By Anthony OMOH
"People should not be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of their people.”
The immortal words of writer, Alan Moore, which proved instructive given the outcome of the April general elections in Nigeria and the role played by the electorates, who made their voices heard en masse and voted in a new era.
Same way the people should be commended for standing up and entrenching their collective will through the democratic process is the same way they should be reminded that it is not enough to vote out a leadership but equally important to keep their preferred government on their toes, doing the right thing at all times.
However, when I use the word government, people from all walks of life erroneously tend to equate it with the Executive arm alone but if our democracy is to thrive, the people should hold all arms of government, Executive, Legislature and Judiciary responsible.
More so, the Legislature as we may not be directly in control of what the Executive does and the Judiciary is there to mediate and interpret for the above duo.
People must realize that the same way they were able to effect change in the leadership of the country is the same way they can determine how successful the country is run by making input through the arm that gives them a voice- the Legislature.
Where we can effect change or make our voices heard is through the National Assembly. There, we can channel our thoughts and make the elected national assembly members debate on our ideas and turn them to positive bills that will be transformed into laws that will move this country forward .
It should no longer be business as usual in the NASS as there is the need for concerted efforts to ensure that legislators do the bidding of those who elected them in and not seek personal gratification because for Nigeria to move forward, things that will improve the lives of the masses need to be propagated.
Meaningful Bills should be passed into laws[Acts] and not endless probes that will do no good. In fact all the probes that have been carried out since 1999 at the inception of this nascent democracy point to one that have not led to people being held accountable.
From the power probe to the subsidy probe which eventually led to another probe of the lawmakers involved, all swept under the rug. I think Nigerians deserve a better deal than the fraud of the last assembly that could come up with just ...in four years and this is me being conservative as most of them have been there for 16years without even generating a bill.
Members of this 8th Assembly should know that they stand on the threshold of taking Nigeria above the horizon by working with the executive to legislate and implement laws that will show Nigerians that they have their best interests at heart and not to fight over committees membership, or where bread are buttered.
In fact, one way to show good fate is for the legislators on their own accord to move for the reduction of their take home and the take home across board (executive and judiciary) as the money accrued to the out gone 7th National Assembly in comparison with their productivity was ridiculous.
To say that in four years they could only pass 108 of 1,068 sponsored bills brought to their attention is even shameful. Funny still, this NASS after living their lives at the expense of Nigerians went on to pass 46 bills in one hour of their valedictory session.
This is unacceptable and this 8th Assembly needs to be proactive and in the case where they monumentally mess up, they can and should be recalled by the electorates who put them there because in truth everyone needs to be involved in moving this country forward.
Just as legislatures pride themselves in their powers to impeach the president as was almost the case during the President Olusegun Obasanjo and even President Goodluck Jonathan era, where they kept on appending signatures to impeachment notices, they should also be reminded that they too can be recalled by the electorate.
Not a usual practice in this neck of the woods but it is in the constitution and serves as a deterrent to legislators, a form of who watches the watchmen because in truth, these lawmakers are elected not just to answer the nomenclature of legislator, but to affect the lives of their people.
Many people would say 'no, it can't be done they won't listen', but I say thee nay... According to Chapter V of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, Section 69 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria : A member of the Senate or of the House Representatives may be recalled as such a member if -
(a) there is presented to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission a petition in that behalf signed by more than one-half of the persons registered to vote in that member's constituency alleging their loss of confidence in that member; and
(b) the petition is thereafter, in a referendum conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission within ninety days of the date of receipt of the petition, approved by a simple majority of the votes of the persons registered to vote in that member's constituency.
We, the electorates, have proven with our resolve that what we want must be, no matter whose ox is gored and with this realization we must admit that we cannot continue to allow this country to deal with the trivia and allow the few, without our permission, derail us.
Everyone should be kept on their toes, not just the president and as I said earlier, it may not have happened in this clime before but there is a first time for everything and this is an idea, just like the idea of change, ideas are bulletproof.
If you have been opportune to see the movie where I got that idea quote from, V for Vendetta and you have seen beyond the surface you will understand why it is a people that move a nation forward through sheer determination and will and not what a sect or political party say.
A lot of emphasis has to be placed on the people here because as a people we do not know the kind of power we wield but a glimpse of it was wielded when we single handedly toppled a party that promised to rule us no matter what we do for 50 years.
That is the kind of power we wield and knowing that the president is true to his words that he will allow the rule of law prevail no matter what, you can be rest assured that if the electorate follow the constitution and do a recall it will sail through because in truth government is an act of service and if we don't get that service we reserve the right to recall whoever is a clog to the wheel of progress.
Instead of criticizing at newspaper stands and arguing and fighting ourselves, we can take a pen, laptop or iPad and write to the national assembly on issues bothering you, knowing fully well that these are letters that will be read on the floor of the house, investigated and discussed upon.
