Connect with us

Politics

‘Nigeria Needs To Strengthen Democracy’

Published

on

Who should be an ideal person to rule this country? If I say I know who should rule this country then I am pre-empting democratic principles; I am saying that there is no need for elections.

A country like Nigeria of 150 million people, blessed with natural resources unparalled should be led not ruled, by somebody of integrity, somebody who has character, a democrat par excellence; and somebody who is visionary and has the interest of the ordinary people in this country at heart. Somebody who will look back and say that sincerely the past leaders of this country rather than moving the country forward have retarded the country and that the day he takes up office say 2011 is the beginning of change in Nigeria. That is the kind of person I would want to lead this country. That is the kind of person those of us in the civil society have been struggling over the years from military to civilian dictatorship to run the affairs of this country. So that the environment would be open, conducive for ordinary people, for every hard working Nigerian.

Nigerians are not lazy people. With the right environment, Nigerians can thrive, they can compete favourably with anybody anywhere in the world (black or white).

Those I would not want to run this country in 2011 are people like Babangida who have had an unparallel opportunity whether military or whatever to run the affairs of this country but were over-run by power.

Instead of moving this country forward, they destroyed some of the fabrics that would have made this country great. We are where we are today because leaders like Babangida, rather worked to retard the progress of this country. They went to the root of this country and cut off the root because of their selfish interest.

There is no point saying I build this and build that when the basic foundation that can give the present and future generations opportunity to grow in the land were removed.    I don’t think that characters like Babangida should be allowed to run the affairs of this country. And I think that Babangida should typifies a kind of person I would not want to rule this country not just me but majority of Nigerians; look back at the June elections that would have helped to sabilise democracy in this country and give all of us an opportunity to grow. Babangida deferred but he has not been decent enough to come out and say “Nigerians, I am sorry”.

He has refused to bear responsibility for all the murders, Dele Giwa and the rest of them that were alleged. Yes, he ran a military dictatorship but we have also seen military dictatorship that had decency elsewhere in the world and they helped in building their country. So, you don’t use military tyranny as an excuse to fundamentally abuse the right of people, to fundamentally deny people opportunity and deny them their fundamental right to life. People like General Vasta was killed on a trumped up charge of organising a coup.

People who cannot take responsibility for their actions are no ideal leaders. We hear of the Okigbo report of the oil wind fall, over N20 billion; who cannot clear themselves. People who can not come before the Oputa Panel and tell the truth about what they did when they were in power, cannot come and insult the intelligence of Nigerians. I think what he is coming to do is to finish up what he has left of us. So characters like that I don’t think can run the affairs of this country.

Now for Nigeria to move forward democracy must be strengthened. Because that is the only way that, people who are as diversed both in ethnic and religious terms can live together. If you don’t have effective democracy, if democracy is not strengthened in Nigeria, it becomes extremely difficult to have the right leadership to move this country forward. In that scenario, you will continue to have the Jos crisis, the Niger  Delta crisis, the Odual people crisis, religious crisis among others. So there is need to strengthen democracy to tackle the crises.

Nigerians are expected that after the military, there should be a semblance of democracy and growth; that their GDP would improve but we all know since may 1999 across this country especially in the Niger Delta, that it has not been easy for ordinary people to freely go to the poll to elect their leaders. What this means over the time is that people get into public offices where they don’t care about the welfare of the people but about themselves. They grow themselves at the expense of the ordinary person.

The violence we have in the Niger delta is as a result of bad governance and leadership. If you go to other parts of Nigeria, the same thing applies. That is the reality on ground. So we need a democracy that is strengthened, a democracy that offers ordinary people the opportunity to freely go to the ballot box and elect credible candidate.

We need a situation in which an elected person will know that if he does not perform well, he could be voted out in the next election. But this is not what we have now. What obtains presently is “no matter what I do I will come back the people don’t matter”.  But the people actually matter. That they are not on the street marching against government on daily basis is not the reason to believe that they don’t matter.

They can withdraw their co-operation; they can withdraw quietly their obedience to civil rule hence they would embrace, kidnapping while those in positions of authority continue to steal.

In the constitution, the primary responsibility of government is to protect lives and property. If the people do not feel secured, how would they wake up in the morning and go looking for money. So we need a leader that must emanate from the people – be it a councilor, local government chairman, legislator or whatever.  People say fear of God but also there should be fear of the people because the mandate belongs to the people. We need a change of our electoral regime, and that calls for the implementation of Uwais Report. That report should be faithfully implemented, since the content of the report is what Nigerians want; it should infact be made the law of this country.

Also, whoever should take over from Iwu should be somebody who has been in this system, understands the system, understands the legal workings of electoral bodies across the globe. Somebody who is also willing and ready to take risk on behalf of Nigerians not on behalf of Mr. President or National Assembly. So, that when 2011 comes whoever emerges, the world at large would accept him.

It is important they choose some body who will be able to organise something that is close to free and fair election.

I believe that perfection is probably impossible, so something that will be calculated by both local, regional and international observers as free and fair. So that Nigerians can begin to talk about a leader of their own, they can begin to talk about their own value.

Today, the life of a Nigerian is worthless the way we are treated by our own leaders. People are killed on daily basis and nobody cares. It is only when one big man or politician is kidnapped that you see it on the pages of Newspapers.

In freedom House Index an independent Non-Governmental Organization based in Washington DC that monitors freedom across the world, Angola, Botsana, Sierra Leone, Ghana are far higher rated in terms of democratic strengthening. But Nigeria is rated as what is called as autocracy. And this is a country that is supposed to play a major role in Africa. Today, if a nation is not democratic in nature forget it and she can not play at the international level.

