It seems that some politicians hide under democracy to engage in making uncomplimentary remarks, rain abuses and show disrespects even to the highest office and the holder of the highest office in the land; the president.
Democracy according to a former American president means government of the people by the people and for the people. Furthermore, the government belongs to the people, it is to be handled by the people chosen by the majority and the government should be in favour, beneficial and work in the interest of the people.
People that participate in it possess certain things or meet certain conditions before they partake in democracy. To participate in this people-oriented system, some countries have conditions attached to the people that have to install democracy; the people that can vote or elect or be voted for, during elections and such conditions include a minimum age of 18 years and for you to be voted for, you must have a minimum of Senior School Certificate and must not be mad or insane.
So, age, education and sound mental state are vital values which should be exhibited on democratic issues. Even if democracy gives a lot of freedom, there should be a limit to everything we do.
May be we have forgotten that lawlessness and barbarism are not part of democracy. Political party differences should not give room for hate speech, rudeness and condemnation. Beastly and wild behavior cannot be regarded as a way of practicing democracy as displayed on the floor of the National Assembly on Wednesday, December 19, 2018.
The honourable members displayed dishonourable character. It is not democratic to boo the president of the country especially as he was presenting a budget to the Nigerian people using their chamber.
We are all aware that though, some of the party members including some of the national leaders of his party make unguarded remarks at times against leaders of the opposition parties but two wrongs cannot make a right.
Members of the lower house, House of Representatives are regarded as fourth class citizens of this country while Senate Members are third class citizens going by the position their leaders occupy in the national hierarchy (Speaker of House of Representatives is number four and Senate President three respectively) yet the members were behaving like spectators on the popular side of the stadium booing the president.
Both members who were shouting in acceptance and in rejection of the president’s speech, none of them were right, democracy or no democracy. Party differences are not important here but behaviour and discipline.
Democracy does not give anybody the license to use abusive language. It does not mean lawlessness especially from our representatives and leaders. In the present democratic era in Nigeria, the use of abusive words, insults, lying and killings have become the order of the day. Some of the questions we should ask ourselves are: how can a state governor call his president a fisherman when he is constitutionally serving and by people’s mandate.
Chiemela N. Agu
chibagaila@gmail.com
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