These elder statesmen understand democracy

ON Thursday, elder statesmen from across four of the nation’s six geopolitical zones paid a historic visit to the National Assembly. To many, it may look an ordinary visit to Senate President Bukola Saraki, but the visit of stakeholders in the polity, including Pa Ayo Adebanjo, leading the Afenifere; President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief John Nwodo; Commodore Dan Suleiman (retd), leading the Middle Belt Forum  and Pa Edwin Clark, leading the South-South was more than historic.

It is a big step in the citizen engagement process for the enthronement of democratic procedures and processes in the polity.

The essence of the visit by the political leaders of the four geopolitical zones to the National Assembly was to canvass the need to restructure the country and ensure devolution of powers.

It is a cause that has taken so much bashing through several curves since the Ibrahim Babangida era. It all started with stringent calls for the convocation of Sovereign National Conference (SNC) in the 1990’s. It was scaled down to National Conference after the inauguration of democratic rule in 1999.  Though the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha and former President Olusegun Obasanjo attempted one version of conference, the vocal campaigners for a true peoples conference remain unsatisfied until 2014.

In 2014, however, former President Goodluck Jonathan gave the nation the National Conference which featured leaders of of ethnic nationalities, professional bodies and different categories of Nigerians.

But the implementation of the report of that conference was caught up with the change of government in 2015 and another level of agitation had to commence.

The leaders have come to the conclusion that implementation of the report of the 2014 conference was paramount to the survival of the country.

According to them, restructuring Nigeria anchored on devolution of power and functional fiscal federalism would save the day for  Nigeria and the 2014 confab report  would be a catalyst to all that.

Afenifere chieftain, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, who  spoke at the session, said that the only solution to the endemic Nigerian problem lies in and true federalism.

Ohanaeze President, Chief John Nwodo, who spoke on behalf of the visitors to the parliament, said that the systemic dysfunction in the polity had created serious problems.

He said: “Our problems emanate from the constitution being presently run in the country as against the ones operated between 1954 and 1966 which gave room for decentralised federation with attendant development- driven or healthy rivalries among the federating units.

“We have been kept down by the kinds of constitution we run which to a large extent, provides for overcentralised federation by way of concentrating powers and resources for running the country at the centre alone to the detriment of the federating units, the 36 states .

“In a nutshell, our system makes the tail wags the dog rather than the dog wagging the tail.

“Escalation of disunity and wanton killings in the land not in any way matched with required equal reaction by security forces , have only one destination which can only be salvaged by restructuring the country so as not to end up singing the ‘nunc dimitis’  for the Nation.”

He added: “We have come to you at a very difficult time in the history of our country. We are visiting the National Assembly because of its unique position in our constitution. The democratic system we run in our country rests on the three organs of government.

“For these three arms, the other two function in accordance with laws made by this arm. This arm characterises democracy because in a military government you will have both the judiciary and the executive.

• Nigeria must be saved

“But it is only in a democratic government that you have the parliament. The parliament is a microcosm of the people because every section of the country has by adult suffrage delegated its voice to this parliament.

“So we believe that by visiting you today, we are coming to speak to the conscience of the country. We ask that these discussions today be as frank as possible because in situations like this, unless the National Assembly rises like one man, with a conscience, commitment and patriotism, to unveil the facade of partisan politics, partisan advantages, and face the real issues we stand of the edge of a precipice.

“We have watched the helplessness of the National Assembly where members of the executive even refuse your invitations to come and make explanations contrary to provisions of the constitution.

“We have found the helplessness of the Senate when you can be invaded in spite of the security adornment in this place controlled by the executive and the seat of the Senate President is almost invaded but for the personal security of the aides of its leadership.

“We have come to tell you that it is in our view that it is because we have this over-concentration of Powers in the Federal Government contrary to the agreement that our forefathers entered into for the nation called Nigeria. That governance has failed in our country. That economic development has failed.”

The uniqueness of the visit aside, the statesmen have placed on point on record; the parliament is key to any reform in the polity.

Many in the polity do not understand that point. The visit might however have come a little late in the day, that notwithstanding, the parliament can stainless do something  and see how it can effect the critical recommendations of the confab report.