HOW CONFAB 2014 CAN ARREST THE POLITICS OF STOMACH INFRASTRUCTURE a.k.a. MY POCKET DETERMINES MY BP (Blood Pressure).

I want to begin this topical political discourse by first acknowledging the contribution of my friend from the fourth estate of the realm, whose coinage, ”My pocket determines my BP (blood pressure), I have decided to borrow for this exercise. According to his conceptualization of "my pocket determines my BP,” there is a correlation between the amount of money in his pocket and the level of his blood pressure. For him, his blood pressure level shoots up high when there is not enough money in his pocket and vice-versa and this occurs in equal intensity.

However, the concept of stomach infrastructure can be traced to the Marxist theory as propounded by German philosopher, Karl Marx, in describing the relationship between the haves and the have-nots (the bourgeoisie and the proletariats) where he identified the stomach as occupying a space in the sub-structure which influences other factors in the super-structure such as politics and religion because man must first eat to satisfy his stomach and stay alive to pursue politics and religion.

Unarguably, the concept of stomach infrastructure appears to have gained serious traction in the Nigerian political terrain as a result of the deliberate, serial and calculated impoverishment of the common masses by the insatiable Nigerian political elite who deliberately exploit the military-inspired deficiencies in our political construct to gain cheap popularity and followership which secures electoral successes for them. In other words, it captures a scenario whereby the political elite exploit the constitutionally defective political system that makes the citizenry see political office-holders who exercise their statutory responsibility of providing social amenities et al as messiahs whereas provision of such is the inalienable entitlements of the masses who have become so pauperized and economically raped to the point of accepting crumbs from the master’s table with so much gratitude, servitude and reverence.

The fall-out of this state of affairs has now translated to the mindset or mentality widespread among the downtrodden hoi-polloi that such crumbs for example, few cups of rice, salt, paltry cash gifts and locally made fabrics or textile materials bearing inscriptions of the demagogues, political party logos and insignia, among other such petty gratifications, form their own dividends of democracy or their own accessible portion of the "National cake” as they perceive it. They demand for it before their votes can be secured knowing that once the political gladiators ascend to power the window to the national cake also closes.

This is also the circumstance that berthed the "area boys” syndrome making the so-called area boys a willing tool in the hands of these political shylocks who engineer them to wreak havocs on political opponents.
The foregoing has therefore made the electoral process to be unnecessarily very expensive and hijacked by the highest bidder who, if he wants to win votes, must line the pockets of the electorate very well in order to reduce their high blood pressure levels caused by lack of probity in governance, otherwise no dice. With the cost of elective office been very high, thereby raising the propensity for corruption since elected officials in Nigeria are not "father Christmas” democratic institutions therefore falter placing enormous strains on accountability in governance.

The popular patriotic mantra "think what you can do for your country and not what your country can do for you” therefore becomes a stranger to this breed of Nigerian politicians because for them, politics is a business venture and capitalism requires that profits must be made from "political” investments.
Against this backdrop, therefore, recalling an utterance by a currently serving minister who had served eight years as a Speaker of his state’s House of Assembly and also served eight years as a governor of the same state that he does "not like money” is funny enough to make a baboon burst into bouts of laughter. Yes! He is right because he has acquired so much money that it no longer has any appeal to him. It is rather the common man in the streets who likes, in fact, loves money because he has not seen enough of it and how can he see enough of it when the state pays him a meager N18, 000 minimum wages whereas school fee for just one of his children is above his chronically delayed salary? To cling to dear life, he resorts to herbal medication without empirical or approved dosage or patronizes quack drug dispensers because adequate healthcare is not within his reach.

His pension at the end of his stewardship becomes subject to embezzlement by the same elected officials who indulge in such callous exploits with impunity because the judicial, legislative and law enforcement institutions to protect his rights and entitlements have all been emasculated, to mention but a few.
It is on the basis of this callous strangulation of the polity’s democratic institutions by a defective constitutional framework that the current agitations and clamor across all strata and political divide in the country for comprehensive, all-encompassing overhaul or restructuring of the nation becomes imperative especially as recommended by the 2014 National Confab report which recommends part-time legislature that will be robust enough to actively engage the rampaging executive arm of government and checkmate their excesses among other germane recommendations that will strengthen our democratic institutions to ensure that the citizenry’s pockets no longer determine the level of their blood pressure.

I am of the opinion that even if the 2014 confab report is implemented and succeeds in addressing up to 50%-60% of our national issues, the remaining percentage of problems would naturally resolve themselves because Nigeria’s challenges are embedded in systemic maladjustment.


Ekwunife writes from Lagos

http://irukkanews.com/how-confab-can-arrest-the-politics-of-stomach-infrastructure-aka-my-p3891-95.htm

Lalasticlala

Hmmm, Nice one.

The pocket really does the BP though. Lalasticlala and Mynd44, have you guys seen this?