Democracy & Governance
The Challenge of the New Breeds on its old Guard – seeing the face from the beards in a peep into the dark ages -By Jimi Bickersteth
The nation won’t collapse, as one is moderately optimistic. It would soon take an unexpected lease of life and linger on, still doomed from the ward level to the presidency, but obstinately declining to take the final step, particularly, after the precision lockdown occasioned by the C19 pandemic and the pushback of #ENDSARS.
“Let justice roll down like waters
And righteousness like an everlasting stream.”
Amos.
Old. Elderly, we’ll say, but old is a better word. Definitely old. The old guard have been taken to the cleaners by the young ‘uns. It is both possible and indeed probable that they might not live as long to spend all the bogus salaries and allowances including the cornered and ill-gotten ones. Money is not to be despised at any age. You can’t pretend that there are not pleasures and desires.
Like the majority of the human race one is susceptible to the sin of curiosity. In the course of one’s life, one can learnt one thing about a man, old or young, who wishes to be in public life. He has to have a flair. A flair for the job. It is not knowledge, it is not experience both of which has failed in this enterprise. The only word that describes it is flair. A natural gift for doing a certain thing. Natural flair for Justice with a capital J.
The youths were justified in expressing anger and dissatisfaction with some notable miscarriage of justice, hardships, unjust dealings or what may be considered as such in the country and about which they felt strongly. But how do you interprete a dead man’s brain and know what fantasy was playing me. Laughing! Funny? The youths could be the most potent, most productive human resources ever available to the nation. But as long as there is a mismatch of perceptions – as long as their elders and leaders in and out of government see them negatively — the risk is the phenomenon of self-fulfilling prophesy. But there’s hope.
PRIMUM NON NOCERE. This notion was as old as the Hippocratic oath of over 2500 years ago. Freely translated, it means, “Above all, knowingly do no harm.” in any enterprise or behaviour if you know that harm will be done as a result. The #ENDSARS Protests in all the zones I visited, from Lekki – Ikeja – Ojota – Ogba – Ojodu – Grailand – Arifanla – Olori – Akute all had the same colour of fun and weariness combined. So boring, the sightseeing excursion was pleasant but exhausting.
Its carnival-like atmosphere and the participants had a touch of such unreality about it that one could not take it seriously, particularly, the aspect that had to do with intimidating, harassing and extortions, the very misdeamenour for which the police were being harangued. Who was there to guard this army of young men (or ‘youths’ as they were actually called nowadays!) from Pain and Death? Youths who could not? Who had never been able to, guard and guide itself. Did they know too little. Or was it that they knew too much? And therefore thought they knew it all.
The whole escapades was generally looking more like a self-centred political uprising than a social-economic cause. The pretty silly ideas about civility, decency and nobility. Gangsterism, evil and anarchists combined in the cause of anti-capitalism, probably, dancing as (ìròmì) a restless porpoise on water. There was the Robin Hood effect too, as the tendency can be referred to – a reverse Robin Hood effect. Mr Hood and his band of merry men stole from the rich and gave to the poor, but many programs under the loose rubric of social responsibility have not followed this redistribution pattern. In fact, it can be argued that many programs actually rob the poor to serve the rich.
The nation used to be a very odd- world place, but, of course, like everything else and with its independence, it’s becoming what they called developing nowadays. While putting this together, I had a snappy nap. My siesta was enlivened by several dreams. One where PMB’s mask fell off his face, because they were not his own face, but false ones. As I stared awake, my first impression was that which so often follows dreams; a belief that the dream had solved everything called problem in the federation. Sadly, it came to me that nothing was solved. PMB’s mask falling off was of no help to the #ENDSARS protesters.
The ‘Igbo kwenu’ chants that resonates all round the protesters venues struck a chord, the IPOB saga in Technicolor brilliance. Could it all be about 2023 and its dreaded zoning and power rotation. As far as I could see, ‘Love!’ One of the most frightening words there is in the world was patently and happly absent. It was bitter and tragic. It’s like the government was part of the shenanigans or that its intelligence network was poor and inadequate or there were Quislings in the midst. I may be a classical expression of the aphorism, “You are damned if you do; you’re damned if you don’t.” I maintained my smiling silence.
