Democracy & Governance
Has The Nigerian State Evolved Beyond Militocracy -By Adewale Abdul
Has the Nigerian State Evolved Beyond Militocracy?
Approximately five decades ago (exactly 53 years), institutionalization of merit-based leadership in Nigeria was interrupted through a coup that was organized by few senior military officials. Today, about twenty years after the dominant military rule in Nigeria between January 15, 1966 to May 28, 1999, almost all Nigerians unanimously agreed that all military rule regardless of the intelligence of the military leader must never be allowed again not only because of vast injustice and violence experience by Nigerians during this period but also because it is a pre-modern approach to changing governments or to govern a country. Owing to this collective resolve and after series of agitations, the military returned to the barracks and democracy was inaugurated. As they say, Rome was not built in a day, thus every reasonable person expects Nigeria to evolve her democratic ideals in a gradual process. But if we may ask, has Nigeria achieved the evolution of humane governance and democratic participation yet? Can the ruling class, irrespective of their party affiliations assert sincere commitment to achieve fundamental democratic governance through accountable leaders, active participation by citizens, transparent economy, and social justice? Which deliberate policies and actions are directed at each of these goals and what are the percentages of success in each? It is in this vein that this January 1966 coup remembrance edition of our call-to-action articles will examine some recent developments in our national life history in order to offer some uncommon insights for our fatherland to become a better place to live in socially, morally, economically and politically.
Fake professors and the challenge of quackery
Many well-meaning Nigerians have commented on the hydra-headed problems confronting our education sector. A recent issue of fake professorship is usually not among the ones given prominence, perhaps this is due to its technical nature. Without doubt, National Universities Commission (NUC), being a supervisory and regulatory body, is in the best position to speak authoritatively on the subject. It was therefore not a surprise that a national debate ensued when Professor Abubakar Rasheed, the Executive Secretary of NUC, broke the news at the annual retreat of Vice-Chancellors on December 2nd, 2019. While we commend NUC leadership for the courage to expose the erring lecturers, the body need to provide further insight and details on these fake professors and their affiliated universities. The NUC is also urged to ensure all the officials of higher institutions that are involved in this unlawful and criminal act are sanctioned and punished accordingly in the hope to serve as a deterrent to other criminally-minded officials. From quack medical doctors to fake lawyers and from fake PhD holders to fake professors, the phenomenon of quackery has become a national embarrassment. One case in point is that of one Mr Chima Igwe whose claim to a PhD has not been substantiated by any University, but he occupies the office of the Director-General of a prestigious research institute, Federal Institute for Industrial Research, Oshodi, (FIIRO). Though his record from FIIROs website shows he did a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, yet the University that he claimed awarded him PhD was reported to have refuted his claim stating his failure to complete his thesis as the reason for not issuing a certificate to him. With these revelations, one expects the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and the Board of Management of FIIRO to use available resources to confirm the genuineness of his claim. Unfortunately, both organisations have maintained criminal silence. Is this not a case of aiding and abetting criminality in the form of quackery? Moreover, NUC should also review its criteria for the appointment of professors and make them open to the public. Overall, the award of PhD and professorship should not be for sale but based on merit of academic rigors and relevant research outputs. Relevance and impact of individual contribution(s) to knowledge, to economy, to national development, to society and/or to African development should be taken into account as part of the grading system in a similar manner to prestigious international Universities. Further, NUC should be aware that enhancing the quality of the education on Nigerian campuses will depend on additional qualified lecturers (which NUC is already addressing with its war against fake professorship), up-to-date literatures, improved accommodation, well-equipped laboratories, research facilities and comprehensive motivations (scholarships, grants et cetra) to inspire the pursuit of sustainable research and development.
The ignoble tenure extension agenda
Someone once said that politicians are animals of a different nature from the rest of decent humanity. It is really amazing that a person who was elected to represent the interest of his people, has become an unholy apostle for tenure extension for an arm of government he should, jointly with others, perform oversight functions on. Isnt it wrong to translate public power to private gain? It is not only indecorous for political leaders to lead our dear country as their personal fiefdom, its arguably the root of all corrupt practices. No progress-loving Nigerian will be opposed to constitutional amendments if it is in the interest of greater majority of the denizens of our dear country. A recently proposed amendment of tenure extension is an example of ignoble agenda that falls short of being egalitarian. It is in fact a democratic means of deepening the grip of a few people on governance, that is, increasing the tilt of government towards plutocracy (rule by the wealthy) rather than democracy (rule by the people). We will be happy to see people-oriented amendments such as more severe punishment for embezzlement of public funds; force all public officials and politicians to send their wards to public schools for primary level up to first degree; turn Nigeria to unicameral legislature; reduce retirement benefits of politicians by one-half and so on. Why do most Nigerian politicians always cause decay rather than development? It seems this penchant to hold to power indefinitely has resurfaced again? Ex-Presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan played the same trick but failed woefully. President Muhammad Buhari should shun any hypocritical moves to lure him into this ignoble path. The most honourable thing for him to do is to ensure a peaceful, free and fair elections and hand over to anyone that is elected in 2023.
