Between 1929 and 1933, the national output of the United States declined without a justifiable reason. There was neither earthquake nor epidemic; nor was there any inadequacy in labour or capital. But the economy was in depression. Thus in his book "A coincise to Macroeconomics", the Harvard Business School Professor David A. Moss in 2007 describing the situation economists at that time caught themselves in said "they were as puzzled as they were horrified". But to me that situation was not as puzzling and horrifying as the Nigerian politician.
The most puzzling and horrific thing or better still human being presently on the earth is the Nigerian politician who is as insensitive as he is selfish. You are puzzled by their attitudes just as you are horrified that you can't find justifiable reasons for their behaviours. At every top of the hour, their ambition and desperation for power increases at an increasing rate. At every gotten opportunity they shout that democracy is in practice here just as they thwart the process at any instance.
And that is why a look at the happenings in the country only ends with the sad note that things only change for the worse. The ordinary man perpetually suffers untold hardship amidst insecurity. And unfortunately, the very politician who at every gotten opportunity shouts that democracy is in practice here, cares not about us. Almost all the politicians here are only desperate for power so that when they rule they please themselves.
It is this desperation for power that turned our political atmosphere into a mess. Hence the reason why our nascent democracy is in danger much as the future of the nation seems horrific. For reasons not far from the desperation to either continue to stay in power or get to it, certain politicians promote disunity along religious and ethnic lines so that they rule while the people remain divided.
The president himself demonstrated this in 2011 and since then, it had remain his political tactics. No thanks to ethnic and religious champions such as E. K. Clarke, who only think that their son must rule our nation whether or not he is competent and courageous enough to do so.
With thoughts and attitudes like these on our political turf, political parties must be run like private estates so that candidates be imposed on party members during primary elections. In the same vein, the public till must be looted so that rigging during general elections can be financed with ease. More so, security apparatus must be used unconstitutionally to threaten political opponents and the electorate as well to ensure smooth rigging.
Thus, with this preparation in the background, it is pretty sure that no matter the preparedness of INEC and it's willingness to be sincere and truthful in an election exercise; no matter the extent to which the electorates have knowledge on election and their willingness to participate in the process, the election will never record any success. It is thus not proper to blame INEC or its Chairman alone for the failure of an election in this country. Most at times, it is the handiwork of the Nigerian politician who cares not about us.
And the end result is that apart from INEC and political parties that participate in elections, the other institutions of democracy have been reduced to mere machines. The National Assembly has the mandate to ensure check and balance in the affairs of government through enactment of laws and oversight function. But it does nothing because most of its members are a product of rigged elections and so they are being remote-controlled by the presidency.
Today the National Assembly is not far from a rubber stamp for it allows the presidency do as it wishes. President Jonathan has committed one thousand and one impeachable offences but nothing was done on any of them. The inability by the president to tackle the security problem in the country alone is enough a reason to call him to order. But because the Nigerian politician cares not about us, nothing will ever be done about that.
The Judiciary too was not spared by the Nigerian politician. It has been politicised. Being the last port of call for redress of any social injustice, the judiciary is to hold to its ethics and extant traditions so that at every instance the people will have the confidence that our learned Justices will interpret the laws without any fear or favour.
But then, most of our judges here are corrupt. Most judgements were simply political. And this was unfortunate. A nation can survive any travail other than that inflicted by a corrupt judiciary. Injustice remains the worst nightmare to ever befall any nation. God save Nigeria!
Jarmajo can be reached via wala_seko@yahoo.com
On Twitter: @mukhtarjarmajo
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