ARISE OH COMPATRIOTS, THE ENDANGERED NIGERIA DEMOCRACY REQUIRES URGENT RESCUE, THE TEXT OF A WORLD MEDIA BRIEFING BY CITIZENS CENTRE FOR INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL RIGHTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT VANGUARDS AND IMO CSO STAKEHOLDERS ON THE 26TH OF JULY, 2013 IN OWERRI. Gentlemen of the press, Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights in collaboration with Democracy and Development Vanguard and Imo CSO stakeholders have invited you to discuss the sad development in Nigeria’s democracy in the recent times. As a tradition, we have partnered with the media to advance our opinion and concerns on several local and national issues, but we are having this interactions with heavy hearts because Nigeria democracy since 1999 have never been so threatened and the citizens disregarded like we have witnessed since the National Assembly voting on the Nigeria constitution amendment process particularly the Nigeria senate. There has been only a few times when the Nigeria National Assembly, which is usually referred to as the bedrock of democracy, has publicly sought the views of Nigerians on national issues or constitutional amendment process. One of those few times was the last public town halls held by the Senate and House of Representatives. We know that representative democracy is a system of government where a delineated segment of a sovereign nation selects through election, a person who will represent their wishes and aspiration in a larger body. The representative is therefore the drives of the wishes of the people and not his personal wishes or the wishes of his private families. Whenever the representative abandons the wishes of the people to advance his private wishes and aspirations, he/she ceases to be the true representative of the people. Such situation can best be described as dictatorship in a democracy. This is a situation where the elected representative imposes his/her views, agenda and aspirations on those that democratically entrusts power to him/her. It is important to mention that this ugly situation has been prevalent at the federal, state and in states where Local Government tier is allowed to exist. It has now come to its zenith and loudly clear after the senators completely abandoned the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians in the ongoing voting process for the amendment of Nigeria’s constitution, which was criminally and stubbornly put together and handed over to Nigerians by the last military government before the return of democracy in 1999. On the strength of the above issues, we note as follows: 1 Nigeria democracy is in serious danger because the final hope of democracy, which is the National Assembly, is threatening Nigeria democracy by abandoning the wishes of the people which they collated through the nationwide town hall that gulped huge chunk of our national resources. 2 Bad laws are the reasons why corruption and bad governance strives in Nigeria. So if the National Assembly as well as state assemblies are unable to remove the obvious bad laws in our constitution, and other statute books, this last time, it will not be wrong to infer that they promote corruption and bad governance noting that the promulgation of good laws is the first step towards good governance and zero corruption in Nigeria. 3 There is no doubt that the cost of Nigeria’s democracy is the highest around the world. Therefore, the best quality laws are the least expectation of Nigerians. This quality laws should translate to good governance and better standard of living without further negotiations of stress by citizens. 4 That the continued presence of deafening corruption in Nigeria is a complete and total failure of the legislature at the state and federal levels, that have shown embarrassing inability to stem corruption instead have been found neck deep into it 5 The lack of autonomy of Local Government Authority, which is the third tier of government, is fueling more corruption and unaccountable public finance management by state governments. 6 That any legislature that plays and toys around with the mandate of the people is not better than a military dictators that Nigerians have collectively rejected 7 That if the current voting at the National Assembly negates the wishes and aspirations of Nigeria citizens, it will spell doom to our budding democracy and the National Assembly should take direct responsibility for endangering democracy and citizens. 1 Key amendments that Nigerians agreed through the town hall meetings, include Local Government Autonomy, Electoral Reforms, Justifiability of Chapter two of our constitution, elimination of Gender discrimination as it affects section 29, separation of the office of attorney general from minister of justice, etc. 8 , is the only expectations of Nigerians as the National Assembly concludes their own aspects if the constitution amendment. 9 The House of Representatives are currently showing that they understand the wishes of the people more than the senate. 10 There is suspicion that the abandonment of the wishes and aspiration of Nigerians is not different to the third term issue which led to the failure to amend the constitution during the last attempt that emanated after the political reform conference. 