05 May 2006 |
|
Impeachment of Governor Alams: The Lessons and Challenges Ahead
Ebi Bless Asain The successful impeachment of the former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha hardly signifies the pitiful end of the world any time soon. Or that greed, the inherent dynamic in our polity will soon fizzle or capitulate to some unseen subterranean forces. However, it still must be seen as a small step for
Within the context of our politics, the eventual impeachment and arrest of the former governor could not have been better scripted. His descent from the dizzying heights of power and right into the long arms of the law is a real life drama that speaks volumes to all Nigerians. In here, the plethora of lessons, challenges and possibilities we face ahead as a nation is hard to ignore, overemphasize and underscore. The Alams impeachment for one exposes one of the fundamental deficiencies of our constitution: the immunity clause granted to public office holders, which gives them protection from accountability and prosecution. Emboldened by this gaping hole, it is no wonder that our leaders, and especially our state governors have devoted much of their time pursuing the “be a billionaire now,” real life game than uplift the sorrowful and pathetic socio-economic plight of their respective states.
On a wider perspective, the Alams saga is both humbling and instructive. It testifies to what neophytes and seasoned philosophers have known and proselytized all along---the incontrovertible existence of Nemesis, retributive justice or a higher power. Call it whatever you may, it rekindles for so many the scintilla of hope that for once, the criminal insensitivity and perverted leadership of the likes of Alamieyeseigha can be stopped in their tracks. In the confines of his now restricted world, Alams may be wise enough not to forget his once exalted office and stomping grounds in Yenagoa. He must dwell on the complex nature of politics and the transient world of power. By now he must realize that for fallen stars and heroes the best therapy for their sanity and self recovery is to unravel the lie about their bloated egos and political invincibility fed them by their praise singers and hangers-on. By now he must be versed in the complete text by which he is indicted by society. And for his own good, the former governor must internalize the story of the ordinary man who had the opportunity to do extraordinary good for his people but intoxicated by greed and power failed the test of leadership miserably. In the confines of his restricted world, uncomplicated by the affairs of state, it will be wise for him to pick up the most acclaimed book of our times and learn the basics of life: that those who exalt themselves will be humbled; those who humble themselves will be exalted. For Alams, he must come to terms with his political self destruction that is surreal and think of how he must now repay the debt to which he owes society.
In the main, we as a society must not absolve ourselves from complicity in the excesses we now accuse the former governor of inflicting upon our poor souls. We must accept the fact that we too, as the electorate, failed to exercise our voices, our numbers and above all our courage to challenge the former governor with every means necessary when it became self evident that he was too polished as a native son and too sophisticated as an ego-centric politician to effectively manage the interests of the state. For sure, our lack of political courage to emphatically demonstrate our distaste for his style has been costly. And this lack of courage highlights our collective dysfunction as a state when we allow every mad man and psychopath to prey on us decisively and consistently. It is unfortunate that for far too long we allowed Alamieyeseigha to run the state on his own terms rather than on the terms dictated by his oath of office. As the governor of one of the most impoverished and federally neglected states in the country, much was riding on his shoulders. And as they say, for whom much is given, much is expected. Alamieyeseigha had the political capital and more than enough resources to turn the fortunes of the state around for the better. He had the means to turn the state into the jewel of the Niger-delta. Instead, he saw the other side of midnight and gradually incorporated the damaging side of power.
He was given the opportunity and the means to fashion out a gleaming and shining state rising from the heavily polluted rivers and creeks of the Niger-delta. But the native son turned the state into his personal non-liability company and piggybank. In this total make-over he became the chief financial officer and
As his sense of invincibility took flight, he spoke the style and walked the swagger of all arrogant men of power before him. While he consolidated power in Bayelsa, his real homes obtained with his ill-gotten wealth, were scattered around exotic locales whose names sounded both musical and sexy like, in
In the social and political commentary of Alamieyeseigha’s rise and fall, the substance in the lessons is as equally valuable in the challenges that lie-in-wait for us not only as a state but as a country. In the current political realm, our challenges may look daunting and insurmountable. But first, we must stop thinking that DEMOCRACY is a FIFA organized world cup soccer competition, only to be watched from the comfort of our homes. We, the citizens of
Bayelsa must believe the story that when God created
Our greatest challenge now is to inculcate the understanding that democracy is not only about voting come elections. But a mutually benefiting co-existence between the electorate and the elected, between the people and their leaders. It demands that we all be fully engaged in the process. In the dying hours of Alams reign of arrogance, terror, and political brinkmanship, it was riveting to see some of our respected chiefs and every Tom, Dick and Harry fall over themselves to advance the notion that it was alright for Alams to lay bare the coffers of the state for his own gains because, they argue, every governor, every politician and leader in the country was corrupt. In other words, it was alright to be enslaved by our own son, our own politician who ought to share our history of years of disenfranchisement, poverty and neglect.
This display of mental poverty and backwardness is as insulting as it is shameful. It is equally degrading as it is inexplicably twisted. This is the jet age of science, technology, and enlightenment. It is high time our chiefs, professors and men with doctor of letters snapped out of that Dark Age mentality. Our underdevelopment is largely the result of our skewed thinking and narrow mindedness. Until we stop pushing the boundaries of our insanity and start appreciating the inherent benefits of our collective greatness, our continued enslavement by our leaders or any leader for that matter, will not abate for the long haul.
It is time to organize the masses, the school teachers, students, youths, the market women and men, all the grassroots and show government house the power of the people, their feelings and where their collective destiny needs to go. History is replete with the gains of mass protests and non violent oppositions. We must not forget the non-violent mass protest, led by the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to change the history of the Civil rights movement in the American Deep South in the early 1960’s. We must also remember how Mahatma Gandhi harnessed non-violent opposition and mass protests to change
Once again the ball is in our court for democracy to work for us the way it should. We must not let the opportunity to slip in allowing the new governor know that the citizens of Bayelsa have been railroaded or side tracked before and will not be abused again under his watch. It must be inscribed in his mindset that their trust must be earned by performance that is substantiated on the ground—not through speeches, promises, or dispensing of false hopes at conferences and staged media events. The new governor will be wise to inculcate the poignant fact that Bayelsa has all the ingredients to become the jewel state of the Niger-delta. Why can it not blaze the trail for many states in
Alamieyeseigha was definitely not the most corrupt, arrogant, perverted, thieving governor of
So for the new governor, he must bear in mind that the era of excuses and platitudes is over. Period. We can choose To throw stones, To stumble on them, To climb over them, Or to build with them. -William Arthur Ward Please send your comments to ebasain@yahoo.com
|
|||||||||
# 
Your Comments
Please make The Square an enjoyable experience for everyone by refraining from gratuitous ad-hominem contributions, defamatory comments and off-topic posting. Such posts will be removed.