‘Love’ turning the word over in my mouth rather as a child might do to ascertain lollipop to decide its flavour. I felt nervous and wondered why. Perhaps, because one was now at home with the people in the crowd; felt part of the group, (emotionally at least, not agreeing with some of their demands which I honestly see as the machinations of some sponsors somewhere), although as yet had only known them for five days, in a mood of admiration and criticism. It was a crowd, a group neglected and so finely recruited and debriefed.
It was a motley crowd, a group neglected. One in which little state taxes monies had been spent for years, and on which very little work had been done. The nation itself had been neglected. It was not a nation that had been, at any rate of late years, loved in anyway. A nation built with grace and a certain amount of beauty, once cherished. Decayed ( decayed itlcs)nation. Distressed youths! No Social Security payments. The youths nowadays were not so liable to be distressed. They were supposed to be aided by government or by society.
It’s up to me, but I must try to make as logical a survey as I can to be able to make a meaning in all of the confusion. The information at my disposal are so far inadequate. I may have been imagining things. They may have no significance whatever. Practically non-existent. So I must ask myself one clear question.. What is all this protestations and killings and arson all about? Answer! I do not know. Curious and interesting. What is involved in my opinion is justice with a capital J. (Justice italics) Either to set right an injustice or to avenge evil by bringing it to justice.
The more likely explanation lies in the people in the heart of the confusion conflicting interests and friction, some of whom, appreciative at first, have began to get slightly restive, as the monotonous ramblings, arson, sporadic gunshots became the order of the day. The freely fed, “no leadership” went on; even some of them began to edge carefully away and fall behind at the back line of the pushback. Everything is too difficult. Nothing is like it used to be – it’s all spoilt – everywhere. Then the impunity and lawlessness! Acts that can lead to generalized anarchy in which democracy cannot thrive. Crippling also an economy already weakened by the C19 pandemic.
Back to the old, what was all this about?
The nation won’t collapse, as one is moderately optimistic. It would soon take an unexpected lease of life and linger on, still doomed from the ward level to the presidency, but obstinately declining to take the final step, particularly, after the precision lockdown occasioned by the C19 pandemic and the pushback of #ENDSARS. I know that people who were in pain, helpless, crippled in mind, at the nation’s straits for mine and maladministration, even unhappy, still liked living and wanting to live. Not ready to pass the threshold to a world one does not as yet know anything about!
Given democracy a chance and a boost the nation can still be better! But there was something that the nation had not arranged for. A problem it had not solved, a problem it must solve, a national question and a Nigeria true federalism project it must bring about. It may not be under a PMB, since, and I’m being forthright, it apparently was not one that could be settled by ethnocentrism, tribalism, amnesty and financial handouts, but by a well considered and well thought out principles. In fine tuning the fundamental objectives of state policy, it must have a sound and consistent irreversible and collective agreement as to power rotation arrangement. So that all would feel wanted in the scheme of things.
All are born to rule! There should not be bullying or appeals or for favour by any group or zone or interests. It’s a urge to redress a wrong. This requires some honest and principled considerations and understanding in the group dynamics. A dynamics that’s been curiously usurped and manipulated by a section of the tripartite-setting. That certainly is odd in some way, using any of the two southern regions to add to their numbers. The nation has been directed by the #ENDSARS protests and several of the demands was for everyone. But the nation needs people who cannot be bought, who put character above wealth; who possess opinions and a will; who won’t lose their individuality in a crowd; who will make no compromise with wrong; who can stand this tests of convictions and not allow the crowd take us in a different direction and impose their agenda on us.
We are all in conflict with compromise of integrity in varying degrees. But, unless you sort out what to keep and what to discard, things can quickly erode. The master plan and strategy and tactics for the relationship in a democracy is to foster strength and harmony and not strife and confusion. Each of us, by us, I mean, the North or the South on its own cannot do it alone and on its own, no matter the sophistication, brilliance of erudition or whatever, but desire a compatibility derived from a very strong sense of duty and purpose, in ‘a
marriage of convenience’ and doctrine of necessity, one in which everyone brings its own baggage. Would you set up house in a hotel? The greatest calamity is not to feel far from home when you are, but to feel right at home when you are not.
