Advocating a Culture of Debate, Superior Reason and Civility in Nigeria

Don Okereke
donnuait@yahoo.com

‘’The Catholic and the Communist are alike in assuming that an opponent cannot be both honest and intelligent’’-George Orwell, English Novelist.

Coercion, intimidation and force seem to be a way of life in Africa where many leaders have dictatorial predisposition. Raw use of power is common-place in Nigeria. No particular individual has a monopoly of wisdom, knowledge or violence/evil as the case may be. That which you think you know a lot more people know it better than you do. That book you are just reading or have read that gives you a feeling of eureka, a lot of people have read it before you. There is also a propensity that the theories expounded in that very book you are currently reading or have read, will be invalidated sooner than later. You studied at Harvard etc and have say, first class in economics? A lot of people have been there, done that before you. So don’t get carried away. Quite a lot of hypothesis and theories generally acceptable and incontrovertible 20-100 years ago have now been negated. A lot of revered scientists of yesterday have also been discredited.

Nigerian leaders seldom care about opinion polls or public opinion. Once voted into or they maneuver themselves into office, a typical Nigerian leader or office holder ascribes a swagger of omniscience and sovereignty of the State to himself. Critics, no matter how well intentioned are slammed as opposition.

In advanced climes, there is some kind of debate even for the minutest issue and it is not unlikely that unpopular policies are shelved when undiluted opinion polls and public outcry indicates massive opposition to that policy. Our leaders exploit on the pliant persona of Nigerians to get away with their actions. See in your mind's eye that one of the revolutions in France was said to have been caused by an increase in the price of bread.
A lot of ignorant Nigerians will ascribe government policies and inadequacies to an ‘act of God’. Nobody wants to talk and nobody wants to die.
It beggars belief the way and manner policies, ideas etc are shoved into the throat of Nigerians. The use of force and fiat has become part of our national psyche. The foundation was laid by the forceful amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria by our colonial rulers. Successive military regimes further entrenched and perfected this culture of intimidation, coercion and unnecessary use of force. Our leaders and government officials owe nobody any explanation or justification for their actions or intentions. Many Nigerians and especially our leaders need a lesson in humility.

The air and arrogance of some leaders in this part of the world is baffling. They just don’t give a damn whose ox is gored. Dissenting opinions are jettisoned and those that voice out albeit constructively against some government policies or actions are labeled unpatriotic and enemies of the State. In extreme cases critics are slammed with trumped up charges of treasonable felony. Ken Saro Wiwa is a classic example.
Prior to the second Gulf war, the United States and the United Kingdom juggled statistics and dossiers of report supporting their claim that Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Till date, no WMD has been found in Iraq. You see why people don’t trust their leaders sometimes.
In addition to bad leadership, Nigerians contend with both a tyranny of the majority and the few.

You wake up one morning and you hear that a certain career medical doctor has been appointed say, a minister of Defence. The minister appoints a coterie of assistants and consultants. The assistants and self-styled consultants go to work churning out policies that may be for their personal aggrandizement. The dilettante minister that does not even know the rank structure in the military now starts gallivanting and bandying ‘his’ ideas.
Avoidable use of force has become a way of life in Nigeria. If it is not the landlord/landlady that is pushing their tenants around, it is the Police that is intimidating and exploiting innocent citizens. The citizens are not left out in this, everybody throws his weight about. At the slightest provocation, people start asking you whether you know who they are. Many of our leaders are disconnected from the people. They don’t feel our pains; they don’t go to the market to buy things. Everything is at their beck and call.

Individuals and even governments world over are allergic to change. Some fear change more than others. Sometimes it is just fear of the unknown. Whether we like it or not, there is a limit to which we can preserve a status-quo. Change must happen when it will. We cannot stop ourselves from growing old, dying etc.

