Striker: Developing A Democracy

Permit Striker to pose a simple question: what do you make of a man or woman who is still experimenting with how to make Eba with hot water and Gari after 20 years?

Give that assignment to even a non-Nigerian, with adequate instruction, and you can bet that if he/she is not a dullard he/she will give you a solid Gari within a week! In like manner, Democracy is a clear and noble assignment given to society and its elites to build a government of the people, for the people, by the people – for the peace and prosperity of the society.That is no rocket science.

Democracy is practised uniquely everywhere; differently in United Kingdom, differently in United States of America. What qualify it as democracy are 2 major indices: involvement of the people and benefits to the people. It fails, and may collapse, to the extent to which the people are excluded and short-changed. No nation can lay claim to a score of 100% for always but if a country scores what Nigerian calls F9 over a period of 60 years, let us even concede to a period of 20 years, then there is serious cause for concern!

Election is not the beginning of democratic inclusion. Perhaps that is where we never got it right. Democracy must begin by building understanding of democracy and commitment to it in the minds and actions of the people, the majority, especially its elites (the most enlightened, skilful and successful citizens).

Democracy cannot be built in a society where elites carry on as demigods and emperors amidst a servile, shallow thinking majority. The majority does not have to be scholars or fluent in English language. All needed is a high degree of common sense, commitment to social goals and basic tenets of democracy.

What are these tenets? Political parties with clear manifestoes to achieve the greatest good for the greatest majority; candidates in those parties capable of delivering on the manifestoes; and a fair and credible electoral system.

After electoral victory, the composition of an inclusive government that will put in place strong institutions for the attainment of the agenda in the manifestoes for the delivery of the greatest programmes to the greatest majority with all structures of democracy in place – a justice system (for the rule of law), separation of powers (checks and balances between judiciary, legislature and the executive), vibrant civil society (for popular participation, fundamental human rights, free press and various civic interventions).

Experimenting cannot be endless as there is no need for reinventing democracy. How long, for instance, does it take for a Chief Executive to learn how to obey court orders? How long does it take lawmakers to realise they cannot keep earning a dozen times more than professors, and a hundred times more than senior bureaucrats, senior law enforcement officers, and senior security commanders who are to protect them and society from crime and external invasion? Does it take decades of experimentation and growth of democracy to realise that the results of elections cannot be written in one corner of an air-conditioned room, while the people sweat out in queues come rain, come shine, facing assaults from unleashed thugs?

When democracy is failing, it is simply because “the people” are being removed from its definition and practise, right from party formation and intra-party affairs all the way to government and governance. The unpleasant consequences are usually the widespread resort to self-help, short-cuts and undemocratic, anti-democratic means and actions: such elites in charge being themselves the anti-democrats in chief.

The events of October, 2020, are a wakeup call for us to move far away from Fela’s “demonstration-of-craze” and return to genuine democracy, which in no uncertain terms begin with real and sincere inclusion of “the people”, the majority.

Without it, every other step will be an exercise in futility in the long run. “The People” are mentioned three times, and for good reasons, in the popular definition of democracy. Time is right and ripe for us to restructure and do the right things for a truly Democratic Federal Republic of Nigeria as it is our sure bet road to peace and prosperity.