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Which Fourth Republic?
By Chesa Chesa
Nigerian leaders have lost count of many things thateven the ordinary one, two, three, means nothing to them now. Or even when theyrealize it should matter they prefer to stand logic on its head in the face ofpolitical expediency to ensure their survival. This is particular so when theyhave no popular mandate and the casualty has always been the materialconditions of the ordinary citizen or the integrity and sanity of a peopleamong who are supposed to be men of letters and knowledge in relativelyinfluential positions. Instances abound of the aberrations that have resultedfrom the warped logic inspired by the ignorance or more likely, mischief ofthese political traders.
One
ofsuch was aptly raised by Mike Ikhariale in his article in Sunday Independent
ofJune 20, 2004, titled: Is Nigeria Really In the Fourth Republic? It is
alwayssoul-lifting to get to realize that some others are thinking in the
samedirection with you on an issue that has been agitating your mind.
Ikharialetook on this issue of how our self-styled political messiahs curiously
muddledup the numbering of the nation�s republics since we achieved
republicanstatus in 1963. Specifically, they inserted number 3 where none
existed.
Likepolitically conscious analysts should know, a republic by
democratic and evendictionary standards provides for the existence of
democratically electedofficers in all tiers of government, including the
sovereign head of thecountry. That being the case on what grounds would the
military government ofGen. Ibrahim Babangida be styled the Third Republic? There were elected governors and local
government councilsbut the head of the government himself was not. It could as
well have been theQueen of England still there. So, no republic.
It issuch a simple matter that one is amazed at how the political elite allowed theaberration to sail through. Even if a military government forced its way topowered with guns and armoured tanks and freedom of _expression was very costly,the exit of that same government would have untied the mouths of those whoshould know. They would not have been executed for saying it loud that the newdawn is actually the Third Republic.
Sure,the
military midwifed the current republic but should they also force down
ourthroats an appellation that is clearly out of place and makes mockery of
theintelligence of the political class? After forcefully lording themselves
overus for years, the military dictators still wanted to teach us how to number
ourdemocracy. What do they know? Can they count? Unfortunately, the Nigerian
presswas used to do that ignominious counting and perpetrate such a lie.
Forthose
who argue that Chief M.K.O. Abiola was elected, do they also recall thathe was
never sworn in as recognized by the constitution? He never ruled Nigeriaand
that is fact. Yet when the cabal that ensured that he never exercised
hispresidential mandate chose to subsume their atrocity against Nigerians
theyused the media that ironically fought a hard battle for Abiola to skew
thesimplest numbering system. Alas, the media acquiesced, wittingly
orunwittingly. How sad.
Wouldnewspapers have lost readership if they had rightly
tagged the Obasanjopresidency the Third Republic? Not really. Every broadcast
medium, maybe exceptthe NTA and FRCN, could have labeled it correctly. Columnists,
writers,broadcasters, reporters, analysts and most importantly, editors could
have setthe agenda. They should not have allowed themselves to be conned by the
militaryand the political class that had appeared ready to be willing
collaborators atthat point.
TheNational Assembly is another institution that could have
corrected the anomalyif the members were not more preoccupied with personal
political interests thanwith the integrity of the nation�s democracy. Of course,
the officialdocuments of the current Assembly proudly recognize itself as the
legislatureof the �fourth republic�. Still, it is not too late to prove itself
really distinguished andhonourable by heeding a call to return us to the
republic where we belong. Theexecutive, as presently constituted does no offer
much hope in this regard, so,the legislature can make a lot happen if it
chooses to act now.
Of
thetwo theories suggested by Ikhariale as being responsible for the deliberatemisnumbering
of our republics, the first more likely drives the point home.That is, it was
an effort to bury the ghost of June 12 by making us believethat the �Abiola
Republic� had come and gone, so he nation can �moveforward�. Why move forward
dragging behind us a bag of lies andillegalities?
Onewould
not be too surprised if those who shared a part of that aborted republicdo not
want to align with this position, that is a reverse to the correctnumbering
order. Many of them just feel they would lose relevance by it becausethey want
to be remembered as a senator or governor (there even was a militarypresident)
of a third republic that never really was. They only want to fitinto where they
do not belong. Their peculiar interests should not howeveroverride the
collective sensibilities of the majority of citizens.
AsIkhariale and some others have continued to raise this
issue, it is not out ofplace to keep it on the front burner until we all do the
right thing. It is oneanomaly that ought to be corrected as soon as we can so
that our politicalhistory is not forever distorted. It is all for our
collective good even as wealso need to get some respect from the parts of the
world whose democracy wechoose to copy. If France numbers its republics well
why should we do same?
An
Abujabased constitutional lawyer, Kashim Ibrahim, agrees that a fundamental
errorhas been made in the numbering of the republics but that it is essentially
whatthe politicians, especially the political elite, and history chroniclers
couldtake care of if they mean to. Another lawyer and politician, in fact a
servingsenator, Victor Ndoma-Egba, equally agrees although he said he never
reallygave much thought to the debate because he believes it would get us
nowhere.The more important thing he believes the average Nigerian would give
moreattention to right now is how to put food on his table and improve his
standardof living; and not really which republic that the country claims to
beoperating. In other words, the debate is not a priority.
Well,
somehave argued outrightly that the issue has been overtaken by events and
time. Iopt to disagree. And those who equally disagree can speak up now.
� Chesa is on the staff of Daily Independent
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