Nigerians are frustrated by the collapse of all institutions both in public and private life to provide a modicum of functional civil society. The kleptocracy of those in government at all levels from national, states to local government; the endemic corruption of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies has exacerbated the helplessness and hopelessness of Nigerians. The National assembly has become the “oasis of corruption” of the Nigerian government who is currently waging war against the corruption efforts instituted by the presidency. The present excessive concentration of powers and resources at the federal level is one of the major factors that have continuously fueled corruption. The primary business of those in government has become how best to enrich themselves by embezzlement of public funds and perpetuate themselves in office or their cronies by political corruption.
By Ese Erinmwingbovo
The Arab uprising that started in 2010 in Tunisia, with dire consequences, was primarily a response of the citizens of the affected countries to the pervasive poor economic conditions and hopelessness, amid the excesses of a few. Also a propeller of the Arab spring was gross human rights abuses by governments of those nations.
The poverty, hunger and failure of the institutions of government to protect the interest of the citizens created the conditions and fertile ground for the mass protest that followed. In Nigeria the climate for such uprising is today present.
There is poverty, hunger, unemployment that is as a result of political corruption and kleptocracy of those in government at all levels. What Nigerians want and hope to achieve is to end corruption, increase political participation and bring about greater social and economic prosperity and equity for all.
Nigerians are frustrated by the collapse of all institutions both in public and private life to provide a modicum of functional civil society. The kleptocracy of those in government at all levels from national, states to local government; the endemic corruption of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies has exacerbated the helplessness and hopelessness of Nigerians.
The National assemble has become the “oasis of corruption” of the Nigerian government who is currently waging war against the corruption efforts instituted by the presidency.
The present excessive concentration of powers and resources at the federal level is one of the major factors that have continuously fueled corruption. The primary business of those in government has become how best to enrich themselves by embezzlement of public funds and perpetuate themselves in office or their cronies by political corruption.
The government has failed to bring succor to the majority of Nigerians. There is wide spread insecurity in the land from Boko Haram, Cattle herdsmen, robbery, kidnapping; the government and institutions governance have failed to fulfill their primary role of protecting lives and property of the citizenry.
The militancy in Niger Delta, clamor or agitation for secession In the South East and south west, issues of sectarianism , marginalization and the call for restructuring are all a precursor to social uprising resulting from a failed government.
Civil disobedience , uprising , mass protest, sit-ins, economic sabotage are all allowable forms of democratic participation in constitutional democracy like ours. But Nigerians should not engage in arms protest , ethnic and religious clashes and any action that may led to a full scale war, for our constitutional democracy no matter how imperfect it is, provides avenues (e.g. ballot boxes) for resolving some of these issues.
The present debate on the future of Nigeria has been dominated by “marginalization” by various ethnic groups, rather it should be about eradication of corruption. Corruption is the most single factor responsible for the inability of Nigerian government to achieve any meaningful development in all spheres of human and national endeavors.
Except for the very few who are connected, and players in the kleptocracy of the present day Nigerian government, the majority of Nigerians over 99% of all ethnicity are marginalized.
Those who are engaged in embezzling and stealing from the commonwealth are not from any particular ethnic extraction, they are from all nukes and crannies, shapes and sizes, men and women and from all religious background.
In addition to fighting corruption at all levels, the present debate and solution to the future of the country should focus on restructuring and true federalism with devolution of powers and resource control to the federating units.
The Federal government with power to collect taxes from the units to maintain the military, foreign policy, immigration, boarder control, air and seaports. Balkanization is not the solution.
There is enormous economic and political leverage in international affairs from huge and populous nation state like Nigeria.
Restructuring and true federalism will reduce cost of running the government, reduce corruption and enhance competition and development among the federated units.
Nigerians should continue the peaceful protest, sit-ins, civil disobedience, organize lectures, mobilize the citizenry through mass education as avenue towards forcing the government to intensify and broaden the war on corruption, embark on restructuring and true federalism.
These efforts must be guided against being hijacked and co-opted by elites whose only interest is to maintain the status quo. But these political agitations for better Nigeria should not be allowed to degenerate into ethnic and religious war.
