Democracy & Governance
The State of Nature -By Sofowora Joseph Boluwatife
Change is a catchy political slogan apt for a car-bumper sticker because it is a dreary political treat to offer and non-enforceable like a mere Constitutional preamble. The idea is wishful thinking.
It is common knowledge that democracy is government by the people, either directly or through representatives. It is also a system in which the sovereign power is exercised by the people in a body. However, democracy in a larger sense of applicability is government by an assembly of all subjects. Regrettably, in Nigeria, this is a mere political window-dressing or what do we call a political system of majority vote deprived of freedom of speech?
The Nigeria state of the nation is that of nature which is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. The state of Nigeria politics is also perfidious, corrupt, violent, aristodemocratic, and ethically defective.
It is an indubitable fact that corruption has been the scourge of Nigeria’s development. Thus, without mincing words the phenomenon has depredated the country and pillaged most of what is held as cherished national values. Regrettably, the political class saddled with the responsibility of directing the affairs of the country has been the major culprit in perpetrating this act. It is a pity that since independence a notable surviving legacy of the successive political leadership both civilian and military that have managed the affairs of the country at different times has been the institutionalisation of corruption in all agencies of the public service, which, like COVID-19, has subsequently spread to the private sector of the country.
It is important to note that many a Nigerian had gotten bogged down in the technical perplexities of the political law and at sixes and sevens as a result of politicians’ ambition to resist power by hook or by crook.
Corruption is a pandemic because we had been corrupted by the social institutions we have created. Towards this end, the corruption fight mechanisms are short term solutions for long term problems, if not eternal.
The economy is at a low ebb and the unemployment rate keeps on surmounting on a quotidian basis but our political charlatans are busy accumulating wealth, sucking, and dipping their filthy fingers into the national cake. It is high time we sent the political Machiavellian into the Coventry as we do not expect sentiency amidst of insensates.
It is not surprising that the judiciary, accoutred as the temple of Justice inhibits the moral duties, rights, and the general interest of the public since the Executhief and legislooters have bathed them with financial inducements and emoluments in exchange for justice and fairness.
In Nigeria state of the Nation, politicians regularly play their tune to the gallery and hedging their incompetencies, criminal culpabilities, and irresponsibility with false philanthropic foundations, but little did Nigerians know that they run those charity foundations from the government coffers. What a hokey pokey!
Change is a catchy political slogan apt for a car-bumper sticker because it is a dreary political treat to offer and non-enforceable like a mere Constitutional preamble. The idea is wishful thinking.
It is a miracle of political science, that electability is the sole requirement of public and political offices other than educational qualifications, proficiency in foreign languages, impeccable criminal records, family pedigree, knowledge of the Constitution or even spelling tests, for representative democracy demands the selection of cleverer and wiser (philosopher-kings) other than a random sample of the Constitution.
There is also a need to aggrandize the general political perceptions, beliefs beyond the cultural boxes of conventional and crude political mindset.
Nigeria is a state of nature where laws are flouted with impunity and a disorganized system where violence, inequality, ethnocentrism, nepotism, electoral injustice, and political Alpha and Omega leaving the government coffers cleared out.