Our assembly should not be a rubber stamp always looking for where it would suit them and there will be no change the minute we look away while those we voted into office after much pleading and promises continue recklessly trampling on us without the realization that for every action there is a proportionate reaction
On the Executive, already many have started saying that the president has not hit the ground running and that certain issues still persists from the terrorism in the North East to the subsidy situation that grounded this country to a halt for a month while the last administration rounded off.
There is the question of why he has travelled to every summit on earth since inauguration, but he needs some of these consultations and the best time to negotiate anything good for a country is during the inception of a new government.
Then there is the distraction of who he picks as a minister and how soon as time is far spent all these are well and good but I doubt if we want to make the same mistake of putting just about anybody who waves a party flag in office forgetting what party flags did to the last administration forcing the president to inactivity.
We are all involved in this change we are canvassing, every analyst, every political watcher, every man that goes to the newsstands to argue about who did what when, where, why and how in this polity called Nigeria .
There has always been this adage with the fish, if the head is rotten, the body obviously is but now we have a rare opportunity to change a lot in this country and we have an elderly gentleman whom Nigerians in their millions agree is incorruptible so naturally the political class would try to fall in line.
Plus now we have an electoral process we can improve upon that will enable us to elect our choice without fear or favour , a dynamic and intellectually growing electorate that know that we all as Nigerians are the grass that suffer the consequences of bad governance .
So, if the president against all expectations , does not do well and I say this with all modesty that I believe he would, Nigerians have an opportunity to vote him out if he decides he wants another term in office.
I do not know the man and have not met or interacted with him directly as I have other presidents as a journalist but I know of his antecedents and I believe him to be a unique politician and one who is not just angling to rule this country but serve it the way he served the military and carve his name not in the sands but in the concrete of time.
Sincerely speaking, the change we have craved all these long years which we are about to experience is one that needs our input, our commitment and our collective will to ensure that Nigerians are not taken once again for a merry ride at the expense of some.
The change we are about to experience means that Nigerians will have to dig deep, be innovative, and be prepared to face challenges because the road to the desired result is tumultuous and goes beyond folding our arms and expecting President Mohammed Buhari (PMB) to wave a magic wand and make all our woes go away.
Anthony Patrick Omoh is a Journalist and wrote in from Lagos
"People should not be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of their people.”
The immortal words of writer, Alan Moore, which proved instructive given the outcome of the April general elections in Nigeria and the role played by the electorates, who made their voices heard en masse and voted in a new era.
Same way the people should be commended for standing up and entrenching their collective will through the democratic process is the same way they should be reminded that it is not enough to vote out a leadership but equally important to keep their preferred government on their toes, doing the right thing at all times.
However, when I use the word government, people from all walks of life erroneously tend to equate it with the Executive arm alone but if our democracy is to thrive, the people should hold all arms of government, Executive, Legislature and Judiciary responsible.
More so, the Legislature as we may not be directly in control of what the Executive does and the Judiciary is there to mediate and interpret for the above duo.
People must realize that the same way they were able to effect change in the leadership of the country is the same way they can determine how successful the country is run by making input through the arm that gives them a voice- the Legislature.
Where we can effect change or make our voices heard is through the National Assembly. There, we can channel our thoughts and make the elected national assembly members debate on our ideas and turn them to positive bills that will be transformed into laws that will move this country forward .
It should no longer be business as usual in the NASS as there is the need for concerted efforts to ensure that legislators do the bidding of those who elected them in and not seek personal gratification because for Nigeria to move forward, things that will improve the lives of the masses need to be propagated.
Meaningful Bills should be passed into laws[Acts] and not endless probes that will do no good. In fact all the probes that have been carried out since 1999 at the inception of this nascent democracy point to one that have not led to people being held accountable.
From the power probe to the subsidy probe which eventually led to another probe of the lawmakers involved, all swept under the rug. I think Nigerians deserve a better deal than the fraud of the last assembly that could come up with just ...in four years and this is me being conservative as most of them have been there for 16years without even generating a bill.
Members of this 8th Assembly should know that they stand on the threshold of taking Nigeria above the horizon by working with the executive to legislate and implement laws that will show Nigerians that they have their best interests at heart and not to fight over committees membership, or where bread are buttered.
In fact, one way to show good fate is for the legislators on their own accord to move for the reduction of their take home and the take home across board (executive and judiciary) as the money accrued to the out gone 7th National Assembly in comparison with their productivity was ridiculous.
To say that in four years they could only pass 108 of 1,068 sponsored bills brought to their attention is even shameful. Funny still, this NASS after living their lives at the expense of Nigerians went on to pass 46 bills in one hour of their valedictory session.
