"Killings in Nigeria has taken dimension of football competition ''- Senator Ike Ekweremmadu, Nigeria's Deputy Senate President.
All over the world democracy is now in crisis. Nigeria is not exception. Human freedom and human security is under threat. In Nigeria democracy is now in peril, there is widespread insecurity, division , human rights and minority rights are threatened. What is happening now mocks democracy. Repression is high and corruption has taken a new dimension, Inequality and poverty is widening. We have talked about poor public services, including infrastructure, unemployment, etc.
This government undermines democracy. The democratic institutions are at mercy of the government. There is little regard for the opposition and legislative organ with endless systematic plans to remove the Senate leadership. The judiciary witnessed the abduction of Supreme court judges and yet to recover from the shock. Only favourable Court orders are obeyed. The government even initiates court action to prevent accountability, as we have seen in some high profile corruption cases. The corruption war is stage-managed and biased.
The government is only interested in the next election. The government endorses itself and invest in massive propaganda and manipulation to win public support, despite today's technology which has helped ordinary citizens to know the truth.
The general population live in endless fears and the prospects for free and fair elections is elusive given the situation of things. Furthermore, the prospects for violence especially during the next election is very high. This should be a huge cause for concern for the citizens and the international community. Today, Senior citizens, the Clerics, community and opinion leaders are crying out loud for change.
Nigeria currently faces leadership challenges and the need for a new political structure, that will guarantee inclusiveness. Autocracy is not the answer as we are now witnessing, especially in an ethnic diverse society.
The World Economic Forum has warned of the collapse of democracy, the crumbling of the food supply chain. Natural disasters,and terrorist attacks, also made the top ten of terrifying series of threats to the world in 2018;. (World Economic Forum Boffins warn of a terrifying Series of Threats to the world in 2018 -City A.M Thursday 18 Janury 2018)
Nigeria is still battling the Boko-Haram terrorism in the North-East of the country, Kidnapping, Widespread Killing , general insecurity, poverty, poor resource mangement, and the new peril- the Fulani herdsmen described as the world's fourth deadliest terror group reign unopposed causing untold devastations across the country; mass rape, mass murder, mass destruction of farmlands and agricultural products, insecurity, etc.
Many states have rejected the appeal by the presidency to accomodate the Fulani-herdsmen citing the evidence of historical atrocities, rather urging the federal government to declare the Fulani herdsmen as a terrorist organisation. The situation now threatens the nation's unity with calls by various ethnic groups to take up arms in self-defence of their various territories.
The Niger- Delta millitants have just announced imminent attack on oil installations across the country if the issue of restructuring is not revisited. There is now various alliances across the country to demand the restructuring of the country.
The Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) have stepped up the demand for the whereabout of their leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who disapeared from the public alongside his parents during the federal military operation Python Dance in the South-East Nigeria, where his house was invaded by the federal soldiers. Now they have stepped up their agitation for the Independent State of Biafra, accusing the federal government of bias and division.
A recent high court ruling to uphold the proscription of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation despite local and international condemnation has further brought the government and the judiciary into disrepute as the government is still resisting growing pressures to declare the Fulani-herdsmen as a terrorist organisation.
There is also great concern about the government's handling of the country's security, made worst by non-adherence to the federal character charter in appointment of the heads of the country's security outfits.
Various stakeholders have argued that the solution to the impending crisis is the restructuring of the current political structure which has failed to improve the welfare of ordinary people, rather induces Autocracy.
The essence of the restructuring is to guarantee inclusiveness by moving power down to identity to boost productivity, saving cost of governance, building trust, transparency, efficient resource management, greater economic diversification, and good governance.
The benefits are numerous as the future demands the political leaders to get rid of what they have done in the past that is now not working and embrace what will work for today's generation. But the Presidency and the ruling party thinks otherwise, preferring the status-quo.
The president must deal with this imminent challenges to continue his reign. What will happen ''when all the blood has been spilled and arguements settled''-Britannia, remains our collective guess.
Our political leaders should do more to build a new society that is peaceful and inclusive.
This is the debt that they owe the society.
Enough of the killings. I wonder why citizens of the same country would be killing fellow citizens and evading justice. Now is the time to think different, to secure our liberty and political rights.
Meanwhile the presidency has alerted the nation of the influx of foreign terrorists in the country. This now calls for strong leadership to take up the challenge to re-position the country on the path of greatness.
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Uche Okeke is a Social Entreprenur.
What is democracy? Why is it failing in Nigeria?
ReplyDeleteHistorically political power has been held by the few over the many, Nigeria is not exception. The people now want to have a greater say in government.
ReplyDelete