25 Jul 2006 |
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This concludes the series on ‘Oyo Mesi’ Model to tackle Degenerative Corruption.
In Part 1, we expounded that like other nations, Nigeria has its own share of problems. Prominent of these problems is politician degenerative corruption, which permeates all aspects of own national life. This politician degenerative corruption, than ever before, needs to be tackled through ‘Oyo Mesi’ Model if Nigerians must experience a paradigm shift in the sunset of the present administration that expires in May 2007.
Part 2 identified politician degenerative corruption as PDC, a disease ‘Oyo Mesi’ Model of governance borrowed from the defunct Oyo Empire, could cure. ‘Oyo Mesi’ Model was patented NOMM being acronym for Nigeria-adapted Oyo Mesi Model. NOMM was defined as an intrinsic mechanism of government measurement that uses E3RIJ less RER(EL) through its 7C to empower the society as a medium of checks and balances for office holders. We compared its governance model with the defective existing model and reviewed its benefits against the background of the electorate mentality. The NOMM formula was examined and its E3RIJ principle was applied to interpret its relations to the 7 components of societal intervention in government accountability to the electorate.
Can NOMM really work? The cynic says, ‘why bother about this NOMM thing?’ The activist says, ‘who cares about NOMM? Give the poor man foods and that is all.’ Statistics of the relative gap between Nigeria wealth and Nigerian impoverishment should convince the cynic. Abraham Maslow should convince the activist. Human does not live by bread alone. He (She) wants fulfillment in life, etc. However, if we are preoccupied with the poor, how can the poor human relate with NOMM? The poor human is hungry, he (she) has bills to pay and can not care about the things our politicians do with our wealth as long as crumbs fall from the politicians’ tables of corruption and poor performance into his (poor man’s) widely opened mouth. Now, Nigerians may be poor but they are not foolish. Nigerians may look nonchalant; it is a self-preservation tactics to fight another day. Nigerians, particularly those at home are not ignorant. Available statistics confirmed that 68% of the total population above age 15 and above is literate. We can mobilize this 68%; it is a huge number to engender a change. The beauty of NOMM is that beyond curing corruption, its implementation of NOMM also has the potency to rejuvenate our capacity building agenda in Nigeria. Mr. Bill Clinton, the former President of the United States of America attributed ‘too little capacity’ and not corruption as the bane of underdevelopment of Africa at the opening luncheon of the Leon H. Sullivan Summit VII at the Presidential Villa in Aso Rock, Abuja. He argued that the challenge facing developing nations, Nigeria in particular is the building of a system that would give people the opportunity to excel and also reward hard work. Now, corruption and development can never co-exist. Contrary to Mr. Clinton, corruption is and remains a killer disease to any developmental progress in Africa. Cure PDC, and you get any nation of its feet again. Corruption must be halted and progressively cured so that PDC-positive individuals are kept far away from holding office in any capacity. Then, the system can run on NOMM’s E3RIJ. Capacity can be built, talents maximized and dreams achieved in a society that thrive on the principle of E3RIJ devoid of RER(EL). We should begin to consider NOMM, its merits and devise means of implementing. Otherwise, successive government programmes will remain in the realm of intentions, and proclamation. And, after all said and done, nothing concrete in terms of deliverables, action and results will be visible on ground to attest to the intentions and well-articulated programmes of government. Intentions and good programmes are trains. The rail to run these trains from Point A to Point B is NOMM. Now, the Eight ‘Oyo Mesi’, which we propose to guard the initiation and process of implementation of NOMM, is The Conscience. The Conscience is the Eight ‘Oyo Mesi’. It cuts across all religious affiliations. All humankind has conscience, whether Christian, Moslem, Jewish, Buddhist, African Traditional Religionist, Atheist, Modernist, et al. The Conscience is the Inner Voice. It is a 24/7 companion. It is a judgment of reason that enables human to identify the moral quality of any act or action. Beyond the Holy Books, there lies in the Conscience of human the Law of Providence and the prompting to choose the will to respect this Law of the Heart.