11 That no legislator’s voice is bigger than the voice of those that elected him/her 12 That the abandonment of the wishes of the people is a clear and unambiguous renunciation of the peoples mandate and thus, an aspect of political corruption. 13 That while the military held us back through the barrel of gun, the national assembly should not be seen holding Nigerians back through the appropriation of peoples mandate to advance personal and esoteric ambitions. 14 Nigerians have shown, through the death of third term agenda, that they are capable rising against any kind of dictatorship whether under military or democracy. 15 The rejection, abandonment and disregard of citizens wishes by the senate, which also happens at the 36 state assemblies, are not only clear in this process of constitutional amendment, it is also clear in the budget making process as being practices in the 36 states of Nigeria. 16 The representatives from Imo state and in deed the southeast have failed to represent the wishes of their constituents but rather are representing themselves, their personal interest. Based on these observations, we state as follows: 2 Any federal or state legislator who is not ready to represent the wishes of those who elected them should resign or is deemed to have resigned from his/her elected position. 3 The denial of autonomy to Local Government tier is a direct approval of corruption and mismanagement in state by the National Assembly 4 The National Assembly should be ready to return, through the harmonization process, all areas of the constitution amendment that Nigerians voted for during the last public town hall meetings. If this is not done, the National Assembly will lose over 80% of trust and regard by citizens. 5 All the areas selected for amendment where citizens voted in favour must be amended to reflect the wishes and aspirations of the people. 6 That National Assembly and the thirty six state assemblies should start the process of reducing the cost of law making in Nigeria, which is about the highest in the world 7 The National Assembly can gain more respect by reflecting the wishes of Nigerians instead of their personal wishes. 8 All areas where the military midwifed constitution contradicts itself should be corrected. Such areas are, Local government Autonomy, Electoral Reforms, Justifiability of Chapter two of our constitution, elimination of Gender discrimination as it affects section 29, separation of the office of attorney general from minister of justice, etc. 9 Nigerians did not vote for life pension for senate and House leadership, but it was quick to be approved by senate. 10 National Assembly should introduce laws or amendments that will ensure that state and federal legislators are voting the wishes of those they are representing than their personal wishes. In like manner, they should enact laws or initiate amendments that will Promote transparent public finance management, participatory budgeting and reduce corruption and cost of governance by both the law makers and executives. 11 We call on citizens to protest against legislative dictatorship at federal and state levels and recall any legislators that are found representing himself/herself instead of his/her constituency. We are poised to mobilize Ndigbo against federal or state legislative dictators as we have had enough of dictators in Nigeria. specifically for the attention of the senate: We the People demanded Autonomy for Local Governments buy you people voted against the people’s demand; We the People demanded for the Justifiability of Chapter 2 of the constitution which prescribes socio-economic and cultural rights but the Senate rejected it; We the People demanded for separation of the office of the Attorney General of the Federation from the Minister of Justice but you, the Senators, voted against it; We the People demanded Mayoral status for the Federal Capital Territory but the Senators voted against it. We the People demanded for an end to gender based discrimination with regards to citizenship and rights but the Senators voted to keep discriminating against females and trivializing the citizenship of half the population of Nigeria; We the People demanded electoral reforms to make INEC truly independent and improve the credibility of our electoral process but the Senators ignored our demand; We the People never requested for life pension for the President and Deputy Senate President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives but the Senators voted to grant them life pension at our expense as taxpayers and at the expense of teeming unemployed youths. The Senate should use the harmonization process to reverse themselves or set themselves on collision course with citizens of Nigeria. Citizens and the world are watching as our efforts to deepen democracy at the community level may be reversed by the activities at the federal legislature. Sign Sign Emeka Ononamadu Uche Ohagoro Executive Director Coordinator CCIDESOR Legit Group Ben Anyanwu Ben Mbakwem For: Democracy and Imo CSOs Working Group Development Vanguards Secretary
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 22:51:18 +0000
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