Is Nigeria a strong country, or country of strong men?|Chris Enyinnaya
Events in Nigeria, mainly the unconstitutional breaches of the constitution since the ascendancy of General Muhammadu Buhari and APC government in 2015 have made it compelling to ask the question: “Is Nigeria a county or ajungle?”
Long before now, researchers have even asked a weightier question. The question is anchored on events, the influence of Western Education on the indigenous culture of Nigerian people which is anchored on truth and fairness. To be specific, under Nigerian indigenous culture, a thief caught stealing is a thief, no questions asked.
But the British came with their law and legal system where you have to prove with incontrovertible evidence beyond reasonable doubt that a thief is a thief. This system has given rise to manipulation of the law, including evidence by people in power and by judges in law courts in contradistinction with our customary courts where truth is truth.
Indeed, no part of Nigeria, North, East or West has escaped from the disrupting influence of Western Education and culture. Dr. Walter Miller in his book titled “Have We Failed In Nigeria?” gives a sober account of British influence in Nigeria. But before his time, Bernard Shaw ex-rayed the character of the English man which Nigerian Political Class have imbibed thus,” there is nothing so bad or so good that you will not find an English man doing it , but you will never find an English man in the wrong. He does everything on principle. He fights you on patriotic principles, he robs you on business principles, he enslaves you on imperial principles.” In other words to the English man, there is no standard of ethics and morality. Anything goes in the name of fairness. All is fair in peace and war. It is those principles that drives Nigerian Political Class which made Nigerian state a dysfunctional society.
Back to Dr. Walter Miller. In his book titled “Have We Failed In Nigeria?” “after fifty years of British tutelage in the arts and value of the West, there are still disturbing signs of failure. Few do not suspect that the disquieting amount of bribery and corruption exists in the public service of the country.
“Fewer still believe that all our national and local council elections as well as the activities of the elected bodies, council, etc are carried out without the least taint of corruption. Who has not heard of the occasional public servant who has been apprehended, and sentenced to terms of imprisonment for acts of corruption, thereby expiating, as it were, the sins of many who remain unexposed.
“All over the country, there has been in recent times public inquiries held into the activities of individuals, corporations, and local councils. Reports varying from mild and courteous disapproval of outright condemnation, leading sometimes to the dissolution of statutory bodies, have now again been published. It would be unwise to assume, therefore, that with the attainment of independence on October 1, 1960, the democratic way of life, as well as other supporting values, will have been firmly established in Nigeria. We still have a lot of work to do much harder for moral emancipation.” End of quote, but we can go on and on with the lamentation of the writer on failed Nigerian nation.
Sadly, nothing has really changed for the better over the years. Since the APC took over government at the centre in 2015, things have gotten worse politically and economically. Nigeria is being run by the people in power as a jungle rather than a country with a constitution.
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 7th Edition defines jungle as “an unfriendly or dangerous place or situation, especially one where it is very difficult to be successful or to trust anyone” It is a jungle out there. You have to be strong to succeed.
No wonder people in power in Nigeria are strong men. Strong men and later women have taken over all arms of government. The President is a strong man. The Senate President is a strong man. The President appointed a strong woman to head the judiciary.
The President became even stronger and had the courage to suspend a sitting and democratically elected governor and the state house of assembly and yet, the constitutional provisions he quoted did not enpower him to do so. He acted on his own as a strong man.
The President of the Senate is another strong man. He became a Senator and later Senate President despite not contesting Senate Primary Election and being named on the ballot paper in the election proper. In particular, he became a Senator despite the fact that the Electoral Act barred anyone from contesting for two different positions in the same election year.
The strong men and women in the Supreme Court ruled that he is the Senator representing Akwa Ibom North. It is only a strong man who will use voice vote to endorse the unconstitutional suspension of a sitting democratically elected governor and the state house of assembly without showing evidence of constitutional requirements of 2/3 majority votes by Senators present and voting.
But where is the place of Nigerian constitution in all these? These strong men brazenly breach the constitution and unbelievably, nothing happens, no consequences. That is why this writer is asking the question: Is Nigeria a country or a jungle? Nigeria has been taken over by strong men and women who turned to the judiciary and legislative arm of government to make laws or put a seal of approval to legitimise constitutional breaches.
The Nigerian nation and justice system have become fulfillment of the Bible prophesy in Isaiah 59 v 4, 14-15a thus, “No one calls for justice, no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies, they conceive trouble and give birth to evil ….So justice is driven back and righteousness stands at a distance, truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found and whoever shuns evil is a prey. “Yes, you become a prey in Nigeria if you speak the truth. Examples abound of people who spoke truth to power and are persecuted.
The time has come for Nigerian people to call all the political leaders, no matter how highly placed to order. No body is above the constitutional provisions and the law. Deceitfully, these strong men claim to be democrats but their actions while exercising power destroy democratic institutions and make a mockery of democratic ideals.
Unless and untill Nigerian citizens hold their elected officials accountable and with severe sanctions in accordance with the law, Nigeria will continue to be a jungle not a country governed by constitution. Nigerians have an opportunity at the next election to get things right by voting out all these strong men and women who have betrayed public trust.
Enyinnaya is fellow, Chartered Institute of Bankers. He can be reached
Credit:The Guardian