The Inner Voice is kind, not cruel. It is gentle, not forceful. It is persuasive, not compulsive. It is firm/eternal, not transient. It is love, not wickedness. The Inner Voice is the Father of Inner Peace. (If you lack peace of mind, go find the father of Inner Peace, the Inner Voice who is the Agent of Providence in your life.) Human may forget what the Holy Prophets say. Human may close his (her) mind to the Holy Books injunctions of the Holy Books. The Inner Voice endures. Like the Almighty, it never fails nor slumbers. Like love, it never fails. Even hardened criminals know this. The Eight ‘Oyo Mesi’ is supreme and cannot be silenced. The Inner Voice like a gentle stream caressing the rocks on its snaky path to the ocean holds the key to the sanity of humankind and sanity of life. When a person loses his (her) Inner Voice, he is a living dead. When a nation loses its Inner Voice, the nation becomes the jungle country of Edidare: because anything goes. The Conscience is NOMM Scorecard. When we were young in the rustic St. Theresa’s RCM Primary School that shared the same compound with the then notable St. Peter’s Teachers Training College in Akure, it was fun approaching the end of a term. (I am talking about 1979 – 81, though. I left primary school in 1981. Guess I am still young.) Examinations had been completed. Then, the last day of the term was designated report card giving day. Pupils used to tease one another that we should expect three masquerades. The Weeping masquerades, the Stern-Faced masquerades and the Laughing masquerades. Well, these were not really masquerades. It is a metaphor. The Weeping masquerades were pupils who had failed their examinations woefully and were ashamed to go home and show their report cards to their parents/guardians. The Stern-Faced masquerades were the average pupils (particularly bullies) who had not done well but had earlier boasted they would pass the examination very well. The Laughing masquerades were jubilant pupils who passed their examinations impressively. Now, if one’s masquerade dances well in the open, one’s head would swell.
We approach the beginning of the end. Elections times should soon be here. Politicians and office seekers are dangling various carrots before the electorates to soften their hearts. They now do this as philanthropists that out-class the feats of the Late M K O Abiola, the self-styled philanthropist.
So, what should we do? Accept the gifts and vote them in? Not so, my brothers and sisters. This is a Esau-like temptation to exchange our birthright for some few gifts these office seekers have used our wealth to procure.
Now, let us use NOMM Scorecard i.e. the Conscience (our collective and private Inner Voice) to rate politicians and office seekers.
Let us deploy NOMM Scorecard to test the integrity of political leaders, examine their PDC status and measure their capacity to lead us.
Let the NOMM Scorecard influence our choice of political leaders.
1. This leader believes in egalitarianism. TRUE FALSE 2. This leader believes in free enterprise. TRUE FALSE 3. This leader believes in and is willing to revive our educational system. And he (she) will lead by examples by ensuring his (her) kids attend schools in Nigeria. He (she) will bring the Harvard, etc Professors here instead of sending his (her) kids out there. TRUE FALSE 4. This leader believes in rationality. He will not promote any religion above the other. TRUE FALSE 5. This leader has provable integrity. TRUE FALSE 6. This leader upholds in justice. TRUE FALSE 7. This leader is not region-biased. TRUE FALSE 8. This leader does not favour one ethnic group above the other. All ethnic groups are equal. TRUE FALSE Can we find a political leader or an office seeker who will pass this test? Men and women of substance (worth, value, character, standard and integrity) who have not been infected with PDC? I think we can if we deploy NOMM to search well from among the Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora. Thank you. Babatunde Ayoola Fajimi Accra, Ghana. Monday, July 24, 2006 Click Next for Part 2 {mospagebreak} ‘Oyo Mesi’ Model to tackle Degenerative Corruption (Part 2 of 3) As we contemplate 2007, all Nigerians at home and abroad should be armoured to deal with politician degenerative corruption (PDC). PDC for description. PDC is deadlier than AIDS. It is a human political/societal/governance condition/problem (disease) that grows and festers in the mind of office holders. Like a cancer, its spreads in geometrically retrogressive fashion. Like passive smoking, it destroys both the carrier and the contact. Like A-bomb, it annihilates en masse whole group. We owe ourselves a duty under Providence to prevent PDC carriers i.e. individuals suffering politician degenerative corruption (irrespective of age, ethnic, religion, region, vocation, association) from holding public office at any level in Nigeria in the forthcoming elections. We if fail to tackle PDC, many more things will go wrong. We should not superstitiously dismiss the US Intelligence 