Nigeria`s constitutional democracy was found on the principles of equality, justice and freedom of expression of view or opinion regarding any matter of the state. This expression of view may be either through the ballot box or the fourth estate of the realm, the media.
For the former, it allows the electorate to verbally assert their choices or opinions regarding the formation of government. In democracy, every individual has a stake in deciding who occupies what seat and at what time. And for the latter, it provides that turf on which issues of state are debated and ideas exchanged. Democracy also saddled the media with the responsibility to objectively report the affairs of government to the electorate and educate them on all matters of election.
The media should educate the people that democracy is not a mere contraption that the game of politics can be played any how but rather a system that seeks to allow the citizenry decides how they are governed. It should also inform the people that we have a powerful tool in our hands that we can correct or reprimand as the case may be, in any instance where any government official errs or breaches the law.
The electorate must learn these for the firm establishment of a true democracy where the machinery of government will be operated only in the interest of the greater majority. But try chat with the people here and one is disappointed that most of us are shorn and bereft of the knowledge of the constitution on which our democracy rests.
And by this our democracy has been defeated because the constitution on which it rests appears not to have, either directly or indirectly a source of authority. As an act of the people, a constitution is made through either referendum; directly or through a constituent assembly elected specifically for that reason; indirectly. So, because it appears we do not know anything in it, the source of the constitution`s authority is in the doubt. This however is not the trouble for now.
The trouble is, without the people knowing the constitution and as well having a sound voter education there can never be credible elections in the country. First we need to have the full idea as to the constitutional responsibilities of the election umpire; the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Nigerians need to know that apart from the conduct of elections, the constitution also saddles the INEC with the responsibility to audit the accounts of political parties and regulate their general activities.
In Nigeria, political parties are not seen to be anything more than turfs where politicians climb only to clinch to power. And that’s why power thirsty politicians run them much like their private estates. But a political party in a true democratic setting is held high that the benchmark of its formation is the coming together of people of the same ideology and principle to form a common front for political struggle.
More so, Nigerians do not know much of what the constitution says regarding the separate responsibilities of the government three arms of executive, legislature and judicature. It is only here in Nigeria that when a legislator is being issued a score-card, his achievements will be mentioned to be construction of boreholes, building of schools and roads, distribution of motorcycle, money and scholarship et cetera. Wrong!
The primary constitutional responsibilities of the legislators are to make-laws and criticize and scrutinize the administration of government. So, a legislator should only be weighed on the number of Bills they have sponsored and or their contributions during debates and committee works. Thus must Nigerian legislators are failures for the simple reason that the legislature of today`s Nigeria is more like a rubber stamp. It has done nothing and it is doing nothing to better the life of Nigerians; it watches the presidency mismanage our resources and betray our trust.
Jarmajo can be reached via wala_seko@yahoo.com On Twitter: @mukhtarjarmajo
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