Democracy comes in different forms but it is always subjected to differing interpretations by political scientists and intelligentsia. There are several perspectives on democracy which this writer has come across in his study of democracy and development. These forms of democracy include the bourgeois, Christian, consociation and participatory (or direct). Others are the directed (or guided), industrial, liberal, popular, social, and representative (or indirect) democracy. There are other brands of democracy being practiced elsewhere in the contemporary world. It is the representative democracy that we practice in Nigeria. This type of democracy enables legislation to be enacted by representatives elected by the citizenry and on whose behalf they act.
The ‘purest’ form of democracy, according to political pundits, is the participatory democracy in which the citizenry itself makes legislative decision instead of delegating the power to elected representatives. Democracy has become a globally accepted and valued system of government and it has come to stay in Nigeria, whether it is the representative or the participatory system that is in place. Let me take an aside and discuss the main theme of this piece.
Democracy is an event that should not collapse the nation’s economy; rather institutions should drive the process to ensure continuity in governance. This is because there is a very strong linkage between politics, economics and society’s values. Ideally, democracy is expected to engender development when it is built on a social platform with focus on social equity, justice, participation and fairness. Others have equally argued that development is a precondition for the emergence of democracy. However, democracy can emerge at any level of development.
There is currently a growing concern in Nigeria about the mismatch between democracy and development. Events in the political landscape in the past few weeks are disturbing, to say the least. There are some politicians in the polity whose character does not match their commitment and they could be a threat to democracy. It is convincing beyond reasonable doubt that the newly-elected members of the 8th National Assembly are not concerned about the plight of the common man in the country. Nigeria’s democratic experiment can no longer be regarded as nascent because some children born on 29 May, 1999 are already in tertiary institutions in the country. For the purpose of argument, some will quickly say that ‘our democracy is still evolving and that politicians are learning on the job’. Do those learning on the job require 50 years to learn while they make money but impoverish those who voted them to office to serve? Is it when the nation has practiced democracy for 50 years that Nigerians would start seeing development? Nigeria is 55 years old as an independent nation but in terms of development the country is asphyxiated. The nation’s democracy has been pockmarked by poverty. The nation is poor, citizens are indigent. Those that are representing the citizenry at the National Assembly are involved in fisticuffs and display of their competences in karate and taekwondo. At the Benue State House of Assembly, it was Kung Fu spiced with heavy blows that was displayed by state assembly members. These are representatives of the people who are expected to debate and purge themselves of necessary argument in order to improve the well-being of Nigerians who stood in harsh weather conditions to vote them into office.
There are arguments and counter-arguments for party supremacy and imposition of political appointees. Party supremacy is good but APC leadership should not forget that imposition of political appointees will breed impunity in government. Has APC leadership forgotten that it was the culture of imposition that relegated the PDP to the opposition pew? If APC members do not wake up with immediate alacrity, they will not only be in opposition but their political party will be consigned to history in 2019.
Democracies do not fight, they discuss and perhaps argue. Since 9 June, 2015, all we have seen on television and read on newspapers is that this new era has brought out the fighting competencies in politicians and lawmakers. This is a time when we need brains, not brawns. This writer does not know the position of the 1999 Constitution regarding the penalty for this gross misconduct perpetrated by ‘honourable lawmakers’ at state and national levels. Is there no law expelling boxers from the state and federal assemblies? Our legal luminaries should come to our aid in this matter. By their misdemeanour they have partially succeeded in shifting Nigerians’ attention to their show of shame such that we have forgotten other problems such as budget deficits, empty treasury, insecurity, unemployment, inadequate health care, epileptic power supply, and unpaid salaries amongst others. If this is the outrageous silhouette politicians want to bequeath to our nation, then democracy is under trial and Nigerians need to save it.
There is no doubt that Nigerians wanted change and they got it through the ballot box. Nigerians do not want liars, touts, economic saboteurs and political robbers, acid attackers and assassins to occupy our nation’s political landscape anymore. We want well-mannered and well-cultured individuals who have esteemed regard for their fellow citizens to take charge of our democracy. Culture plays a significant role in any nation’s quest for development. Culture makes up an integral part the entire society that one must be cautious in its evaluation. However, any nation that cannot develop its democracy to create wealth for its citizens must begin to critically evaluate its culture. In realization of the cultural dimension of democracy, developed nations have accepted that we should practice democracy our own way but it does not give politicians the leeway to turn state and national assemblies to boxing arenas. Drawing inspiration from a Swiss author and dramatist, Friedrich Durrenmatt, in his book ‘The Marriage of Mr Mississippi’ (1952), what Nigerians need is not redemption from sin but recovery from hunger and oppression. Nigerians have no need to pin their hopes upon heavens, we have everything to hope for from our nation.
(To be continued)
MA Johnson
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