Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists of choosing between between  the disastrous and  the unpalatable

Ralph Waldo  Emerson

I was just thinking of taking a short break from Nigerian Village Square when certain things started to happen. It is not that they are new. On the contrary I have always known that these things are with us. The only thing that bothers me is the degree at which this wildfire is spreading. People that we thought are learned men, professionals etc, make public statements these days in such a careless manner that they do not think about upholding their dignity and professional etiquette.

This story started on Saturday 1st April 2006 on Channels television when a former NBA president made some disappointing remarks about constitutional amendment. This is his field and one would have expected him to talk like a professional (irrespective of his personal preferences) but he ended up talking more like a politician cum pastor. He talked so much about the provision dealing with two terms of four years each that he forgot that an integral part of the same document provides for alteration. The provision for alteration is silent on when the alteration can be done or when it can become effective.

I wonder what other political parties have been doing since 1999 to amend this provision, which is a blank cheque.

Honestly, the more one listens to the public utterances of the critics/ opposition to this government; the hollow remarks, illogical and uninspiring utterances, and blackmail that issue from their camps, the stronger the conviction that they do not deserve the leadership position of this country. I have asked myself several times if these are the leader we want for our country.

Then on Sunday 2nd April, 2006   I stumbled Yomi Odunuga’s (KNUCKLES) article in the previous day’s edition of The Punch titled  “ALI IS DEAD RIGHT; EDITORS ARE TYRANTS”.

I wish the administrators of NVS would publish that article for the benefit of the members of this Village.

Please permit me to quote   two paragraphs contained in the article

“These newsroom irritants not only fabricate opinion but also  foist personal views on the generality  of  well  meaning  Nigerians”

“Truth is: editors don’t shape opinion and they had better accept this fact Instead what they do is cause commotion and entrench an atmosphere of needless distrust”.

Whether Yomi is right or wrong is a matter of opinion. Indeed some aspects of the article appear satiric but when one looks at the quality and depth of most articles foisted on the public through the print media and the relevance of such articles to the real issues one cannot but agree with the views expressed by Yomi

Then finally Sunday evening with Galaxy television. The programme was Democracy and The Rule of Law.

Personally I am of the opinion that the name of the program should indeed be changed to Government Bashing. All manner of people under the umbrella of “human rights activist” come unto this program weekly. I don’t know why so much money is wasted to produce this program weekly. The reason being that one episode is just a copy of another.

Whatever the topic is 99% of the discussions and conclusions have always been the same - government bashing.

So this Sunday (2/4/2006) the same issues came up and the regular answers too came. Have you noticed that, even among the learned people in Nigeria there is a disease called “bandwagon effect”. Just come on air and shout about certain things, use a jargon or two and in 24 hours you will have followers. It becomes a cliché!  They will drop the cliché everywhere without making any effort to think about its reasonableness or veracity.

We have so many of these clichés:  third term, democracy dividends, “we didn’t vote them”, “we the people of Nigeria”, “where did we sit to agree”, “Mr. President thinks he knows it all”, “He doesn’t listen to anybody”, “He thinks he is a messiah” etc.  As if these are the issues that matter to the realization of their own goals.  Talking about goals, is the goal to chase out OBJ or to elect a good and competent leader?

The more I hear these things the more I feel sorry for this nation.

The closer I look at “Leaders” who cannot manage their political parties successfully, develop strategies to beat PDP, or sell their programs to the public on a continuous basis, “leaders” who have re-defined governance to mean power and elections the closer I get to shedding tears for this country.

Back to Galaxy Television. One of the panelists said that the inclusion of  “We the people of Nigeria” in the 1999 constitution is a fraud, and just about 5(five) minutes later the said unequivocally that  “Nigerians are against 3rd term”.

Where did this man meet Nigerians and they told him that they don’t want third term. I don’t know his name but he is fair skinned. This is an unelected person who claimed he was speaking for Nigerians.  This reminds me of Candy Staton when she sang “ I am a victim of the very song I sing yeah…” and the submission of Yomi above with respect to foisting personal opinions on the public.

