25 YEARS AFTER:WHAT MANNER OF DEMOCRACY?

By: Joseph A. Adudu.

I had cause to present my view in several fora on the way and manner Nigerians and indeed, Africans approach issues as they relate to democracy and good governance. The blackman is always in the habit of swallowing hook line and sinker anything that emanates from the western world, most especially from America without necessarily subjecting it to critical analysis and amendment to suit his peculiar environment.
For instance, it is often said that “The worst democracy is still better than the benevolent military regime”. This phrase emanated from the west but the blackman has already swallowed it. For me, it is a phrase I cannot fully understand or come to mental accommodation with.
Upon what rationale or logic is the saying based? Whatever that is, I find the above reasoning absurd.
Some of the reasons why a government is in place are to keep law and order and to provide basic amenities to its people. However, the above saying is suggesting that a military regime that has been able to secure the lives of the citizens, provide good road networks, constant power supply, quality and affordable health care system and qualitative education to them is still worse than a democracy that has failed to provide same.
Some people have argued, referring to free speech as one of the tenets of democracy, saying that citizens in a democracy are free to hold and express their opinions on issues that affect them. They also argued that the judiciary in a democracy ensures that this basic freedom is protected.
But as a matter of fact, we have not really seen this work in the past 25 years of democracy in our country as almost all our leaders, both past and present are guilty at one time or the other of emasculating the media, the judiciary and institutionalized a culture of impunity.
Ironically, it is within this democratic dispensation from 1999 that court orders have been flagrantly abused more than any other time in our history and successive administrations stained by many acts of corruption and inefficiency.
In a democracy, constitution making and reform are very important because they contain rules convention and other practices by which any society can be effectively governed. History shows that Nigeria has been ruled for over 30 years by the military out of the almost 64 years of post-independent Nigeria.
As a result, all the constitutions apart from that of 1960 and 1963 are creations of the military -1999 constitution inclusive. The 1999 document was promulgated into law by the then General Abdulsalami Abubakar regime and approved by the Armed Forces Ruling Council after the Justice Nikki Tobi Committee’s Report which took them just two months to consult Nigerians before the presentation of the draft to the military for approval. No wonder, the 1999 constitution has been criticized by all and sundry as a military imposition. Now looking at the constitution beyond the process of making it which is essentially faulty, the content of the document is not suited for building and deepening of democracy.
Peculiar circumstances were not taken into account before coming up with the document. For instance, the constitution has no provisions for traditional rulers and for the independence of the electoral commission as well as adequate protection of the girl child and women rights. The constitution also has no provision for the autonomy of local government which is the third tier system of government and the closest to the people at the grassroots.
Consequently, after 25 years of democracy, corruption remains entrenched, the roads are still impassable, the railway has since been certified dead, education is out of the reach of the common man, public institutions have collapsed, the naira continues to emaciate at the international market, darkness continues to cover our land as all sort of crimes continue to soar higher.
The whole thing has made life in Nigeria meaningless and also made nonsense of a country once looked upon as the pride of the black race.
The political system has only succeeded in producing and breeding rapacious, parasitic and unfocused leaders. Nigeria operates a federal constitution. leaders, most especially those at the centre are in the habit of deepening and centralizing the power around the Presidency with attendant consequences of weakening of control of the most prominent and important agencies. A good example is the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
As it is obtainable in countries where despots are in charge, the Presidency is a dominant avenue of decision making in spite of the fact that we are supposed to be running a democracy that is the presidential type. Most governors shudder when summoned by the president. The presidency is a state within a state.
The political parties, most especially the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC) that have been ruling for the past 25 years have not helped matters. Both political parties have failed to perform one of the major functions of a political party which is; political recruitment of our future leaders, training and equipping them with skills for a prosperous country. It is a fact that democracy as is currently practiced in Nigeria has only produced unpalatable result associated with the Nigerian state and the character of our elites.
Our democracy has thus far, only succeeded in promoting inequality rather than equality. Consequently, there cannot be genuine democracy in a country where citizens are grossly unequal in wealth and the poor who are invariably the majority are dependent on the wealthy. In the light of these, good governance is absolutely imperative for social and economic progress. Good governance involves justice, equality, protection of lives and property, preservation of the rule of law and improved living standard of citizens. Also, for good governance to be achieved there is a dire need for the entrenchment of internal democracy and adequate funding of political parties being stake holders.
Above all, sound anti corruption policies devoid of mere speeches or lip service must be put in place. There also have to exist a functional legislature, a viable and independent judiciary as well as attitudinal transformation on the part of our political elite, the absence of which good governance and development will continue to be a mirage.

Adudu is the Publisher of African Drum Magazine, a Jos based Publication and can be reached on ayiki2014@gmail.com