The political offices must be demstyfied and be made voluntary with only sitting allowances. The attempt at building a modern nation in a virile union that would lift and glorify a united nation to the path of growth, development, peace and progress. Let’s face it, the best of us is imperfect and are prone to fend for personal interests through self centred bargaining, this has been the bane of the nation’s development. But at this point, and in the interest of the nation, try as much as it is within our means to avoid an implosion that may lead the political processes into a conflagration and threatened democracy.
As it were, forgiveness is a decision all have to consider, and an apology should immediately enable peace again and the nation can get moving. But trust is a process; when its been torn down, it takes time to rebuild. In politics, that may not come too easily. Here two things must happen. The offending partner needs to acknowledge what they’ve done, why the plans and projections had derailed and also, validate the youths and the people’s feelings, even though, the leadership act like they don’t want to. PMB must acknowledge the failings and the people’s pain. Now is the time to get behind the people’s strength not deflate it. If you try in a democracy to get ahead of the people you end up with regrets and recriminations.
The government’s immature conflict resolution mechanism and stratagems, and its poor handling of the state of affairs in the wake of the youths #ENDSARS protests and its unusual carnage, arson, coldblooded murders and so on consequences, has, wily nily thrown the president and the ruling party into a dilemma of unimaginable proportion, and had simply turn the table against it, and, he must know this. Yes, who cares for a ‘third term’ or the success of the APC in subsequent elections anyway. A president that has been variously criticised for having allowed bitterness to creep in into its youths and its people by allowing both to stay hurt too longer than its absolutely necessary
Therefore, the task whatever it must be, it was a problem for all A constitutional problem. Problems that perhaps preceded the nation’s independence in 1960. The call is to go back to the drawing board. It was something, some steps that must be taken before the 2023 campaign and subsequent polls. Curfew or no curfew, the questions, the national question lingers. That brought me back to where things stood now. The time was short. That was the only trouble. Rather it was quite a large and rambling nation, a little uncertain since 1914. The set up brought a melancholy into it. It was impregnated somehow with sorrow – a sorrow that could not be dispensed or removed since it had penetrated too deep. It had sunk in and everyone saw the manipulation in the 12 days or so of ‘Lagos schisms and rape of common sense’ while it lasted.
The position Lagos in particular have found itself and national politics is appalling. If one is looking for a magic formula, a panacea. It would be found on the streets. Hopefully, the previous paragraphs have pointed out, at least implicitly, some of the emerging trends for which government must prepare. Beyond these are several others which merit explicit citation. Some may sound like principles of sound governance in any era; if traditionally they’ve been desirable, today and tomorrow they become essential. There may be an expectation that government must “do something” to further benefit society beyond following its formal laws and extant rules.
Basically, some action is better than no action. Throughout the course of history, inaction has never advanced mankind. In one’s opinion, errors of commission are far better than those of omission. If our ancestors had heeded the critics who were opposed to doing something, we might all still be drawing on cave walls. This issue is not entirely philosophical; there are important pragmatic considerations as well, as evidenced in the remarks of DuPont chairperson, Irving S. Shapiro:
“I think we’re a means to an end,…we can live successfully in a society if the hearts of its cities are decaying and its people can’t make the whole system work…, you also want businesses to help do something about unsolved social problems.”
First is to bring the government closer to the people in place of its present aloofness. To be able to turn problems into possibilities, this tough times can teach us, either as politicians, or ordinary mortals, to grow, to learn and to overcome overwhelming odds and to get back on the path of success. The North and South trying to one-up each other at the expense of the nation’s rebirth and greatness. But the leadership thing, and the two dynamo-in-the sack, making the people feel out of place and at the perpetual risk of being set adrift like a hard-luck astronaut.
#JimiBickersteth
Jimi Bickersteth is a blogger, writer and public affairs commentator.
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