The Bathtub Test

During a visit to the mental asylum, I asked the director “How do you determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized?”

“Well,” said the director, “we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub…”

“Oh, I understand,” I said. “A normal person would use the bucket because it’s bigger than the spoon or the teacup”

“No.” said the director, “A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?”


Most of us will innocently fail the Bathtub test because we have been programmed to believe that the apparent solutions to problems are the only solutions. We’ll gladly settle for the teaspoon, teacup and bucket on the surface instead of digging deeper for the plug hiding somewhere beneath the swamp we need to drain.

Since the aborted third republic in 1993, Elections have been dominated by Presidential candidates. The fourth republic, which began in 1999, will be 20years old in 2019 and Nigerians are still obsessed with the office of the President. Just like the inquirer above, we get carried away all the time by the options presented to us as probable solutions. We have been brainwashed to believe that the ‘right’ President will be the ‘messiah’ that will lead us to the promise land. We need to wake up in 2019 or we’ll all get a bed by the window.

We seem to be unaware that there are three arms of government in a democracy and we always single out the Executive for onslaught. Our obsession with the president particularly, stems from the experiences under prolonged military misrule which entrenched the belief that the Executive arm of government is the most powerful. The military dictators, while masquerading as Executives, assumed both legislative and judicial powers. This aberration sunk deeply the messianic perception of the Head of State into the psyche of most Nigerians and remains one of the greatest tragedies of military misrule, apart from the string they attached to power when they left reluctantly in 1999. The string, (the 1999 constitution) which places so much power in the hands of the president, further entrenched the messianic belief. Operating the fourth republic on this constitution worsened the obsession of Nigerians with the president. This obsession fuels the futile search for a messianic president. We thought we found one in 2015 but the corrupting effect of the excessive presidential powers guaranteed by the 1999 constitution gradually swallowed the ‘messiah’. The most important lesson from this experience is the fact that no ‘messiah’ can save us. We must look deeply at the other options within the framework of what we have at hand presently (the 1999 constitution) and not just the teaspoons, teacups and buckets (presidential candidates) we get offered as solutions every election year.

His Royal Highness, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Emir of Kano and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria once made a staggering revelation on the cost of governance in Nigeria; the fact that the legislators consume 25% of the annual budget! He was summoned by the national assembly to substantiate his claim. He appeared before the legislators and humbled them with facts. Similarly, former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo usually reiterate, when he has the opportunity, that the National Assembly is a den of thieves and rogues (though his allegations are often dismissed by counter-allegations that they are mere reactions to the 3rd term agenda swindle of the former president by the legislators). Also, former Minister of finance, Okonjo Iweala, revealed in her book how former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government had to literarily bribe the legislators to perform their duty of passing the budget. And lastly, the foundation to PMB’s troubles was laid with the emergence of Saraki and Dogara as the leaders of the National Assembly. Why are these facts important? The legislators are the proverbial elephant in the room that we always ignore in our futile search for messianic presidents. They eat 25% of the budget annually, hold firmly and squeeze the balls of the ‘messiah’ when necessary just to have their selfish ways. They are the plug hiding somewhere inside the Bathtub. If we must get it right in 2019, our attention must shift from the teaspoons, teacups and buckets to the plug.

Democratic system of government thrives on strong institutions. The legislature, congress or parliament is the most powerful institution in a democracy. The legislators, congressmen or members of parliament make the laws and possess the power of oversight on other arms of government. If governance is based on the rule of law and run by institutions established by law, why are we not keenly interested in those who make those laws?

Restructuring, a carrot the opposition is currently dangling for 2019, is a constitutional matter. Who will amend the constitution? If we agree that the 1999 constitution is not the people’s constitution and there is a need for its replacement, who will provide a framework for its replacement? The new ‘messiah’? No. The President with all constitutional powers can’t change the laws unilaterally. He/She will have to pass through the legislators to make any significant systemic change. This reality underscores the pivotal role of the legislature. Corruption and insecurity are merely acute symptoms (among others) of the real problems. A system overhaul is non-negotiable if we sincerely want to save the sinking ship. The legislators should therefore be the focus in 2019 because the fate of any PEACEFUL CHANGE is in their hands. If we can fill the National assembly with patriotic Nigerians, who are WILLING AND READY TO DO THE NEEDFULL, our National problems will be half-solved, if not solved completely.

Front page Mods

I just come to read comments

omicpet:
Front page Mods

front page ke...sensible article like this don't get to front page with ease.. if it were to be something related to snakes.. or evil news...before you could get to the middle of Jack pronunciation... it is already on the front page...

Once upon a time in Nigeria there was a forum filled with enlightening topics of discuss , informative news , once upon a time

Our eyes are clear now that is obvious the incumbent will continue for another 4years. After some noise here and there, we'll hibernate and wait till 2023 to start the whole madness all over again.

Believe it or not, with the way we conduct elections in Nigeria, a sitting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces will only lose a reelection if he so wishes. You had a benevolent President in 2015 who feels his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian and you were carried away by the "victory" of your messiah after the supposed election. You confidently believed votes now count. Now you've been disillusioned.

Until we forget about the Presidential elections and focus on the legislators, nothing will change. Imagine if we had a patriotic and proactive legislators, they would have amended the electoral act early and have enough time to overrule the incumbent who refused to sign it to law. That way, today's fraud wouldn't have been so brazen. The most annoying idiots are the 71 other dickheads aspiring to be President. They would have done the nation a good service aspiring to be legislators.

The fundamental purpose of government is to guarantee ORDER. Order is achieved through enactment and enforcement of good laws. Your "constitution" which is the most fundamental law is a fraudulent document. Your freedom depends on its suitable amendment or outright replacement.