Africa in the pursuit of Democracy
Africa in the pursuit of Democracy
AFRICA IN PURSUIT OF DEMOCRACY
Before the revolutionary wind began to blow in the northern part of Africa, I felt disappointed whenever I heard people say that democracy was growing at a high velocity in Africa. In my view, Democracy in this vast continent was much the same thing as a sapling on a drought-stricken land. I have no doubt that the fight for it has started in earnest, however it will take us so long to emerge victoriously. If what I read about democracy is true, African nations still have a long way to go. If the whole world could view Abraham Lincoln's "Democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people" as simple and perfect, my people (the common man) will need to gather more strength in order that they can put things right in our political system. We need strength to engage ourselves in the political scene because they (the leadership) are imperceptibly planning to distance the common man from seats of power. If the existence of the moon, the stars, the air and other divine creatures hadn't been veiled in secrecy, I believe, African leaders would have monopolized them.
In the pursuit of democracy as it is, we must be consistent and gallant. We each must acknowledge it as a community of interest. Whenever I think about African democracy, I laugh because what is being practiced here in nothing but plutocracy with some dictatorial elements. Our so-called democratic system is structured in such a way that those in the ruling class barricade the way, denying young political intellectuals entry into the compound of political power. It's structured in such a way that constitutions are more or less ordinary papers. They review the constitutions only to suit their needs. The press can't discharge their duties in conformity with the ethics of their profession, since if they do they are very likely to be charged with treason or best still anarchy and be severely punished. In Nigeria, journalists are being arrested and detained in the course of discharging their duties. Security operatives grab hold of their cameras and break them. They intimidate them in public. For us to attain democracy in Africa, we all have got to stand up firm for the autonomy of the media.
During 2007 presidential election in Nigeria, I bemoaned the lack of security and demonstration of ineptitude by the INEC officials at the polling booth where I cast my vote. I argued that the principles of democracy are not reflected in the conduct of elections in the country and a highly cultivated politician sniggered at himself not me. He said what I was taught in school was the old mean of democracy. Our problems are identical to those of countries like Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, though no leader has ever and will ever ruled the country for more a period of ten years. Why I say our problems are identical to those of those countries is that the core of problems affecting any African nations is attributable to bad leadership'. In Morocco, the people are much like clawless lions. The prime minister, the assemblies of councilors and of representatives and the constitution are under King Mohammed's buttocks. In Zimbabwe, the people are still inside Robert Mugabe's fist whose rule has climbed to 30 years. Go to Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang the long serving tyrant has almost swallowed up the people. Few days ago I heard that his son was planning to customize a yacht worth $380 million an amount which many said is three times more than what the government spend on education and health yearly. I'm not sure if African Union is still for harmony and progress for which it was created. If the union could appoint obiang (a political hawk internationally infamous for his tyrannical style of leadership) as their chairman, they must have lost their sense of direction. I'm no longer surprised that the union can't break the stalemate in Ivory Coast. In Uganda, the people are under the feet of Yoweri Museveni. And these are countries where two third of their populations are less educated and are living on less than $2 per day.
Unlike those African countries where presidents desire to rule until the give up the ghost, Nigeria's presidents can't rule more than eight years. That has long been achieved. The governors can't either. The former president Olusegun Obasanjo tried near the end of his second term to cajole the national assembly into amending the electoral clause of the 1999 constitution so he could run the third time but that was greeted with derision by the law makers. Moreover, at that point in time, the people had stood prepared to thunder in droves to the national assembly in the capital, Abuja if they altered that act. Realizing that he had failed, Obasanjo went back to his party, People Democratic Party (the largest and most corrupt political party in Africa) since the party still remained his sphere of influence to pick the dying Governor of Katsina state, Alhaji Umar Musa Yar'adua to run for presidency. I believe his imposition of Yar'adua on the people was to set the country back politically, therefore making way for political rubbers to channel billions of naira out of public treasury. While the membership of the party were crisscrossing the length and the breadth of the country, campaigning for Yar'adua, he was on a ventilator (a life-supporting machine) in Saudi Arabia. On assumption of office, Late President Yar'adua conceded the fact that his election to presidency was not a free and fair election. Obasanjo knew he wasn't going to complete the tenure but insisted that the sick man had to rule at all costs.
Now that the country is due to hold elections in April this year, he has started throwing his weight around. In recent weeks, he was reported to have altered the list of candidates whom the people of Ogun State said actually won the primary elections of the party, PDP in Ogun State where he hails from. The alteration has ever since then been a source of contention. The party has divided into two factions on the strength of the alteration. Obasanjo is controlling one faction while Gbenga Daniel, the outgoing Ogun State Governor is controlling the other faction. And both factions determine to win elections in the prospective general elections. It's evident that corruption is the ulterior reason behind that action. If it isn't corruption why is it that his daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo Bello, who lost out was in the list he presented to the INEC National Chairman?
Bode George, the former chairman of Nigerian Port Authority, was arraigned on a charges of misappropriation of billions of naira of public funds while in office. He was found guilty and was sentenced to two years imprisonment. The punishment which three quarters of Nigerian population considered small comparing to the charges pressed against him. On return from prison, the hierarchy of PDP organized an extravagant party in his honour. At the event, the former president Olusegun Obasanjo was sitting chair-to-chair to the Ex-convict.
There is an element here in Nigeria which political analysts called God-fatherism. The element is comprised of virtually all the former heads of states, the Governors, the ministers, the ambassadors, the commissioners, the high-ranking lawyers, the law-makers and the directors of public offices who have looted Nigeria some years ago. They are imperceptibly at the forefront of our political system. They determine who wins and who loses! Some of them no longer occupy positions of authority, but they earn more than those who are there because they have their candidates there. Some don't go beyond their compounds, but have huge amount of public funds diverted into their personal accounts. Some don't travel beyond the borders of their communities, but determine who deserves to be impeached in the government. A phone call from their sitting-rooms can unseat any directors in any public offices. Therefore it's reasonable to conclude that the incompetent old Nigerian leaders are still in full control of the government, though indirectly.
The revolutionary wind in the north of Africa has rekindled my hope. Therefore I'm optimistic that democracy, as it really is in concept, will gain permanent footing in Africa in the fullness of time. For more hopes to be rekindled, all the crimes committed by pro-government forces in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Ivory Coast and in some countries outside this continent, must be thoroughly investigated. The International Criminal Court must assiduously probe into those crimes. The alleged mass graves in Ivory Coast must be investigated. The use of live artillery on the Pro-Democracy Protesters is part of their investigation. And none of the criminals should be granted amnesty because that will thwart the emergence of justice. I heard it say that President Laurent Gbagbo remained intransigent despite African Union's offer of amnesty. Nobody should grant anybody amnesty because that will, to a great extent, pervert the course of justice. Watch American Idol Season 10 Finalists Take a Different Fun with Rajasthan Cultural Tour My top 5 hotels in Paris - For fashionistas and the budget minded My favorite 8 Shops, Stores & Boutiques in Paris Fire Pit Tables – A Relaxing Retreat in Your Own Backyard Afro Chic Diani - Offering Extreme, Exclusive Boutique Hospitality at Diani Beach, Kenya Cheltenham Festival 2011 Guide - Day One Cheltenham Festival 2011 Guide - Day Two You Authority Control all Aspects of your Travel Cheltenham Festival 2011 Guide - Day Three Cheltenham Festival 2011 Guide - Day Four Cheltenham Festival 2011 Guide - Jockeys Cheltenham Festival 2011 Guide - Trainers