Questions

• -       Did foreigners prepare the constitution? E.g. Chinese, Arabs and/or Mexicans
• -       Where in the world is everybody involved in making the constitution or drafting it?
• -       Where did the panelist on Galaxy television meet Nigerians and they told him that they don’t want third term.
• -       Is Senator Mantu’s report the final stage in constitutional amendment? Why all the noise about Senator Mantu.
• -       Is the opposition focused, serious and worthy of leadership?
• -       Has there been a breach so far in the process of amending the constitution.
• -       Why did opposition have to wait till this moment?  Has it been difficult since 1999 for their members to sponsor bills that would have necessitated amendments to the constitution before this time
• -       Moral issues? The blank cheque manner in which the alteration provision is couched makes this a very weak proposition.  Though it is a factor, it can best   be used as a persuasive tool.

Conclusion

I am afraid for this country. If the opposition/ critics in the media today are representative of the “ leaders” that will emerge from there, then our road to civilization is far.  Damn too far away.

Let us thank God that ANPP has decided to leave the camp of those waiting for “OBJ to talk” and are making plans towards selling their programmes to the electorate.

It is also important for all of us to realize that we are now in democracy.  The earlier we imbibed this culture and the principles guiding democracy, the better it will be for everybody.

According to Sir Winston Churchill  “Politics are almost as exciting as war, and quite dangerous.  In war you can be killed once, but in politics many times” and  “For fame is not won by lying on a feather bed nor under a canopy” according to Dante Alighieri in Divine Comedy Inferno 

I will not be surprised if once again I am called all manner of names.  Please go ahead and do so but ponder over the issues that I have raised.   Some will even label me  “anti-people”.  No problem.  I take solace in what Richard Hooker said  “He that goeth about to persuade a multitude, that they are not so well governed as they ought to be, shall never want attentive and favourable hearers”. That is talking about opposition and their attitude.

Thanks for having read this article,

Taslim Anibaba, (FCA)            3rd April 2006

Comments are welcome and can be forwarded to tanibaba@yahoo.com or tanibaba@nigeriavillagesquare. Com

Robot  Villager

# 1 The closer I look at “Leaders” who cannot manage their political parties successfully, develop strategies to beat PDP, or sell their programs to the public on a continuous basis, “leaders” who have re-defined governance to mean power and elections the closer I get to shedding tears for this country....Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 03.04.2006 19:20

emj  Villager

# 2 Our goal and focus should be how to educate our people on how to elect competent leaders. Posted by emj| 03.04.2006 20:14

N.A.R.  Villager

# 3 Our goal and focus should be how to educate our people on how to elect competent leaders. Emj, Even before the 2003 elections, I was ranting and raving about this all over the board, educate the masses, they have no idea what to expect from an elected official, we even threw around some ideas for TV / radio jingles unfortunatly at the time I was unable to make my plans materialize, but they are somewhere in the archives of this village. But I doubt people want to focus on that, bashing is far easier and more rewarding! Posted by N.A.R.| 03.04.2006 22:02

Free Publius  Villager

# 4 Mr. Anibaba It is the indeed the freedom of democacry that allows the likes of you to be foisted upon the rest of us. That we have to read and tolerate your otherwise akobata, odious views is the certainy the bitter fruit of the same democracy that your faux heroes are woking very hard to end. In your warped mind, you somehow think that Nigerians who have not been fed table crumbs, or dying to be fed, somehow desire that a massive fraud be perpetrated upon them. What is most naseauting is that you come on this NVS masquerading as some halfway intelligent commentator when all you're doing is actually angling to get hired by the OBJ administration at all costs. Time and again, you've been outed as singularly focused on getting noticed by OBJ. Yet, you continue to purport to be of noble motives. You fabricate instances to mention your name alongside Fani Kayode, etc just so you can get noticed by them. Given you half-education in legal matters which delusionally empowers you to question the lawyer you saw on TV, can you try answering this simple question: Since the same Constitution allows for amendment, why is it that your democracy-ending heroes are not trying to change the document to allow only one term? Or is there some provision the precludes that? See Mr. Anibaba, the abject moral bankrutcy of the likes of you will be made to account at the appropriate time, which shall certainly come. Remember, there were those who praised Hitler for his God-like attributes and those who worshipped Abacha's invicibility. Do you know what happended to them? Stay tuned. Free Publius Posted by Free Publius| 04.04.2006 00:12