Rots in the CJS
One continues to wonder if it is actually true that the first law in Nigeria is, there is no law, and the second is, if you are rich and influential or have government power you can circumvent the laws of the land. This is because our Criminal Justice System, (CJS), which consists of the Judiciary, the Prisons (now Corrections) and the Police, more or less regrettably epitomizes lawlessness. The report of the covert investigation carried out by a journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, has exposed a whole lot of rots in the Nigerian CJS. It shows that we have criminal elements in the so-called temple of justice; among the reformers and the police. The criminals in this important sector of our national life should be shown the way out of the system and it is primarily the responsibility of the staff of these departments/agencies of government to do because its them that have inside knowledge of those who are real scoundrels in uniform. It is lugubrious that justice is scarcely served on the basis of weights of evidence and merits of the cases in the eyes of the law. What is obtainable mostly is the commercialization of judgments in favour of the highest bidders! Next to high level of corruption among our judges is the undue influence of politicians in the executive arm on the judiciary which is supposed to be independent. The recent cases of Dasuki and Sowore, during which the so-called Attorney General of the Federation was just playing with words, clearly illustrate the pathetic situation. Superiority in the bar is almost no longer earned on the platter of intellectual sagacity and erudite grasp of the intricacies of the law. The best lawyers today, with the exception of a few, are best hagglers who can negotiate the best price to buy justice from the many corruptible judges that occupy the bench from Magistrate courts to the Supreme Court. Judiciary in Nigeria needs to be rescued from these gang of unjust judges and their cronies among court officials in order restore the hope of the common man in this all-important arm of government. The Nigerian Police has been described as one of the most corrupt in the world, so the revelation by the brave journalist hardly surprises anyone. Some police officers are wont to arrest and sometimes kill arbitrarily for frivolous crimes like loitering. In most cases, suspects are often imprisoned over suspicion of having committed a crime, not as a result of evidence-based investigations. Nonetheless, we know there are equally a large number of personnel (among officers and men) who are professional and honest in discharging their duties. The Police Service Commission and the Ministry of Police Affairs should strengthen the good ones with robust incentives and severely punish the erring ones so as to rid the security agency of bad eggs. The most shocking revelations were the ones from the recently renamed Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) (formerly Nigerian Prisons Service). As self-acclaimed reformers, one expects exemplary behaviour from the staff. As no one can give what s/he does not have, so also a morally corrupt correctional officer cannot reform or correct any inmate in her/his care. We want to believe that there are more genuine reformers in the NCoS than those rogues caught red handed by the journalist. The criminals should never be spared, but made to face the wrath of law. Truth be told, the entire criminal system is rotten, and not operating according to their statutory duties. Instead of functioning as upholders of justice, they end up perpetuating human rights violations. The new initiatives of the current of Minister of Interior, to develop strategic approach to sanitize the system needs some commendation and we hope the cabals that are benefiting from the rot in the system will allow most of the new reforms to work in the interest of the general public.
Border closure and the business of monopoly
The decision of the federal government to close its land borders has been greeted with both positive and negative reactions. Objectively, Nigeria needs to protect her citizens from the consequences of negligence of her neighbours in observing agreed regional rules. Surely, even those avowed advocates of free international trade will still agree to some defined rules of engagements, not the free-for-all situations that obtain at our borders prior to the enforcement of the closure. Nigeria virtually became a dumping ground for all sorts of goods to the detriment of most local producers. It therefore goes without saying that as patriots, we welcome and applaud the deliberate closure to protect our collective national interest. The cultural dependence of Nigerians on consumption of foreign made goods has to be changed whether by persuasion or by force. No economic theory supports the consumption of foreign made goods over home-made products, not Adam Smith, not Ricardo and not even Heckscher Ohlin. It is difficult ascertain the willingness of Nigerians to patronize our local industries if some sort of restrictive measures is not in place. However, some pointed questions should be asked. How long will the border be closed? Are there enough measures in place to make sure that it will not be a futile effort? Hope it is not a means to enrich some persons or cabals? What efforts are being made to ensure that popular food like rice and other goods produced locally are of good quality and at affordable price(s)? We hope the resultant effect of the closure is to promote diversification and patronage for homemade products. In all, government must do enough to support local manufacturers through subsidies, tax holidays and creation of an ambience that eases doing business.