When the idea of a seat belt was first mooted, people felt it was more dangerous to have a seat belt than not to have it. Now we know better.
The only predictable thing in Nigeria is an ingrained system of unpredictability. The high level of political cum economic entropy, volatility and a culture of Policy somersault have a butterfly-effect on the high risk of doing business in Nigeria. You wake up one morning and you hear that use of motorcycle popularly known as ‘’Okada’’ for transportation has been banned with no alternative provided.
Not long ago, the Federal Road Safety Commission came up with this idea of changing the current Car Number Plates. As usual, it was hastily conceived and deadline for compliance was announced. It took the intervention of the Senate to save the situation. What is wrong in having say, 5, 10, 20 years plan? Must we do things by fiat and in a hurry in Nigeria? Despite the outcry, the Lagos State government had its way as the toll gate at the Lagos-Epe express way has come to stay.

The last petrol pump price increment is a classic example of our government shoving their unpopular policies down our throats. The ministers of Petroleum, Finance and the Central Bank governor respectively bandied and juggled a lot of figures albeit contradictory to justify the increment. The Presidency opined that within six months, Nigeria will be transformed courtesy of the savings accruable from the increment. It is now 9-10 months after the pump price of Petroleum was increased, there is no tangible evidence on ground to justify their position. Let us come down to elementary economics. How do you convince a small business owner who relies on a generator to run his business that a fuel pump increase is in his interest? How many of our government officials buy petrol and other essential commodities from their purse?

Let’s even presume there is an iota of reason to justify the fuel pump increase. How about the timing, and the way and manner it was done. People were yet to return from the yuletide and January is usually a tough month. Why can’t we do first things first? What is wrong with fixing our refineries so we don’t have to waste money importing what we have in abundance? Imagine this scenario- a farmer produces cassava, exports it to say, the United States, the cassava is processed into garri and sold to the farmer at double or triple the amount he sold the raw cassava.

The issue at the front burner now is whether or not to allow State Police. Everybody who is any body gads about and wants to be seen saying something. The government has a way of mobilizing praise singers to advance their cause. Inter alia, northern governors, ex-IG’s of Police seem to be strongly opposed to State Police while most Southern governors seem to opt for it. Some sections of the country and individuals are threatening fire and brimstone should State Police be allowed. The whole argument is now politicized and polarized. A lot of countries that share our system of government and background have regional or state police. And we say we practice federalism? In America, there is Los Angeles Police Department, New York Police Department etc. In the United Kingdom, there is West Midlands Police, London Metropolitan Police, and Scottish Police etc. Is it just fear of the unknown at the corridors of power at Abuja or do they know what we do not know? If it is too ambitious to have autonomous Police formations in all the 36 States of the federation, perhaps we can experiment with six regional autonomous Police formations across the six geographical regions of the country. On funding, we can replicate what obtains in countries like the United Kingdom where a percentage of Council Tax payments are geared towards funding and payment of police salaries. Honestly one is not necessarily pro State Police. I am all for a debate on this rather than stifling dissenting opinion for no cogent reason. Let us explore the pros and cons and let superior argument prevail over fear and sentiments.

We cannot continue doing the same thing, the same way over and over again and expect a different result. Benjamin Disraeli, British Statesman opines that, ‘’change is inevitable in a progressive country. Change is constant’’. Francis Bacon also concurs by saying that, ‘’he that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator’’.

Just recently Nigerians were jolted by the announcement from the Central Bank of Nigeria that five thousand naira note is in the offing. This is the same CBN that is advocating a cashless policy. The CBN must convince us that introduction of N5, 000 notes is not antithetical to the hullabaloo of a cashless society. Typical of our leaders and government officials, the Sheiks in CBN have already concluded that this is a fait accompli, ‘no going back’. One wonders if expending 40 billion naira to print five thousand naira note is a priority now. It is on record that anytime a denomination is decimated to coins in Nigeria it automatically goes out of circulation and leads to inflation. Let the CBN convince us that decimation of our notes will not be tantamount to devaluation of the naira? Nigerians need clarifications and to be carried along. Good that the Presidency wielded the big stick and called the CBN to order. Let somebody out there remind Mallam Sanusi et al that even the authority of the London School of Economics (LSE) appreciates the fact that Politics is superior to economics.