Chinedu Nwobu  Villager

# 5 Taslim even during the era of slavery and or Apartheid there were African collaborators,who supported and actively seeked to maintain the status quo. What you are doing now is no different from what the African Slave trader did during the era of slave trade.Since you have chosen to technically sell your people into slavery,by supporting third term,i can only say that your punishment will begin here on earth. Posted by Chinedu Nwobu| 04.04.2006 00:26

Ani  Villager

# 6 In all the hullabaloo over the alleged third term bid, i have not seen a single nigerian (apart from some crooked? ex-soldiers)who has offered himself to serve.if someone credible comes up to run for the presidential election come 2007, so much furore would not be made over the third term bid, instead we'd have a nigerian who would have a backing of say 75% of nigerians. if as the "critics" claim, that nigerians are tired of the OBJ administration, then the onus is on the "tired" nigerians to vote him out,third term or not. we have a million and one critics now in nigeria who seem to know the problem with this nation but are not doing anything about it but criticising. Omoyele sowore and his friends have travelled from new york to washington DC to protest to OBJ;he has constantly berated public officials, but i have not read a single article yet where he has proferred economic or any other solution to our problems. The point i'm trying to make in this inarticulate contribution is that, instead of being an armchair critic has it's so easy to be, lets proffer solutions to the nations problems. i am not holding forte for government officials in anyway, i agree things are messed up right now. but let's take the bull by the horns by singling out a credible nigerian and giving him the backing that he needs to throw a serious challenge to the OBJ/PDP administration come 2007. offside: i saw a placard carrying protestor/critic calling for the release of political detainees; political detainees being factional warlords who reek havoc on the masses, kill innocent citizens, blow up our flow stations......this just shows you the type of critics we have. Mr. Anibaba makes valid points in his articles, and we should sometimes reflect on the points he makes.methinks, that some people in this forum just want to criticise him irrespective of what he writes. Posted by Ani| 04.04.2006 05:21

Odinaka  Villager

# 7 Taslim, this argument you made to support, in a rather sublime manner, the attempt to manipulate the constitution at this late hour in order to have Obj installed as the alpha and omega of Nigeria is not entirely new, we first saw it during the days of Abacha. How many of those democracy activist fighting against Abacha's misrule came out to declare their splendid agenda for the country? The most important thing was to expose Abacha and his cronies, and that's what those media houses and people you are giving a hard knock are doing to Obj and his band of marauding criminals. You are obviously not happy with the guy who said that Nigerians are against third term, but you did not have any word for the Mantu committee who declared that Nigerians are yearning for a third term for Obj, a committeee that did not conduct either a short range consultation among Nigerians or a wide range one. You deliberately refused to acknowledege that some documents were smuggled in to change the position of some state governments on the third term issue after the so called zonal meetings were rounded up. Everyone has a right to air their view, including you and me. I wonder when folks like you became the umpires saddled with the responsiblity of deciding whether someone else's argument is intelligent enough or not? If you were only interested in your so called professional etiquette, you should be writing on accounting issues and nothing more (I have found those articles of yours bordering on economy quite interesting and would like to have more of them). Remove morality from professionalism and we will end up like the he-goat that mates its mother. Posted by Odinaka| 04.04.2006 05:42