No rebranding is not a public relations exercise; you can have one hundred million national orientation agencies, they will not make any impact until you have leadership stands at the podium at United Nations building in New York or international conference centre, Levi and proudly say that, “I am piloting a democratic Nigeria”, and that statement would also concretely and constructively be supported by the opinions of the majority of the people of this country and the external watchers.

So until we have a leader that can stand out, and people can say he is not an abuser of human rights; he did not kill Nigerians with impunity in the past; he did not steal Nigeria’s money and he did not force himself to power. Until you have somebody of repute, somebody of integrity at the global state representing our interest.

It takes a good leader to liberate Nigeria and Nigerians from betrayed hope. I don’t know if that person is Jonathan. But if Jonathan is the character that can bring back integrity to Nigeria; integrity to leadership, human decency, taking ordinary Nigerians seriously, adding value to humanity of Nigerians if he is, he is free, he is a Nigerian, he should contest. But because of the circumstances, I would say Jonathan should concentrate on three main issues – reform the electoral process, work with the National Assembly and give Nigerians an effective electoral instrument.

Also, there should be a provision that once the election is over all the electoral cases arising from that election should be disposed of before anybody takes the position. Once any position is contested, the election tribunal should dispose all cases before anybody mounts the position of governance.

Anyakwe Nsirimovu is Executive Director, Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (1HRHL).

 

Anyakwe Nsirimovu

Continue Reading

Politics

Reps Seeks To Retain Immunity For President Only

Published

on

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed, through a second reading, a bill seeking to retain immunity for the Office of the President and remove immunity from the Vice President, the Governors and the Deputy Governors.
The bill was one of the 42 considered and passed through the second reading stage during plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Benjamin Kalu, in Abuja.
Sponsored by Hon. Solomon Bob (Rivers PDP), the bill is seeking the amendment of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution to guard against abuse of office and to ensure transparency in governance.
The long title of the proposed legislation read: “A Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to qualify the immunity conferred on the President, remove the immunity conferred on the Vice President, the Governors and their deputies, in order to curb corruption, eradicate impunity and enhance accountability in public office and for related matters.”
Key amendments include changes to Section 308 of the Constitution, which currently grants immunity to the president, vice president, governors, and deputy governors while in office.
The proposed bill will amend subsection 3 to ensure that immunity only applies to the President and the vice president when acting as President under Section 145 of the Constitution.
Additionally, a new subsection 4 will be introduced to make the immunity clause inapplicable if the office holder is acting in an unofficial capacity, engaging in actions beyond the powers of the office, or involved in criminal conduct.
“The bill seeks to foster transparency and strengthen the fight against corruption by making public officials more accountable for their actions, both in and out of office.”
“Section 308 of the principal Act is amended by:(a) substituting a new subsection (3) as follows: “(3) This section applies to a person holding the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Vice President only when acting as President, in line with Section 145 of this Constitution.
Creating sub section (4) thereto as follows:”(4) The foregoing provisions of this section shall be inapplicable where the person to whom this section applies is acting in an unofficial capacity or where the conduct of the person is beyond the powers of his office or the conduct is criminal in nature.
“This Bill may be cited as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Act 2024.
The bill is currently awaiting further debate and consideration by the National Assembly.

Continue Reading

Politics

Recall From NASS: INEC Confirms Petitioners’ Contact Details Receipt, Notifies Natasha

Published

on

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to notify Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi Central, about the petition by constituents seeking her recall from the national assembly.
INEC said it has also received the contact details of the petitioners.
“Pursuant to section 69 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, I write to notify you of the receipt of a petition from representatives of registered voters in your constituency seeking your recall from the senate.
“The notification is in line with the provisions of clause 2 (a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
“This letter is also copied to the presiding officer of the senate and simultaneously published on the commission’s website. Thank you”, the letter read.
The letter was signed by Ruth Oriaran Anthony, secretary to the commission.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Wednesday, INEC said it has now received the updated contact details from representatives of petitioners seeking to recall the senator.
In the statement, Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, said a letter notifying the senator of the petition has been delivered to her official address, copied to the senate presiding officer, and published on the commission’s website.
“The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50%) of the registered voters in the constituency. This will be done in the coming days.
“The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission. We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent”, Mr Olumekun said.
Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan had recently accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her.
The allegation came in the wake of seating arrangement related altercation between Senator. Akpabio and the Kogi Central senator at the red chamber
She was subsequently suspended from the senate for six months for “gross misconduct” over the incident.
The constituents behind the recall move also accused her of “gross misconduct, abuse of office, and deceitful behaviour”.
The senator has denied wrongdoing and called the recall effort a “coordinated suppression” of her voice.

 

Continue Reading

Politics

Bill To Upgrade Lagos LCDAs To LGAs Pass Second Reading

Published

on

The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the second reading of a bill to upgrade the Lagos State 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to full-fledged Local Government Areas (LGAs ).
The bill, was sponsored by James Faleke, Babajimi Benson, Enitan Badru, and 19 other lawmakers.
The bill is titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to Accommodate the Thirty-Seven (37) Development Area Councils of Lagos State as Full-Fledged Local Government Areas, Increasing the Total Number of Local Government Areas in the Federation to Eight Hundred and Eleven (811), and for Related Matters (HB. 1498),”
Once fully enacted, Nigeria’s total number of LGAs will rise from 774 to 811, with Lagos overtaking Kano and Katsina, which currently have 44 and 34 LGAs, respectively.
Proponents of the bill argue that granting full LGA status to the LCDAs would bring governance closer to the people. The 37 LCDAs were created by President Bola Tinubu in 2003 when he was governor of Lagos State.
However, it’s worth noting that the Lagos State House of Assembly has been working on a bill to replace the 37 LCDAs with newly designated administrative areas.

Continue Reading

Trending