Between Party Manifesto And The Reality On Ground

“Between the idea and the reality
Between the motion and the act
Falls the shadow.”
-T.S. Eliot (1888-1965)

By Josef Omorotionmwan

As the clock ticks away towards the presidential inauguration day of May 29, 2015, Nigerians are excited at the prospect of the in-coming government. The satire that follows in a dialogue fashion fairly approximates the feelings of many of them.

Iyayi: It is an aberration for people to take on the responsibility of setting agenda for Muhammadu Buhari, the President-elect. Perhaps unwittingly, the impression is given that the man was elected as an independent candidate.

Why else would you be taking on this additional responsibility about a man who came to you a few days back, with his party’s manifesto, on the basis of which you supposedly preferred him to other candidates? Are we now going to alter all the promises he made during the electioneering campaigns?

Oyoyo: It bothers me too. Apparently, these democratic institutions – elections and political parties – have become important only for their symbolic value.

They just help to tie the masses to the political system by giving them a role to play on Election Day and a political party with which they can identify.

When you set agenda for a man, the impression is also created that from the onset, he had no idea of his own.

He was probably clear only on what he wanted to change or destroy; not on what he would put in its stead.

It soon gets to the point of absurdity if the aim was to form a government before beginning to think of what to do with the government – like in a revolution, would anyone carry out the revolution before beginning to find out what for?

Iyayi: As recent as our Second Republic, when you moved into a State or even when you were passing through, you could tell, with relative ease, which political party was in power in that State.

The NPN had houses scattered everywhere, to the extent that housing estates sprang up overnight.

In the UPN States, almost every other house was a school. And at the initial stage, pupils carried their stools and benches from home.

Older people who were already trading quickly packed up their wares and returned to education, where they were handy in populating the teachers’ training colleges, which helped to produce the urgently needed manpower for the exploding school system. Education was really free. In that era, party manifesto was sacrosanct.

Oyoyo: We cannot say the same thing today when the party manifesto is totally discarded. In fact, it is only useful during the campaigns where the politician promises heaven and earth but wait till he gets to the office to see the stark reality on ground.

By the time he knows that a large part of the workforce has not received salaries for upwards of 22 months and that the excess crude account is in red, all the promises of youth and women empowerment programs will be consigned to the dust bin.

Iyayi: Muhammadu Buhari says he will fight corruption to a standstill. Very good! But we must realize from the very beginning that the fight against corruption cannot be a one-man show. Everyone must stand to be counted. In fact, a nation is only as good as its legislature.

All our laws, particularly the Criminal Code that is now totally outdated must be revamped. The colonial heritage that makes it possible for a man to get a fine of a few hundred Naira after he has stolen billions must go. Our judges must sit up. There must be general re-orientation of society.

Oyoyo: I agree with you. Essentially, the difference between one leader and the other is in the bark and the bite. Buhari must sharpen his biting teeth and bite offenders to their bone-marrows.

Iyayi: Ol’ boy, did I hear you well? You people are looking for every opportunity to accuse him again of being draconian, eh?

Oyoyo: Are you kidding? That’s my main man. Every successful leader must be a dictator of sorts – benevolent or malevolent.

He cannot pull Nigeria out of the present mess by merely turning the other cheek. Indeed, remove Buhari’s bite from him and you will find him worse than his forerunners.

The only difference is that this time around, things will not be done with impunity. There will be enough people to explain his actions.

At least, we now have a man who can answer the tough questions and step on the big toes, when necessary.

In the proposed fight against corruption, we want Buhari to take a cue from former President Olusegun Obasanjo who probably had the EFCC and ICPC enabling Bills in his pocket at his inauguration.

As soon as he got to the office, the Bills landed at the National Assembly. Similarly, Buhari should forward the necessary Bills to the National Assembly for the amendment of our weak laws. That’s how to start the fight.

Iyayi: How many properties have been confiscated from past corrupt officials so far? Nigerians want to see an inventory of that ….

Oyoyo: Impeachment as speaking in tongues: For too long, impeachment has remained one of the most abused processes in the government of Nigeria, particularly at the State level.

As we embark on this leg of our nation’s journey, the process requires at least a passing mention while details shall be left for another day.

In whatever form, frivolous impeachments are distractions that must be avoided. By definition, impeachment is the act of bringing formal charges against an erring government official.

While in office, some government officials enjoy immunity from prosecution. When such commit serious offences, for which they would otherwise be charged to court, you must first remove them from office so that they can be stripped of their immunity. Impeachment is neither for witch-hunt nor for addressing minor political disagreements.

The recent gale of impeachment threats across the nation may rightly portray government as a con-game in which the actors, as they scamper to beat retreat from government, are speaking in tongues which only they understand.

In the next 24 hours, it will be goodbye to Jonathan and welcome to Buhari. For us, it is a new dawn. Congratulations, Nigeria.

Hon. Josef Omorotionmwan is a public affairs analyst and Chairman, Board of Directors, Edo Broadcasting Service. He can be reached at: joligien@yahoo.com