One wonders if the job specification of the Minister of Information and that of the Central Bank Governor includes joining issues with and talking down on everybody, the Senate, Obasanjo etc. It does not portray cohesion and synergy when a government official sings discordant tune with that of the position of government. Perhaps these guys are bored and needs something to spice up their day and work.

The Lagos traffic law has also received a lot of knocks. It is said to be draconian and seems to be geared towards raising revenue for the State. Lagosians and motorists are yet to come to terms with the imposition of unprecedented fines for defaulters. Is this law another way of increasing the Internally Generated Revenue of the State or is it meant to bring sanity to our roads? What is the justification for imposing whopping fines of twenty thousand each to a motorist for not having a fire extinguisher, bad tire and for a car that emits smoke? Enforcers of this draconian law (LASTMA officials and the Police) will be smiling to the bank because many of the cases will end up in ‘settlement’. Given the type of cars in Nigeria, it is possible that a single motorist will default in all aforementioned three things and much more. That makes it sixty thousand naira or more! Don’t forget that minimum wage in Lagos and in Nigeria generally is about eighteen thousand naira a month. Here you are, charging an individual who earns 18 thousand naira a month, 20 thousand naira at a spot. Is there a proviso say to pardon or warn first time offenders? Does the FRSC or the Lagos State Ministry of Transport have a database of all the registered cars in Nigeria? Is traffic violation a civil matter or a criminal offence?
The SIM Card registration was also rammed into the throat of Nigerians as if it was an emergency. This is a typical example of our fire brigade approach to issues. As usual, dissenting opinion and constructive criticism were jettisoned. The exercise witnessed long queues as if money was been dolled out to people. This white elephant project gulped about six billion naira with no evidence to show that the objective of the exercise was achieved. The National Assembly swallowed the SIM registration proposal hook, line and sinker. Glad to hear that they are now asking questions albeit in retrospect to know how this money was expended.

Recently LASTMA (Lagos State Transport Management Agency) aired an advert telling people to desist from crossing the high way as we don’t know it is anomalous to do so. As usual, they reeled out penalties and threats. To be conservative, you can move upwards of 10-15 kilometers the area I live along the high way before you come across a pedestal bridge. In this case, the advice of LASTMA is a good one but not pragmatic. Recall how Ojo Maduekwe, erstwhile minister of transport bandied his bicycle riding policy and how he got knocked down in Abuja by a motorist despite all the escorts that were tailing him. Some of the government policies and ideas may be well-intentioned but the infrastructure to drive it may not be in place. So timing is very important. Why put the cart before the horse?

Now this same LASTMA and the Lagos State government are at it again. They want all motorists-Private and commercial to have a Lagos State Licensed Plate numbers. What if a motorist in Lagos lives around border towns between Lagos and Ogun state like Mowe, Akute etc but work or transact business in Lagos. What happens to motorists, probably Civil servants or other people that are temporarily in Lagos? Must they also be compelled to have Lagos Licensed Plate numbers? Is there even a database of Lagos residents or drivers in Lagos state? As I write, I can bet that many people have become victims of this ill-conceived idea. Someday they will tell us we need a Visa to come to Lagos. What a country!
Let the people in the corridors of power carry the polity along, no single individual knows it all. A local Nigerian parlance likens public office like barracks and like they say, ‘soldier come, soldier go, barracks remains’.

Debate should not be done only prior to elections, it must be an ongoing phenomenon in all fabric of our national existence.
To the online community folks, don’t hide under the cover of the internet and the anonymity it affords to insult, malign and mud-sling others.
I hereby humbly move a motion that we replace the use of force/fear/intimidation with debate, superior reason and civility in Nigeria’s Public Space. Please can the National Assembly or somebody out there second this motion? Enough of raw use of power, impunity, arrogance, grandstanding and bravado. Please let’s be civil and allow superior reason and idea(s) prevail!

Don Okereke
donnuait@yahoo.com
+2347080008285