gwobezentashi  Villager

# 8 NAR and emj, education of the masses may be one of the things that we need but to my mind is of far less importance than the development of robust institutions. Our electoral and legislative institutions are very weak and our judicial institutions are still reeling from being compromised during the military years. Education is not just about imparting "knowledge" to people in a classroom or a MAMSER type regime of jingles and public information management. It is also about the learning that takes place when people interface with the reward and punitive mechanisms inherent in the political system. Leaders also need education not only about systems and organisation but also about political morality and need effective incentives to keep them in check. In the face of weak institutions, even "competent" leaders derail because there are no effective checks on their excesses. My view is that we've had more democracy in the period 1999-2003 than in the period 2003- date. What we need now is to halt this downward spiral. The President was more consultative and compromising in the earlier period because he had a critical Assembly and a less pliant PDP executive to contend with. Today and following the PDP "wabaracadabra" of an election, we are faced with a situation that does not take the views of the people into consideration anymore. We now have an executive that is pursuing programmes that were not even canvassed during the elections and a legislature which cannot hold the executive to account for its constitutional breaches. The situation in the States is even more pitiful. These are the things we stand against when we oppose the third term agenda and the proposed candidature of Obasanjo. It is a principled stand believing that we have seen his and his party's best and it falls far short on practical and integrity counts of what is required to turn our national fortunes around. The duplicity of the PDP and their cohorts has only helped to inflame the debate by their shameless pretences that nothing was amiss when it was apparent to all that a game plan was at play. A problem I find with some of the criticisms I read on this board and elsewhere is that while we may complain about the prejudices of others, we exhibit nauseating prejudices of our own. We hear from people who want the current ex-soldier President to continue in office while barring other ex-soldiers whom have been automatically labelled as crooked (though none has been indicted or convicted of anything crooked) perhaps because of our ulterior racist motives. We refer to people who have not been indicted or convicted as thieves or corrupt without any substantiation. I am as guilty of this (as are so many others including the President) and the current governors have been perhaps the greatest recipients of these invectives as we have all perceived them as such. We are not prepared to go against opponents with arguments about issues but would prefer that they are barred from the process altogether. This is the same mentality that leads to political and character assasinations and the constriction of the political space of the moment. There is nothing wrong with being passionate about a candidate or a point of view but gratutious abuse does not advance any causes. Killing people will never help us win because even if we are unopposed, we will fail in office because it is opposition that makes us work hard and holds us accountable. This applies to all sides of the political divide and there are no angels here. Therefore NAR, on reflection it looks like we could all do with some political education afterall and not just the masses. What has particularly inflamed my passion in the third term debate is the memory of the last elections and the fact that there are cogent fears of the PDP approach aka the Uba and Adedibu style of "thug and go" with the ballot box. The PDP are in government and responsible for appointing members and the funding of INEC. They appoint the IG of Police and the other security service chiefs and sundry personnel. They have done very little to demonstrate that we are not going to have a repeat performance of the wanton rape of the electoral process. In fact they have not acknowledged that there was anything wrong with the elections they conducted other than their confession to have rigged the elections for the governor alone in Anambra and their rather pathetic allegations of fraud in Lagos but we know of things that went on and we have the reports of the international and local observers. It is that fear that is threatening to pull the house down and informs some of the truculent views that have been on display. But these are all aspects of our political education lest we forget that we are all learning the art of democratic living but authority must come with responsibility. Now that is a fact of life and the PDP has demonstrated scant probity for its management of the electoral process. Finally, this is a fight for the heart and soul of our country and the future of our children and their children. Those of us in the anti 3rd term camp are resolute that we will face this agenda down every step of the way and if we get to the polls with it, we will defeat their candidate whether they try to rig or not. They on the other hand have not helped themselves by trying to be too clever by half so they are already shooting themselves in the foot. We may not have their deep pockets but right has always been might and we are on the side of the people. Someone asked about the "other" candidates as if he were blind but the reply to that is where is the President's? Aluta! Gwobezentashi Posted by gwobezentashi| 04.04.2006 07:48

