By Clement Uzoanya
In all of the daunting challenges confronting us as a people, one is tempted to say that Nigeria is beyond redemption! But the good news is that God has not abandoned Nigeria. God is still open to saving us from this quandary. The redemption is within our reach. We only need to appropriate it and work towards God’s plan for us. The redemption is embedded in the system of government that we practice, and the submission in this piece is that our redemption is hinged on a tripod of: the centrality of God in our national life; the upholding of democratic principles and; the sanctity and supremacy of the judiciary.
Only a fool says that God does not exist. God, who holds creation in being, still directs the affairs of human society. A nation cannot thrive, in the true and holistic sense of the word, when God is relegated to the backwaters. God being at the centre of our national life goes beyond inundating our streets with worship centres, but upholding the tenets of true religion, which cannot be complete without love. God is love. Every person is made in the image of God, and they are to mirror God, who is love. According to the holy Book, love is patient and kind; love is not envious or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. The centrality of love in human relationships and in nation building cannot be overemphasized. Little wonder, Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430) said: “Love and do what you like”. This means that whatever would be done will be such that is within the confines of love, which cannot injure the other person. “Love and do what you like” is freedom in living, and right living is not about rules and protection for self and society, but the simple principle of loving one another. And, the first step in loving someone is saying, we belong together. Even though we are a people of different races, tribes and creeds, we belong together! When the man from Ijebu Ode loves his neighbour from Nnewi, or when the woman from Zaria loves her neighbour from Ogwashi-Ukwu in their day-to-day dealings of revenue allocation, business transaction, issues of justice, equity and fair play, in the different ministries, departments and agencies, God will take the central place in our national life.
Democracy, a way of governing which depends on the will of the people, inherently allows for freedom of assembly, association, political affiliation, religion and speech. Also, inclusiveness and equality, property rights, voting rights, minority rights and, respect for the rule of law, among others, are identified as foundational characteristics for a well-functioning democracy. On the contrary, many politicians in Nigeria have an inordinate quest for power and want to govern by all means. Admonishing such desperate politicians in the wake of the elections, Goodluck Jonathan said that “they cannot kill us if they want to serve us”. Those who aspire for or occupy elective positions must imbibe the tenets of democracy, and be men and women of integrity. Although, no one is perfect, Caeser’s wife must be above board.
Even though our democracy may be tweaked as has been done in other countries to suit their particular needs, the concern here is the need to respect and uphold the democratic principles, and this begins with the conduct of elections, which are very pivotal for the sustenance of democracy. Just as the end is important, the means or the process to arriving at the end is even more important. This restores the confidence of all in a democratic process. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was quoted to have said that: “In a democracy, the well-being, individuality and happiness of every citizen is important for the overall prosperity, peace and happiness of the nation”. Thus, we cannot have an ordered society without respect for rules, principles, rights and choices of others. If we do not get it right this time, let us remember that the journey of engendering the nation of our dreams is not a sprint but a marathon. Also, democracy is a journey. This year’s election was just one of the bus-stops.
The judiciary has been said to be the most intangible contribution to democracy and nation building. In fact, secular nations have prospered because of the sanctity and supremacy of the rule of law. The rule of law serves the public good of the community as a whole. It determines what is necessary in a society to prevent domination and oppression and to promote the common good. The essence of the rule of law is to prevent arbitrary judgements, secure justice and prevent tyranny and oppression. More so, it limits the power of those who have authority. The government must first control the people and then it must be obliged to control itself. But what sort of men and women are to exercise the sacred function invested in the judiciary? No doubt, what we have is a weakened judiciary. Time and again, Justices and judges have overtly displayed partisanship, while SANs have meddled in the murky waters of dirty politicking. Government, on its part, refuse to obey court orders. Meanwhile, the judiciary has been acclaimed to be the last hope of the common man. Our democracy cannot be sustained in the midst of all of these. Little wonder, Caroline Kennedy averred that: “The bedrock of democracy is the rule of law and that means we have to have an independent judiciary, judges who can make decisions independent of the political winds that are blowing. So, there must be an end to impunity. Defaulters, especially, election defaulters must be prosecuted to serve as deterrent.
To echo the yearnings of Nigerians, we need a democracy, a nation that works for all of us. We cannot achieve it without telling ourselves the truth, and this truth does not come without controversies. Also, there can be no change without freedom and without freedom, there cannot be progress (cf. Andrew Young). We want a Nigeria where the son of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody, a Nigeria where we can stand head tall to sing the national anthem, the pledge and be proud of the national flag. So, Nigerians must not give up on the quest to building our nascent democracy. We cannot abandon the sacred function of voting to some people, because the outcome of the election process will always have a direct bearing on how we live our lives in the state and the nation at large. To Nigerians, especially, those grossly disappointed, aggrieved and dispirited, we must come to terms with the fact that the elections have come and gone. Barring contrary judgements by the courts of law on the ongoing litigations, the healing process must now begin! Concluded
Uzoanya, OP. Administrator, Dominican Schools, Port Harcourt, Doctoral Student, University of Port Harcourt, Advocate of Good Governance, writes via [email protected]