In the Grandiose Parlor…

Who reasonably passes as Nigeria’s own version of the American icon, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died some hours ago, at age 71. Chief Gani Fawehinmi [ganifawehinmi.com], the most prominent human and civil rights advocate Nigerian has ever had, died from complications of lung cancer.

An indefatigable critic of military dictatorship and corruption, in the process of his crusades for the rule of law, the hopes and aspirations of the poor and the oppressed, he fought many battles against military dictatorship as a result of which he had been arrested several times by the military governments and its numerous security agents. He was dumped in many police cells and detained in several prisons between 1969 and 1996.

In 1993 Fawehinmi was awarded the biennial Bruno Kreisky Prize. This prize, named in honour of Bruno Kreisky, is awarded to international figures who advance human rights causes. In 1998, he received the International Bar Association’s Bernard Simmons Award in recognition of his human-rights and pro-democracy work. In 1994 he and some other notable Nigerians formed the National Conscience Party of Nigeria which exists till today and he stood for a presidential election in 2003 under the umbrella of the National Conscience Party.

Gani Fawehinmi became a holder of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) the highest legal title in Nigeria in September, 2001.

More online:

http://www.ganifawehinmi.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gani_Fawehinmi

In its task of rebranding Nigeria, the Dora Akunyili’s federal information and communication ministry is sampling the opinions of Nigerians on governance.

Continue reading…

The Nigerian Islamic sect leader Mohammed Yusuf held Nigeria to ransom for about a week. He and his Boko Haram zealot followers killed, maimed and destroyed at will, their rampages spread across four northern states, in quick fires. Mohammed Yusuf was a mad man to say the least, and deserved the big stick, but not at the hands of the Nigerian Police Force.

Continue reading…

An interesting media putsch to “lightup Nigeria” is in full swing; several bloggers have posted just as media enthusiasts have taken to Facebook, Tweeter and similar portals to add their might to the campaign. An expanding list of the discussants can be found on Nigerian Curiosity.

Some years back, I would have been part of this mass of concerned and highly enthused people, after all availability of stable electricity is the core foundation of Nigeria’s development and a passport out of doomsland.

So, it’s a critical campaign, no doubt (see past and related articles on the subject), but I doubt if it’s one suited for Facebook and other social networking sites. The policy makers that must be reached are not there in good number, in fact very few Nigerian administrators are online! So what’s the end point…? Must we continue to preach to the choir each time we’re aggrieved and needing an outlet to vent our frustration?

Until social critics and web activists (this writer inclusive) can find ways to extend their campaigns from the pages of blogs and Facebook to the doorsteps of Nigerian administrators, their voices will remained locked up in the Internet void, impotent. These voices must be brought home, clearly and creatively, to engage the right people.

This link — Wiki your Town Council goes to a story published on Technology Review where social media is being used in for civic purposes. The story discusses some ideas one of which is how users of the sites can “rate the [elected] officials on job performance, create social-networking functions around local issues, and let users make free Internet-based phone calls to the [elected] officials”. The story encapsulates what I would love to see emerge from the Nigerian community of web enthusiasts and social advocates, and the hordes of political and social commentators operating at home and abroad.

“For democracy to be meaningful and thrive, the governed must be informed, proactive, forward thinking, and able to monitor the activities of their elected officials.” – Grandiose Parlor, August 2007.

In that August ’07 posting, I mentioned Nigeria needs a similar web application – the “Nigerian Legislative Scorecard (NLS)”, as I tagged it then.

“The idea is to acquire and assemble those pieces of information in a manner that can be easily used to assess the performance of Nigerian legislators at the end of their terms.”

Even though I asked and didn’t receive any input on the idea then, the fact that a similar –- though much more elaborate -– concept is being developed elsewhere confirms my vision — and also tells the doubting Thomas out there that the idea is solid and should be explored further.

There is one fact all Nigerian pundits must face: punditry — whether online, televised or in print –- has a limit, especially within the viscous Nigerian milieu of executive arrogance and social irresponsibility. They can’t keep writing and talking about the same topics — poor governance, bad leadership, corruption, etc, day-in and day-out and expect to see changes. Not in Nigeria most certainly.

Nigerians have written volumes of commentary on political issues, appraised government policies, and even staged protests and demonstrations, but there is one thing they have yet to do: Grab elected officials by their throats and hold them accountable. Nigerians have failed to look at them eyeball-to-eyeball and ask questions. And in few times they did ask and got unsatisfactory answers, they have lacked the courage to wrestle them down and kick then out.

Nigerians must be able to assess their elected officials via their voting records, public statements, issue positions, and constituency engagements. These data can be aggregated and refined into blocks of information to demonstrate how well elected officials have served.

These are the kind of efforts that must be in play in Nigeria of the 21st century.

The good thing is that there are several templates to explore…what is needed is the will to start.

When the news of Miss Uzoma Okere’s beating in Lagos broke earlier this week, I remembered Fela’s song “Zombie”. Only people out of their minds could unleash that sort of attack I saw in the video: Uzoma was horse-whipped, dragged, and stripped of her blouse for refusing to make room for Admiral Arogundade’s motor convoy.

There is absolutely no need for horsewhip-wielding and club-clutching escorts! Are Nigerian motorists donkeys that must be whipped into obedience?