This is unacceptable and this 8th Assembly needs to be proactive and in the case where they monumentally mess up, they can and should be recalled by the electorates who put them there because in truth everyone needs to be involved in moving this country forward.
Just as legislatures pride themselves in their powers to impeach the president as was almost the case during the President Olusegun Obasanjo and even President Goodluck Jonathan era, where they kept on appending signatures to impeachment notices, they should also be reminded that they too can be recalled by the electorate.
Not a usual practice in this neck of the woods but it is in the constitution and serves as a deterrent to legislators, a form of who watches the watchmen because in truth, these lawmakers are elected not just to answer the nomenclature of legislator, but to affect the lives of their people.
Many people would say 'no, it can't be done they won't listen', but I say thee nay... According to Chapter V of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, Section 69 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria : A member of the Senate or of the House Representatives may be recalled as such a member if -
(a) there is presented to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission a petition in that behalf signed by more than one-half of the persons registered to vote in that member's constituency alleging their loss of confidence in that member; and
(b) the petition is thereafter, in a referendum conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission within ninety days of the date of receipt of the petition, approved by a simple majority of the votes of the persons registered to vote in that member's constituency.
We, the electorates, have proven with our resolve that what we want must be, no matter whose ox is gored and with this realization we must admit that we cannot continue to allow this country to deal with the trivia and allow the few, without our permission, derail us.
Everyone should be kept on their toes, not just the president and as I said earlier, it may not have happened in this clime before but there is a first time for everything and this is an idea, just like the idea of change, ideas are bulletproof.
If you have been opportune to see the movie where I got that idea quote from, V for Vendetta and you have seen beyond the surface you will understand why it is a people that move a nation forward through sheer determination and will and not what a sect or political party say.
A lot of emphasis has to be placed on the people here because as a people we do not know the kind of power we wield but a glimpse of it was wielded when we single handedly toppled a party that promised to rule us no matter what we do for 50 years.
That is the kind of power we wield and knowing that the president is true to his words that he will allow the rule of law prevail no matter what, you can be rest assured that if the electorate follow the constitution and do a recall it will sail through because in truth government is an act of service and if we don't get that service we reserve the right to recall whoever is a clog to the wheel of progress.
Instead of criticizing at newspaper stands and arguing and fighting ourselves, we can take a pen, laptop or iPad and write to the national assembly on issues bothering you, knowing fully well that these are letters that will be read on the floor of the house, investigated and discussed upon.
Our assembly should not be a rubber stamp always looking for where it would suit them and there will be no change the minute we look away while those we voted into office after much pleading and promises continue recklessly trampling on us without the realization that for every action there is a proportionate reaction
On the Executive, already many have started saying that the president has not hit the ground running and that certain issues still persists from the terrorism in the North East to the subsidy situation that grounded this country to a halt for a month while the last administration rounded off.
There is the question of why he has travelled to every summit on earth since inauguration, but he needs some of these consultations and the best time to negotiate anything good for a country is during the inception of a new government.
Then there is the distraction of who he picks as a minister and how soon as time is far spent all these are well and good but I doubt if we want to make the same mistake of putting just about anybody who waves a party flag in office forgetting what party flags did to the last administration forcing the president to inactivity.
We are all involved in this change we are canvassing, every analyst, every political watcher, every man that goes to the newsstands to argue about who did what when, where, why and how in this polity called Nigeria .
There has always been this adage with the fish, if the head is rotten, the body obviously is but now we have a rare opportunity to change a lot in this country and we have an elderly gentleman whom Nigerians in their millions agree is incorruptible so naturally the political class would try to fall in line.
Plus now we have an electoral process we can improve upon that will enable us to elect our choice without fear or favour , a dynamic and intellectually growing electorate that know that we all as Nigerians are the grass that suffer the consequences of bad governance .
So, if the president against all expectations , does not do well and I say this with all modesty that I believe he would, Nigerians have an opportunity to vote him out if he decides he wants another term in office.
I do not know the man and have not met or interacted with him directly as I have other presidents as a journalist but I know of his antecedents and I believe him to be a unique politician and one who is not just angling to rule this country but serve it the way he served the military and carve his name not in the sands but in the concrete of time.
Sincerely speaking, the change we have craved all these long years which we are about to experience is one that needs our input, our commitment and our collective will to ensure that Nigerians are not taken once again for a merry ride at the expense of some.
The change we are about to experience means that Nigerians will have to dig deep, be innovative, and be prepared to face challenges because the road to the desired result is tumultuous and goes beyond folding our arms and expecting President Mohammed Buhari (PMB) to wave a magic wand and make all our woes go away.
Anthony Patrick Omoh is a Journalist and wrote in from Lagos
Good comment!
ReplyDeleteWe just have be patient. Slow and steady win the race.