afam  Villager

# 9 Anibaba, You are not alone in this line of thinking. Even though I do not support the 3rd term agenda because OBJ is way too old to risk another 12 years (yes, 12 years, check out the supreme court ruling as regards Osoba and you'll figure out the implications) and that the whole thing has been done with a lot of secrecy and schemings/denials, I still believe that the quality of comments coming out from those that would ordinarily become alternatives simply makes it difficult to know which way to go. Anyone that bashes the president, runs down everything about Nigeria or believes that Nigeria is hell is now hailed as a hero. Those that choose to state things as they are, prasing the positive things done by this government and condemning the negative things equally done by this government is now anti-Nigeria, OBJ's boy, anti-people etc. The educated Nigerians unfortunately are guilty of this unfortunate labelling of people as either good or bad even when they allow sentiments instead of facts, lies and misinformation instead of truth to guide their utterances. For the avoidance of doubt, our constitution can be amended over and over again by the elected representatives and they will neither be doing anything illegal nor unconstitutional in the process. Would Nigerians complain if the law makers choose to amend the constitution today to gurantee steady electricity tomorrow? Certain no but when the reason is not popular we start talking about illegality. Democracy and morality are two different things. 90% of this house can decide to kill innocent people. Now, the action will be wrong but that is what the majority wants. That the majority wants to do this does not make it right. Unless we start taking serious elections in Nigeria nothing will change because we allow greedy and selfish people to steal our votes (hence they don't get there based on our votes) and yet we expect them to be answerable to us, comon guys, things don't work that way. Is it really difficult for the opposition to make their points known to Nigerians without misleading, misinforming and sometimes telling outright lies? We do not need sympathy in Nigeria, we need to take our destinies in our hands. You don't expect good governance on a a platter of gold, the world over, people have demanded and sometimes fought for and even paid the supreme prize for what they enjoy today. But we are hoping for a miracle or a sudden change of heart. Education and proper enlightenment are necessary and these must be based on truth and not misinformation and unnecessary sentiments. Afam Posted by afam| 04.04.2006 09:36

rodman  Villager

# 10 No to Obasanjo and Babaginda It is my contention that we must rid Nigeria as soon as possible of this virus called Obasanjo.Under his watch, Nigeria has experienced a litany of assaults---he single-handedly admitted the necessity of taking loans sometime ago which is corroborated by the recent loans to wipe out the h5 bird virus. Before he secured a pyrrhric "debt victory"--spent so much money parroting the globe et al-our image as a nation was dragged down as a oil-rich failed African country that couldn’t succeed without a scornful,don’t –disturb- me debt reprieve.In the just concluded census, he would not be forgiven by history for his conspitorial and hypocritical role.The feigned timetable of census result release is part of a grand conspiracy to maintain the status quo of Hausa and Yoruba numerical dominance in Nigeria with their eye sights set at the oil in the Niger delta. He already knows the results----even before it took place---never mind all the rhetoric about the result coming out in June. He would give the North more numbers , the Yorubas following;the remaining would be thrown on the floor to the Middle-beltans,Niger Deltans,Igbos et al. Obasanjoism is out to maintain the status quo of oppression to the seclusion of others especially the Niger Deltans on whose soil most of our revenues come from, he remains loyal to a long running order of heartless subjugation. By his statements and actions in the 6 years or more he has presided over the activities of this troubled nation ,Nigeria has known only mayhem. He deserves to be forcefully smashed into the dustbin of our leadership history.With the exception of one or two Governors that may have ruled the roost by their exemplary leadership, the rest in my opinion need to disappear, never to return,unless a change transpires in thier lives. Definitely not that corrupt man from Minna—Babaginda---whose governance, our country is yet to recover from.Obasanjo,Soludo,Okonjo(finance minister),Nweke,Kayode,Atiku and the remaining bloodsuckers need to be wiped off from our leadership, without a shred of trace. They have participated in the downfall of our Nation, under the illusion of reforms, they have sold us to that racist, pull-down organisation called IMF.They have failed to evolve a pathway to economic recovery. If this man comes back one more day, history would speak of a sad time of political upheavals in Nigeria. Maazi Rodman Posted by rodman| 04.04.2006 10:28

---

The conversation continues in our forum. Click here to read all comments

---