OP-ED: OBJ: DEMOCRACY OR DEMOCRAZY IN DANGER?

By Tahir Ibrahim Tahir Talban Bauchi.

Our collective selective amnesia makes it possible for characters from yesteryears of leadership to pontificate and assume dispositions of nobility and morality; appearing to distance themselves from the uncharitable, undemocratic, and immoral acts they committed while in positions of leadership. Had they, the moral standing or uprightness, they would have behaved or acted differently. Today they are gesticulating hard, trying to rewrite history, change their wolf clothes to sheep clothings, in a bold and shameless claim for leadership values, eanting to become moral compasses for the masses. Embarrssingly, once out of power, our leaders are unable to remain on the sidelines like the rest of us, and continue to angle for power or some sort of relevance, making commentary and issuing positions to satisfy their conceited minds, while hoping to curry public favor and relevance.

Not too long ago, Ghana must go was a harmless bag for travel when one was not traveling light. In OBJ’s tenure, it became a veritable tool for ferrying illicit money, meant for illicit or sinister activities. Don’t you remember how bags of Ghana must go were on display in the Assembly which was used for bribery? Don’t you recall that it was during OBJ’s tenure that constituency projects were initiated in the Assembly? For what purpose then, other than to pocket the legislative to do his bidding? Today we are stuck with tonnes of uncompleted constituency projects across the country, with Tracka and other transparency agencies, burdened with tracking and assessing the completion of these projects. It’s one whistle blow after the other, as more and more uncompleted constituency projects are fished out. Would you have also forgotten so quickly how OBJ installed and removed different Senate Presidents at will, registering atleast four during his Presidency. Enwerem, Nnamani, Wabara, Anyim and co. were all Senate Presidents, courtesy OBJ’s gimmicks and antics, all to ensure that he doesn’t work with an independent legislature.

How many state of emergency declarations were made by OBJ, and in each, appointing military administrators? How many state of Assemblies impeached their governors, while having as few as 3 or 5 legislators to perpetrate the hugely undemocratic act? Infact, didn’t we have a sitting governor, former Governor Chris Ngige of Anambra, confess that he was abducted or kidnapped, in an attempt to remove him from office, and install an OBJ ally/ stooge as governor? Wasn’t Governor Fayose of Ekiti sacked by OBJ? What business did a president have, with the running of a state government, or with the legislature at both the federal and state levels? OBJ ruled under a democratic dispensation but he moved like a despot. He never really threw away his military uniform and mien, and he was a man of force, and brute force only. His party structure was also not safe from his dictatorial tendencies, and party chairmen were followed to their dinner tables at home to sign their resignations. Followed by who? The President himself! This is not discounting other more brutal events like the leveling of Odi! Don’t forget a sitting President, OBJ, launched his library and governors were made to contribute. Then ofcourse the almighty 3rd term agenda, to pave way for OBJ, who was president as a military man, served again as president under a democratic govt for good 8 years; to continue to remain in power for only God knows how long. Clearly, whoever thought it was going to be just an additional one term alone, was not putting on his thinking cap! OBJ would do a Seseseko of Congo, or a Mugabe of Zimbabwe, or a Paul Biya of Cameroon on us. And God has given him good health, so we may just have been battling or enduring his despotic rule from 1999 to date all along. He would pull all the strings, pull all the rabbits from all the hats available to him, and force his way however he damn pleases. We dodged a bullet there! Phew! Democracy was actually and truly in danger!

I’ve not forgotten how 16 members of the governors forum defeated 19 members, to make a governor’s forum chairman, who was ofcourse sympathetic to former President Goodluck Jonathan. President Jonathan harbored this arithmetic. Goodluck also tried to perpetuate himself in power, after serving out Yar’adua’s tenure, serving another tenure of his own, and seeking another re-election, which would have guaranteed him a total of 11 years on the seat of the Presidency! Goodluck also declared state of emergency in a few states during his tenure. He was also obstructive to the smooth running of the legislature, as we can’t simply forget how senators and house of reps members scaled the very high National Assembly fence gate, to gain access to the chambers, as they were under siege by security forces. If I were a legislator, I wouldn’t have made it across that whoppinv fence! Are we turning a blind eye to the destruction of the state assembly complex in Edo by former Governor Obaseki, and the denial of the legislative rights of 14 members of the assembly, along with their emoluments, and the opportunity to perform their duties as representatives of the people. So when opposition parties, especially the PDP of OBJ and Goodluck, speak of undemocratic act and events, you wonder where they were when all the events enumerated above took place, or whether they didn’t find them undemocratic?

OBJ says democracy is in danger in Africa, even though he was referring to Nigeria, and was just being clever. The Rivers state of emergency declaration is their main headache for now. But they cannot be taking Flagyl for headache — another man’s headache at that. The uniqueness of the Rivers debacle is that the governor himself, and the state assembly members, were directly responsible for the growing insecurity in the state. Pipelines were being blown. The gains Nigeria recorded in terms of oil production and oil revenue were at stake and stood the risk of being eroded overnight, because of the tussle for power in Rivers. The communities were safe, the capital was safe, but miscreants were already directing their games at the oil infrastructure of the country in Rivers. It is a terrible time to play games and Nigeria cannot afford such expensive games, at a time of austerity. We are just trying to bounce back, and some agberos were ready to plunge us into even more darker dungeons. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR; was well within his powers, and backed by the National Assembly. Rivers is too vital economically for a responsible govt to watch militants play karaoke with it once again. It would end up in tears. So when OBJ declares democracy to be in danger, perhaps he means democrazy, the type he and his proteges and party affiliates used to shove down our throats during those PDP years.