2005 scenario forecast that Nigeria could fail in 15 years. ‘Oyo Mesi’ which is a pre-colonial system of measurement in governance that engendered probity and accountability has been punctiliously reviewed and its adaptation to governance in modern Nigeria is well suited for growing our democracy and populating our polity with PDC-free office holders. The ‘Oyo Mesi’ Model will be patented as NOMM. NOMM is an acronym for Nigeria-adapted Oyo Mesi Model. NOMM is proposed for progressive cure PDC in Nigeria. NOMM is an intrinsic mechanism of governance measurement that uses E3RIJ less RER(EL) through its 7C to empower the society as a medium of checks and balances for office holders. NOMM is a measurement system that strengthens democracy, supports institutional structures, plugs gaps in governance. The gaps that breeds inefficiency. The gaps that enable holders of public/collective trusts to rob us. NOMM is homegrown and can be woven to the fabrics of our democratic government. It liberates the society and makes democracy participatory. It is culturally relevant to our African society because it is an adaptation of the invention of our forebears from our soil for our self-governance and self-determination as a people devoid of foreign interference. NOMM should be used to determine the type of office holders we should elect, select or appoint to lead the rest of us, serve as a yardstick for determining their performance, and evaluate their performance in the office. It will also be the basis for keeping office holders in office for the stipulated term in line with the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or removal for non-performance. NOMM can mitigate against the risks of money-politics, god-fatherism, needless impeachment and most importantly progressively cure PDC. Oyo Empire, which began as the State of Oyo, founded circa 1400, rose to prominence and proposed in 17th to the late 18th century in economy, military and government throughout today’s Western Nigeria stretching to Kwara and Kogi States, and some parts of Republic of Benin (i.e. Dahomey, not Benin Kingdom) because of its system of government. This system of government revolved around the Alaafin, Oyo Mesi and the Ogboni as shown below: 
Oyo Empire was not a centralized monolith but consisted of layers of states with varying loyalties to the Centre. This sounds like Nigeria, which concentrates power in Abuja with its over 250 ethnics and divergent interest groups like the military, old-breed politicians, human right activities, MEND, et al. Unlike Nigeria, Oyo Empire worked because Alaafin with his cabinet of rulers (a powerful monarch and autocrat) are being ‘managed’ and ‘evaluated’ by the ‘Oyo Mesi’ (a council of 7 principal non-royal chiefs) and the Ogboni (a secret society of religious and political leaders vested with the power to review the decisions of the Oyo Mesi). There was wide consultation despite the godlike nature attributable to the Alaafin by the Yoruba because the decisions of the Alaafin were usually arrived at only after consultation with the Oyo Mesi. The Oyo Mesi had the rights of life and death over Alaafin and his political authority. The Ogboni, comprising a society of wealthy influential men and old women who could be entrusted to place duty before sentimental considerations and maintain secrecy, reviewed the decisions and sanction order placed on the Alaafin by the Oyo Mesi. The focal point of this governance arrangement is that the Oyo Mesi shared supreme power with the Alaafin. The Empire began to disintegrate in 1754 when this order of governance was discredited by Bashorun Gaa, Head of the Oyo Mesi who seized political power and installed series of kings as puppets at the height of the glory of the Empire. ‘Oyo Mesi’ Model is one of the legacies the defunct Oyo Empire bequeathed modern Nigeria. Our infantile democracy is weak. Why? Our existing governance model depicted as follows cannot tackle PDC:
Existing governance model is porous. There is no meeting point at reach-out (D). The stakeholders do not have concession convergence because there is no meeting of mind. This creates a lot of gaps that breeds PDC. Any incompetent office holder who is PDC-positive can capitalize on the gaps to exploit the system and steal from our national treasury as we witness today. Godfathers, semi-literate politicians and areas boys can read this deficient model and seize the apparatus of state to dismember our democratic structure to their advantages. Now, NOMM can cure PDC-positive office holders and individuals. It can also heal the associated public malaise of culture of silence, repression, intolerance of opposing opinion, unproductive criticism, diversionary tactics to hinder good governance, electorate lethargy, poverty of ideas, wanton pursuit of money, religious foolhardiness et al that frustrate our developmental efforts at building a virile nation. NOMM creates institutional structures to strengthen democracy and tackle PDC and is illustrated in the following Model:  TVs – (E3RIJ)