Even though she got a raw deal as a result of stepping up to abusive use of power, I salute Uzoma Okere’s courage.

Below is the response from the Nigerian naval command, they just don’t get it!:

Speaking when Vanguard contacted him on the issue, Director of Naval Information, Commodore David Nabaida said: “We have set up machinery to fully investigate the matter. A board of inquiry with the naval police involved is looking into the matter.

He gave the navy account of the incident: “What really happened is that there was a traffic problem usually associated with Lagos and the escorts of the Admiral jumped down to go clear the traffic in front. Along the way, a rating used his whip to hit the car, urging the lady to move.

“Instead, she jumped out of her car, switched it off, and forcefully took the whip from him (rating), telling him that we are in a democracy, that he (rating) had no right to hit her car.

A colleague of the rating then followed the lady and collected the whip from her. When the Admiral learnt that there was altercation between a lady and a rating in front, he asked that the lady be brought to him.

“She resisted and in the process of taking her to the Admiral, her shirt got torn. When the Admiral asked her what happened, she owned up to forcefully taking the whip from the rating and apologised for the behaviour, saying she was stressed up, that was why she behaved that way,” he said.

He said the Admiral later got to know that the father of the lady, Colonel Okere (rtd), who is the Sergeant-at-arms in the Senate, was two years his senior at the Nigerian Military School (NMS), and they both spoke during which Okere apologised for the conduct of his daughter.

Commodore Nabaida said: “That does not mean we would let it die like that. In Lagos area where the incident happened, the Flag Officer Commanding is looking into the matter. The fact that we didn’t say anything before now is because we needed to know what happened. It is not that we are covering anybody or that somebody is above the law. We don’t condone our boys beating up anybody or harassing anybody.

“We are very sensitive to how the public perceive us as a service. The general thrust of the armed forces is centred on building public confidence. We cannot be seen to be doing this and go against it. Individuals should be held accountable for their actions.

“It is wrong for anybody to assume that the Navy is lawless or they go about beating people. The impression was wrongly given that Admiral Arogundade was part of the altercation whereas he is a complete gentleman an amiable officer who even sought to resolve the matter as an elder.

“It (incident) should not be used as a basis to run a complete service down. This is a service where officers and men are deployed to very dangerous trouble spots, dying to protect the territorial integrity of the nation.

In fact, if you know the casualty the Navy has suffered this year alone in the Niger Delta, you will appreciate what I am talking about. So, for anybody to say the Navy is lawless or we are wasting tax payers money is way off the mark because we also pay taxes. So, Nigerians should learn not to jump to conclusions without hearing the other side,” he said.

As far as I can remember, the Nigerian news media has always been flushed with editorials and reports on instances of poor leadership, political irresponsibility, graft and fraudulent activities among those in top leadership positions. Even lately, the Press has been insinuating that the presidency, the pinnacle of power in the land, has gone on a long sabbatical holiday.

But should Nigerians even expect a different outcome from a political class that is a product of a flawed process?

Beyond merely reporting what is wrong with our political system, how much input is coming from the Press to ensure the system is working as it should regardless of how the elected got into office?

It doesn’t do anyone much good to just read about the activities and failures of the political class. Rather than being just an information disseminator, the Press should be framing the political and social issues in the country, and it can not do this simply through editorials and news coverage alone.

What the Press needs to do in accordance with its position as Fourth Estate of the realm is to empower its audience by actively challenging the status quo in the polity.

The general mindset of the public has become apathetic – some would rather call this resiliency. No, the Nigerian public is apathetic; let us be real with ourselves. The situation is even further compounded by poverty and fear of reprisal from political class, a combo that can best be described as “disillusionment”.

Yet, the Press can do its disillusioned audience well by confronting the political class and examining their activities. Simply put, the Press needs to assume the posture of a Watch Dog, not a Lap Dog!

Political offices are avenues to make positive changes and calls for the utmost level of accountability. Can the Press make this happen? Absolutely!

Here are some instances where the Press can do more than just passing across news:

• All federal legislators receive public funds to maintain offices in their constituencies. How is this money being spent? Has this account ever been audited?
• Again, we read that the Freedom of Information bill was kicked out after being reintroduced by the speaker of the House. I read, just as many other Nigerians, how the floor members revolted against the bill. The Press can help “turn up the heat “and go after those rogue legislators. Who are they? What are their concerns?
• How much is the democratic process costing us in Nigeria? I heard legislators even earn wardrobe allowances, really? The Press can challenge this, it is part of their job description as the Fourth Estate.
• Given the state of the Nigerian nation today, the Press ought to be pushing the political class to be accountable more than even before, and challenging assumptions that have worked against the people.

  The federal government of Ivory Coast had to slash their wages by 50% in order to finance fuel subsidy in the country. But Nigerian teachers can go on strike for weeks and its business as usual.

The Press is the only apparatus that can speak directly to the people, with its enormous capacity for advocacy and empowerment, it needs to step to the plate promptly, and arouse the political class from its slumber. Failure to do this only means that a time will come when there wouldn’t be any reason to read the newspapers – any fool can predict what the next day headline will be!

It is time the Press rolled up its sleeves and started raking up some mud.