Ingredients for sustaining human rights and democracy
At the Nigeria Institute for International
Affairs, Kofo Abayomi Street Lagos, last Thursday, August 26, 2004, the Civil
Liberties Organisation, CLO (Nigeria) held a fund raising ceremony. At the
ceremony, an address was delivered by the Governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji
Abdullahi Adamu (Sarkin Yakin Keffi).
The governor talked on the prospects
for government, civil society co-operation in the defence of human rights and
democracy in Nigeria. Excerpts:
The primary ideals of
democracy, which can be surmised as the pursuit of justice, liberty,
development and equal opportunity, have been the desire of people everywhere
in the world. These ideals are not new to the Nigerian people as they have
struggled over time for the attainment of personal liberties and freedoms.
These yearnings have found expression in their varied struggles against
colonialism, dictatorship and aberrations in the rule of law. The end desire
of the Nigerian people's struggle has always been for democratic governance
based on the rule of law and popular will.
The classic definition of democracy has always been
the oft repeated epochal statement by Abraham Lincoln who described democracy
as "government of the people, for the people and by the people."
The basic ingredients of this definition are that government is about the
management of state power and resources on behalf of the people; the wielding
of these instruments as defined by the people and ultimately for the benefit
of all. The people in a democracy are free to define their identities and
aspirations as a corporate entity and their relationship with those on whom
they decide to entrust state power and resources. Thus, the advantage of
democracy over other forms of government is that it gives the people the
freedom of choice and the freedom to define the powers and limits of elected
officials and democratic institutions.
Human rights issues arise where those who are
entrusted with power by the people fail to meet their expectations. Human
rights issues are about aggregating the failed expectations of the people and
then putting them on public agenda for discussion. Thus when human rights are
being discussed, they are about addressing perceived lapses in the management
and distribution of state resources, privileges and opportunities. Democracy,
therefore, provides an opening for the people who feel there are areas of
improvements in the management of state power to express their concerns in a
civil and representative form.
Democracy thrives best where human rights - the right
to life, freedom, liberty, justice, etc. - are both guaranteed and respected.
Put in another way, democracy and human rights are inseparable. Democracy
paves the way for the respect of human rights, while human rights are indeed
the bedrock of democracy. As opposed to other forms of government therefore,
human and civil rights organisations prefer to operate in a democratic
setting where they can be sure that the peoples' desire for freedom is
properly articulated.
The above assertions, viewed from the standpoint of
the history of Nigeria, have shown that whenever there was democracy, no
matter its imperfections, human rights were better respected. Nigerians never
knew about imprisonment without trial and other forms of rights abuses such
as closure of media houses, detention of journalists, denial of freedom of
assembly and naked use of force until the first military coup of 1966.
Between that coup and the various attempts at restoring democracy in the
country, we all clearly saw the difference in human rights violations and
outright abuses. Military regimes, no matter how benevolent, have always
abridged or cancelled basic fundamental human rights. Sometimes, some of the
regimes had so curtailed the freedom of Nigerians that citizens resorted to
open and coordinated pressures against such abuses. No wonder, therefore,
that most civil rights groups in Nigeria emerged during military regimes, the
CLO being one of the first and most prominent to be formed in 1988 during the
heydays of General Ibrahim Babangida's administration.
In assessing Nigerian military regimes, we notice
that their history is replete with human rights abuses, including curtailing
basic rights to assembly, expression and public information. The right to
form associations and to hold assemblies thereof have always been disrupted
by the military. Public information avenues � newspapers, journals, radio and
television houses � were all closely monitored and controlled during military
administrations. Indeed, the right of the people to have basic information to
make choices was sometimes severely abridged.
We also notice that when the military took over
state power in Nigeria, their first actions were always suspension of the
constitution and/or key sections of it that deal with fundamental human
rights. The mere fact that the constitution is suspended without reference to
the people who made it is an indication of their belief in the dictum that
"might is right". From there onward, they begin to change sections
on how governments could be formed to accommodate their unconstitutional
practices. Military takeover of power is therefore antithetical to the rule
of law. It is the usurpation of the constitution which prescribes the basic
rights of citizens.
As the above show, it is clear therefore that for
constitutional democracy to thrive in Nigeria, both the politicians and civil
rights groups/activists, journalists, labour and student activists who are
the first victims of military rule require each other for the sustenance of
democracy. We do not need a prophet to tell us that this group of Nigerians -
politicians, journalists and human rights activists - are of necessity
enemies of dictatorships. If we sometimes forget our common threat to
military regimes, they never forget and always come after us whenever they
seize power. Today, we must openly celebrate the role of these groups in the
struggle for freedom.
