16th December, 2014
History has shown that countries with the most successful form of democracy have a virile legislature. The same history further shows, at every given time, that when democracy is on the verge of being truncated, the signs and symptoms of such collapse often begin from the legislature. But often, such signs and symptoms are overlooked.
Nigeria is currently in its fourth republic, a fourth attempt at practising democracy. Yet, it has refused to learn from history. It has refused to remember that former attempts at democratic practice were cut short by indiscipline, high-handedness and unbridled corruption. While those in government perpetrated these evils, the legislature often looked the other way and even sometimes made itself part of the corrupt group giving legality to clear constitutional breaches by elected officials.
The President Goodluck Jonathan administration has witnessed what has metamorphosed from illegality, as it relates to the legislature, to what is now seen as an international disgrace of a supposed giant of Africa. This grave challenge to democracy began in Rivers State when the crisis between the state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Patience, got to its peak. Six lawmakers led by Evans Bipi, threw legality to the wind and turned the hallowed chamber into a war zone just to satisfy the powers that were pulling the string from behind the scene. They impeached the Speaker of the House and sacked other principal officers of the 32-member House.
While many saw it as a dangerous trend in a democracy, those who perpetrated this sin against civil rule and their sponsors relished the moment. Then this illegality crept into the Edo State House of Assembly where lawmakers also turned the hallowed chamber into a mad house for weeks, with the police accused of supporting a faction of the lawmakers.
The recent shameful invasion of the National Assembly by the police and the way the Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal, was maltreated by officers paid with public fund and led by an Inspector-General that has become a law unto himself, is another sore point as it relates to abuse of power by political office holders.
This same senerio played out on Monday at the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, where some lawmakers and their principal officers including the House Leader, Sam Nwali; Deputy Speaker, Blaise Orji; Chief Whip, Kingsley Ikoro and nine others were not only locked out, but were beaten up by thugs loyal to another faction of the House members.
Some weeks ago, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State allegedly sponsored seven members of the House against their 19 colleagues including the Speaker and other principal officers. On Monday, 15 December, Fayose continued with this illegality by presenting a budget of N80.774 billion to the seven members who do not even constitute a quorum of the House.
It is our candid opinion that many of these politicians have refused to learn simply because they never took part in the struggle for the country’s democracy and do not recognise the sacrifice of those whose blood was spilled for democracy to be restored. Nigerians must unite and fight against this brazen impunity creeping into our polity.