Grandiose Parlor

I couldn’t help but think about recent events in Nigeria while walking to the office this morning. The 15 minutes daily walk is usually spent reflecting on “non-Nigerian” issues, but today, it was spent ruminating on what the matter is at home, and being thousands of miles away doesn’t help that much.

Cosmetologist turned Speaker of the House

First, a woman made history in Nigeria by being the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives - technically the third highest ranking public official in Nigeria. And the very first step Mrs. Etteh took was right into dog’s dodo! To invest some 600 million Naira (about $5 million) of public funds on the renovation of official residence isn’t the best and sensible way to start one’s career as public official. The hush-hush nature of the contract didn’t help her either. Now several people want the head of the cosmetologist on the plate. I say chop it off!

One can expect to read about instances like Ettehs’s as long as the electoral system is broken, and other complementary institutions remain weak. Most importantly, as long as people like Maurice Iwu exist in our midst - the Nigerian electoral commission boss who now sees himself as a demi gods - Nigeria will keep somersaulting on one spot without any forward movement.

Iwu runs wild again!

Iwu, in his characteristic arrogance unleashed some verbal attacks on the delegates of the European Union Election Observer Mission who made the mistake of paying him an official visit.

Allafrica.com writes:

“His [Iwu] outburst followed yesterday’s presentation of the final report on the conduct of the April polls by the European Election Observers Mission in the country…According to him, the report, which scored the conduct of the election very low did not take into cognizance the sensitivity, integrity and corporate existence of the Nigerian state.”

Does Iwu has any moral authority to talk of “integrity and corporate existence”?

This is an excerpt of another statement made by the INEC spokesperson:

“We admit the fact that there were flaws, but those flaws did not substantially affect the outcome of the elections…When there’s a template in Europe and you bring that template here and try to mark us on that template, it is going to be very difficult.”

It is only in a place like Nigeria that public officials try to make sense in what is completely senseless.

There are flaws but they weren’t substantial to affect the result. So why are the electoral tribunals working round the clock to resolve dozens of petitions filed by the people who believes their mandates have been stolen?

If the flaws were insignificant, then why is the president seeking some electoral reforms?

Need for electoral reforms

The evidence of the charade in the last elections was just too overwhelming to ignore, but rather than trying to sweep the electoral mess under carpet, and spurning those that see no sense in the elections, Maurice Iwu should explore ways of improving the the electoral system. He should be the most vocal advocate for electoral reforms!

Even if the electoral process wasn’t so fraught with irregularities and fraud, there is always room for improvement. Iwu ran the system, has the data, and saw the aftermath of the process. This is a deep well of experience that has critical policy implications and direct relevance to future electoral processes and the meaning of democracy in Nigeria. But so far, it appears a word like “reform” is not on the electoral commission’s agenda.

Scorecards on Legislators

The proposed electoral reform will be incomplete without creating scorecards to keep track of the activities of all elected officials in the country, particularly the legislators – state and federal. This scorecard can only be championed and facilitated collaboratively by the Nigerian civil society and the electorate.

The scorecard will document controversies in the legislature (such as the renovation of the official residences of speaker and deputy speaker of House of Representatives described earlier); keep track of their expenditures, salary and allowances; and compile listings of each legislator’s bills and motions sponsored and ratified into law; activities in house committees, and their general floor deliberations while in session. The scorecard can borrow from the Kenyan Mzalendo, a project that keeps an “eye on the Kenyan Parliament.”

More to come on the scorecard.