Contemporary Nigerian history is full of numerous
heroic battles waged on behalf of the Nigerian people by civil rights
organisations, students, labour leaders, politicians, journalists and other
patriotic groups in defence of human rights. The struggle for independence
against colonial rule and at various times against military rule was waged by
these constituencies. Victory, no matter how delayed, has always been on the
side of these forces who struggled for individual and corporate freedom.
The irony of the situation is that somehow, in
spite of the mutual threat posed to these groups by dictatorship and their
interest in sustaining democracy and civil rights for the corporate good,
these groups have often failed to come together to defend democracy whenever
it is installed and/or threatened. In instances where they have fought
together to install democracy, the two groups, that is, politicians and civil
rights groups, lose sight of their joint responsibility to defend their hard
won victory. This is very unfortunate and results either from the fact that
politicians don't trust civil rights activists, or that the civil rights
groups, because of the perceived weaknesses of politicians and of democratic
institutions, often agitate for a return to military rule. Sometimes, even
politicians who have suffered grave deprivations under military regimes join
hands with anti-democratic forces to scuttle the gains of the Nigerian people
and work for a return to dictatorship. At least our experiences in 1964/65
and as recently as 1983, when civil society groups and some disgruntled
politicians openly called for military takeovers, are pointers to how these
groups often bait the anti-democratic forces.
In all the military dispensations that followed
these short-sighted actions, basic human and civil rights were seriously
curtailed while politicians (as usual) were carted away into prison.
Interestingly, these same groups will always rally together again to call for
a restoration of democratic rule, shortly after they give away same. Today,
it has become clear that no matter the discomfort with one another, it is
more than imperative that politicians and civil rights groups must come
together and join hands to sustain democracy and defend human and civil
rights in our country. This is the only way that constitutional rule and
respect for human rights can be guaranteed and protected.
Let me, therefore, use this forum to place on
record my very deep appreciation to the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO)
and other civil rights organisations for their sustained campaigns against
dictatorship and abuse of fundamental rights by various undemocratic regimes
in Nigeria. Their sacrifices are partly responsible for the democratic
freedoms we are enjoying now. I have no doubt in my mind that we should and,
actually must, work together to sustain our democratic gains and the respect
of civil rights for our citizens.
A word for all of us though, while I am aware that
even under constitutional or democratic rule, civil rights activists and
organisations must continue to monitor respect of rights, it should be done
from the standpoint of partnership rather than mutual suspicion and
hostility. Both the politicians and civil rights organisations are joint
partners in the Nigerian project. Both are working for the advancement of the
socio-economic and political development of the Nigerian state and its
people. Cooperation is not an option in the struggle, it is a necessity which
we must mutually cultivate and respect. It's for this reason that I must
express my joy that the CLO has brought up this issue for public discussion
as part of its fund raising activities.
In order for this joint partnership to be
effective, there are practical steps we must take to unify our struggle and
perceptions of freedom:
�There must be regular forums for dialogue between
politicians and civil rights activists at all levels to debate and share
ideas on governance and respect for human rights.
�There must be deliberate and sustainable efforts
by the media to bring these two groups together and sharpen the agenda of
mutual interest in defence of democracy and human rights.
�Joint monitoring teams should be formed between
political parties and civil rights groups targeted at ensuring solidarity
against dictatorship either by a resurgent military or by elected governments
that may go contrary to constitutional norms. In doing this, national interest
must be uppermost in all our considerations.
It is our hope that this forum will be the
beginning of a joint partnership in the defence of human rights for the
Nigerian people. We must begin from today to see ourselves as mutual
stakeholders and participants in the struggle to consolidate and deepen
Nigeria's democratic transition and to secure the liberties of our people
under the constitution.
�
Thank you and may God continue to bless our efforts
Copyright� 2004. All Rights Reserved. Independent
Newspapers Limited Block5,
Plot 7D, Wempco Road, Ogba,P.M.B. 21777,
Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. www.independentng.com e-mail: [email protected]
Designed By
Powered By NigeriaNet.
BNW News
Voice of Biafra | Biafra World | Biafra Online | Biafra Web | MASSOB | Biafra Forum | BLM | Biafra Consortium
Axiom PSI Yam Festival Series, Iri Ji Nd'Igbo the Kola-Nut Series,Nigeria Masterweb
Norimatsu| Nigeria Forum |
Biafra | Biafra
Nigeria | BLM | Hausa Forum
| Biafra
Web | Voice of
Biafra | Okonko Research and Igbology| | Igbo World | BNW | MASSOB | Igbo
Net | bentech | IGBO FORUM
| HAUSANET (AWUSANET) | AREWA FORUM
| YORUBANET | YORUBA FORUM
| New Nigeriaworld | WIC:World Igbo Congress
