FEATURE ARTICLE

E O EkeWednesday, July 1, 2015
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SCRAP THE NIGERIAN SENATE AND BUILD A PEOPLE CENTRED DEMOCRACY

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y anger against the Nigerian political class is not simply the fact that they are corrupt, but that they are utterly depraved and sinister in their motives, without any redeeming feature.

It is not they are ignorant, but because they make bad look good and almost always do worse.

It is not that they steal more of the profit of their stewardship, but that they embezzle the capital, without which there will be no profit. They do not only steal the golden egg, they steal and kill the goose.

How can a group, which has stolen from the people, use the people's money to build a bridge and the claim that the money was borrowed and them convert the bridge into a private enterprise owned by them. A man must be utterly sly and morally bankrupt to do this to his fellow men.

I know that politicians can be corrupt, but never in history of mankind has a political class, which knows so much and have unlimited opportunity to do good, exploited a country for their selfish interests as many Nigerian politicians have and continue to do.

How can any people continue to tolerate a system that allows the president and governors access to billions of money, which they are not supposed to account for in the name of security vote and special security vote, and at the same time collect excessive salaries and allowance, yet unable to pay salaries of workers or contractors?

How can a country allow a government that is nothing, but a pact between greedy crooks to divide, power, profit and privileges amongst themselves in the name of democracy?

There is no serious country in the world, where such flagrant looting of the treasury, disregard of the constitution and flagrant abuse of power and the constitution is allowed and there is no reason why Nigerians should continue to tolerate it.

The Buhari administration must begin to lay the foundation for enduring democracy by being bold in its aspiration to build a country under the rule of law, where religion is completely separated from government, if it wants history to be kind to it .?

The reasonable thing for the legislature to do, which it has failed to do, is to strengthen accountability and probity in office and empower institutions like the criminal justice system to enforce the law by removing the current immunity enjoyed by the president, Senators and governors, which makes it difficult to hold them to account. Everybody in Nigeria must be brought under the rule of law. This is the foundation of all developed societies.

It would be a monumental mistake by Buhari, if in attempt to investigate corruption in Nigeria, he gives the impression that he is investigating only Jonathan's administration.

It would be tragic, if he takes the easy way out by saying that we should forget the past.

Only a judicious examination of the past and holding people who are responsible for the mess Nigeria has become accountable, would suffice.

Corruption should be addressed in its entirety. The investigation should go back to 1979 for it to be fair. An independent judicial inquiry into corruption in Nigeria should be set up

We cannot have a Nigeria where the Obasanjos, Tinubus, Sanusis, Atikus, Babangidas etc., keep their loot, while the Jonathan's and Maduekes are striped of their's.

Selective justice is injustice. All those who have looted Nigeria, must be held accountable to give Nigeria a chance. No one should draw an arbitrary line on who should be prosecuted and who should not on any criteria.

This is what Nigeria needs, but the David Mark led Senate and Tambuwal led House failed to support laws that would enthroned probity and accountability by resisting the removal of immunity for politicians in office.

They prefer a system where politicians are free to steal with impunity and a constitution that protects those who abuse their positions of trust and power.

They did nothing to Correct the aberrations in the Nigerian democracy.

They ignored the constitution and spent their time trying to amend it to reflect what they want.

They pursued their selfish interests and those of their political party as if it is a trade and defended their preposterous salaries and allowances.

Government is not a business with rights, set up to exercise power for it own emolument.

Political party is not a company, it is a vehicle to seek the trust of the people and actualise their hope and aspiration through a government that is people centred, accountable and takes probity very serious.

Whenever, the interest of the politicians is placed over and above the interest of the people as it appears to be the case in Nigeria of today, the political system ceases to serve the people and the government ceases to be democratic.

It is not the duty of legislators to amend constitutions to preserve the powers and interest of the legislators.

This is an abuse of power and betrayal of trust. Constitution should be amended by an elected constitution Amending committee and the recommendation subjected to approval of the people in a referendum.

The principle duty of legislators is not constitutional amendment, but making of laws that are consistent with existing constitution.

What is happening is Nigeria is rape and murder of democracy. The legislation are vandalising the Nigerian constitution to increase their power and reduce accountability. They have made themselves a special class who are above the law. What they have done is a shameful and self defeating power grab that erodes the foundation of democracy.

When they finish with the Nigerian constitution, Nigeria will have the most autocratic constitution of any democratic country. There is no democracy, where the legislators are at liberty to rewrite the constitution in their own image.

It is important in a democracy that government do not order the arrest or investigation of people and that all such action be ordered by an independent body after examining the evidence or allegations. This is a necessary ingredient of viable and vibrant democracy.

The use of the army and police to advance personal and party political interest is not democratic. It is abuse of power and it denigrates the security agencies and erodes the confidence and support of the people.

The unaccountable powers of the governors and senators is a threat to democracy.

I have often wondered what use is two legislative arm in a evolving democracy like Nigeria. What is the use of two houses, when one can do the work even better and at lesser cost?

I have examined the contribution of the senate to the Nigerian democracy and concluded that Nigeria does not need the senate and it should be scraped.

Nigeria does not need the senate. It serves no purpose.

It has become a place where corrupt politicians hide to escape justice.

the people who wrote the Nigeria constitution did not envisage that the Senate would be abused in this way. They gave too much unaccountable powers to politicians.?

The legislators are attempting to amend the constitution for their own benefits and give extraordinary powers to themselves, which no one should have in a democracy

As Thomas pain argued in the rights of man "When extraordinary power and extraordinary pay are allocated to any individual in a government, he becomes the centre, round which every kind of corruption generates and forms" Any wonder then, why Nigeria is what it is today?

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