Table of Values Figure 3: NOMM Whilst the roles, duties and responsibilities of the three tiers of government are clearly spelt out in the Constitution, NOMM requires clarifications. NOMM is watertight against corruption or corruptive practices, and does not give room for inefficiency in service. Nigeria needs NOMM, a nation that places the love of money above virtues today. Nigeria needs NOMM, a nation that deify leaders who are essentially mortals and are accountable to us. Nigeria needs NOMM, a nation ridden with corrupt politicians and people alike. Nigeria needs NOMM, a nation of people in desperate search for solutions. Nigeria needs NOMM, a nation of Diaspora who desires and are willing to champion change. Nigeria needs NOMM, a nation approaching another opportunity (2007) to do it right. NOMM formula is E3RIJ + 7C – RER(EL) = WEALTHY CITIZEN AND UNITED NIGERIA. We do not want to discontinue democracy. Unarguably, democracy is good for Nigeria with its diversity of over 250 ethnic groups who should be treated with the same equality irrespective of size, popularity, influence and level of development. NOMM builds internal power that strengthens democracy. NOMM should be used to determine the eligibility of individuals seeking office to ensure they are PDC-negative. NOMM should be used to set the performance management framework for office holders in all capacity of leadership and government. NOMM should be used to calculate service value of office holders. NOMM can be used in all manners and ways that facilitate good governance, accountability and probity in the polity. NOMM is not complex to understand. It is not difficult to implement. It is not expensive to manage. It requires commitment because it is our destiny. It requires more studies to clear existing ambiguity and perfect the Model. Its 7C are existing institutional platforms that should be re-cultured to actively play its ‘Oyo Mesi’ checks and balances role in the governance system of modern Nigeria. The Family is the first component. Teachers comprise the second component. The Clerics and Traditional Rulers are the third component. The Press is the fourth component. The Diasporas are the fifth component. The Civil Society is the sixth component. The Police are the seventh component. These constitute the council of Oyo Mesi in the NOMM proposed to cure PDC in Nigeria. All members of the 7C from the society in Nigeria must synchronize and deploy all the attributes in the Table of Values all at the same time, like a Driver who must use all its mirrors all at once while driving to check and balance the activities of the Government and elected officers, to ensure they comply with pre-determined expectations of office. The attributes of RER(EL) do not come into reckoning at all whenever 7C are deploying E3RIJ. E3RIJ is a principle. It can be applied to all aspect of our lives from social, political, economically, marital, relational and business to religious, military, international affairs, et al. In bringing up children, the family must build and inculcate the spirit of E3RIJ. Teachers must live above board by eschewing RER and teach students/learners with E3RIJ. The gospel that does not have a central theme of E3RIJ should be discouraged. Traditional leaders should use E3RIJ to conduct themselves in private and public. The press should emphasize E3RIJ in their news reporting. The Diaspora should hold Nigerian leaders and office holders responsible using the Table of Values to ensure that these leaders and office holders confirm to our set expectations. Civil Society must be alert to E3RIJ. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. The Police must employ E3RIJ to enforce the arrest and prosecution of that ‘big man’ that refuses to pay his employees their monthly salaries yet have money to travel overseas for holiday. The motto of Nigeria, National Anthem and National Pledge should be overhauled to place emphasis on E3RIJ. Obsessive attention has been given to peace and unity at all cost. This is why things go wrong. Pray, what do we use to build peace and unity? What are the drivers of peace and unity? If we cannot articulate them, any vehicle, just any vehicle (military take-over, disruptive strike actions, unreasonable fuel price increment, et al) will take us to the wrong destination (PAC-positive office holders that impoverish the people, mismanage our resources and destroy our infrastructure, spending money to resuscitate NEPA, NITEL, oil refineries that have refuse to resuscitate, et al). Who is afraid of NOMM? Can NOMM work? Thank you. NB: I respectfully crave the indulgence of all villagers, particularly Tanibaba, Myhotbrain, Abraxas, Dallasite, Oluye and EMJ who have shown keen in a bumper edition (combination of Parts 2 and 3) to allow me run the two concluding parts separately because Part 3 which is titled The 8th ‘Oyo Mesi’ is conceptually different from the thesis propounded in Part 2.) Babatunde Ayoola Fajimi Accra, Ghana July 23, 2006
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