called leaders listen to the wise counsel of Sir George Buchanan given ninety-two years ago, under similar circumstance and break down the barrier that separates them from their people to regain their confidence.
God bless Nigerians.
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