Consolidating democracy in Nigeria (5)
By TundeThompson (Life and Issues )
Monday, September 25, 2006

On Thursday, September 9, 2004, a group which had earlier on Thursday, August 12 of the same year been launched in Abuja, took a full page for advertisement in the newspaper before me, the “Vanguard”, in which it published its “official launching communiqué”. Called the “Eagle Group”, the organization also launched “the Eagle Seminar Series, which seeks to provoke dialogue on the essence of good governance in Nigeria”.

Cited as active participants in the events were Comrade Pascal Bafyau, former president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), who presented a paper titled, “The Role of Labour in Setting Agenda for Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria” and a former Senate President, the Rt. Hon. Senator Ameh Ebute, whose assignment was to speak on “The Role of the Legislature in Setting Agenda for Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria”. The general theme of the seminar series was, “Setting Agenda for Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria.”
Before proceeding any further, it is noteworthy that two of the civic, pace–setting responsibilities identified by the group have since come to pass, whether or not one hears about them any longer or not. First, labour in Nigeria has taken the dialogue a major step forward by setting up a registered political party named “Labour Party” of Nigeria under the inspiration of the incumbent NLC President, Citizen Adams Oshiomole.

And second, senator Ebute’s speech on what the legislatures can do to ensure that democracy endures here has, by and large, met with measured successes. You may not like all you hear about GMGBs (Ghana Must Go Bags) which, people often allege, had in recent times become part of the furniture and features of the legislative chambers at the National and state levels.

It only needs to be admitted that no eagle–eyed press photographer (the “papparazzi” – type media functionaries who keep the celebrities in Europe and the U.S.A. permanently alert against all forms of misconduct in words, behaviour, dressing and general recklessness), has ever shown the rest of us photoshots of any legislator anywherein the country battling to carry into a car his or her Naira-loaded GMGB. In short, no documentary evidence. And the occasional television camera flashes on such bags on the floor of the National Assembly is no proof,either, that the usually red or blue-coloured bags were not used for carrying documents or gift items for distribution to fellow legislators.

Not even in the height of the “Third term” earth – shaking movements in Abuja was any cameraman or woman able to give the public the Peter Obe or Sunmi Smart – Cole types of exclusive photographs, recorded for the present and future generations, of someone in or representing the Executive Branch handing over money – stuffed bags or of any legislator actually counting the money in them from those seeking one favour or the other.

Too bad, because there can be no prosecution or condemnation without exhibition of the “materials particular” warranting such extreme assaults on the integrity of any legislator. Therefore, in the absence of the essential evidence, practically every legislator has denied being involved in taking monetary inducements or bribes in short, for supporting the executives in any way.

They are either exceedingly intelligent, smart or honest ,while their vociferous accusers can be accused of either being strategically lazy, malicious, ignorant or even mean enough to be trifling with the reputations of the elected representatives. Time will tell who has been telling the truth, but we’ve got to give the legislators a clean bill of monetary health on that issue, until something really juicy in that regard occurs.

But that’s not why the September 9, 2004, advertorial on page 21 was mentioned in the first place. It contained two paragraphs deemed pertinent for the current series, which began on Monday, August 28. How? Let us see.

Three quotations are relevant: “… what we must struggle to attain is the restoration of the sanctity of the ballot box, as the main essence of representative democracy. Nigerians should then be allowed to elect representatives of their choices, whatever the professional backgrounds of such representatives, and they should be able to remove such people when they are no longer serving their interest. The principle of inclusion must be sustained at all times in our democracy. No Nigerian, without legal disability, should be excluded from full participation in our democratic process”;

- “The Nigerian elite should demonstrate full restraint, compassion and understanding of the precarious state of our country… we must all work very hard to expand rather than contract the democratic space. Let us create a Nigerian dream and work towards its realization. These are the missions of the Eagle Group”. The question is, how long ago did this eagle fly and in what direction? After all, it had some goodies for the entire citizenry: Did they run out of ideas, money or leadership, especially management?
Finally, “… Considering the fact that ideas rule the world, the Eagle Group intends to institutionalize the seminar series, where ideas about good governance can be canvassed, advanced and publicity debated. Future seminars would explore the roles of the media, the academia, the NGOs, and Professional Associations, e.t.c. in setting agenda for sustainable democracy in Nigeria. Sectoral issues such as education, Agriculture, transport, tourism, health, culture, e.t.c. would be investigated by experts and professionals during subsequent versions of the seminar series.

The Eagle Group is set to make a difference in our democratic culture and political discourse by enlarging the space for dialogue. This is our option for anarchy , self – hate, mutual suspicion, ethnic rivalry and religions bigotry. We are a positive group.”
Bravo! That’s what the elites of any country need do: To advocate righteousness in the political and democratic affairs of a country, as the constitution demands. Not negative and counter – productive attitudes, behaviour and actions which can only take us backward, because they are inherently unprogressive.
And this takes us back to the points made by Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi (who you know very well), at President I.B Babangida’s 65th birthday lecture in Abuja on August 14, that it was the political elite, rather than the people, “… who served notice on the country that they did not believe in the power of free and fair elections and that they were never going to allow such to take place in Nigeria…” (emphasis mine. Please see details in the third series on this topic, published same place on September 11).
Ignoring other contentious or irritating comments made in that lecture concerning whether or not people not elected through free and fair elections or,in fact, “through a corrupt electoral system” deserve to be called political elites ,to begin with. Elites are meant to spread the light, not increase darkness, ignorance and irresponsibility to the society, especially on the crucial issue of electing leaders.

Give me, any day, people like Captain S.B. Shafii; Hon. Dr. Tunde Lakoju, Hon. Akaniyene Eyo, J.P, and Barrister Turgema Takema, who all signed the advertisement on September 9, 2004, and I will say you have scored a point for honest, patriotic and socially responsible elites, not those waiting for crumbs to fall on their heads into their mouths from the masters’ tables, whether those “masters” have the intellectual, professional and moral capabilities to be leaders or not.

“Elites” who pollute the minds of impressionable soldiers to organize coups d’ etats and who play dumb on pressing issues of the day…..”siddon look elites”,you can call them…..those who forget that silence is not always golden and that patriots must remain perpetually alert in upholding the national interest,even if some funny fellows think the country is fit only to be selfishly exploited to the point of becoming a “banana republic”. As they say around here, ”God forbid bad thing”!!!
“Elites” who can never be seen at polling stations. “Elites” who rationalize “bastard” political regimes, not based on democratic foundations; who want to eat from two ends of the same table.

Indeed, there are elites and there are “elites”. Those among the latter group who do not now begin to think and act properly, may soon be swept away in the forthcoming political tidal waves. I am not joking!!!!!!