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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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The press and the political class (2)
AND because many see politics in Nigeria as a meal ticket, no attention is paid to ideology or principle. Thus, those who ought to be in opposition to put government in power on guard usually jump ship. They join the winning party in so far as that guarantees them a certain level of patronage.
The result is that alternative voices which would have served useful purposes in government are lost to the crowd of patronage seekers. The political class, if it means well for democracy, can help to check these incongruities. People should learn to be magnanimous in victory and gracious in defeat. Victory at elections is not an end in itself. Victory needs to be properly managed and its gains harnessed for the benefit of the people.
When victory is used as an instrument of vendetta or witch-hunting, it loses its appeal and becomes a burden to both the winner and loser. We should win not for the sake of riding roughshod over our opponents, but to advance the public good. In fact, the true end of politics should reside in how well it serves the interest of all concerned. As for losers, there is the need for them to look beyond the present. You could lose today and win tomorrow. All it takes is to look inwards, review your strategies and adopt a more people-oriented approach to politics and politicking. In fact, we should learn from the experience of the United States of America where Democratic and Republican parties alternate power. For so many years, both parties have been ruling the United States in turns. Americans are free to vote in or vote out any of the parties. Each has its appeal on America's political scene. Each has its adherents. Each has either lost or won based on the perception of the American electorate at every point of their political milieu.
In spite of the pre-eminence of these two parties, the United States still has a reasonable number of smaller political parties which protect different interests, and the system allows them thrive. It is also important to note that in the United States, incumbency is neither an advantage nor a handicap. Unlike what obtains in most parts of Africa, you do not hold on to power perpetually on the strength of your incumbency. The system is open and transparent enough for everybody to know where the sympathy of the people lies. We should strive towards this ideal in Nigeria. The political class here should shun greed and temptation to stay in office regardless of what people want. Incumbency should not be converted into an undue advantage by those in office. Once we have a system that gives everybody his due, people will be less desperate in their quest for political power.
No country can make any appreciable progress if the political class which constitutes the leadership is not committed. If the Bill Clintons of this world have affected the American political scene positively, it is because they planned to leave their footprints on the sands of time. In his recent memoir, My Life, we are informed that Clinton's career was "shaped by his resolute determination to improve the life of his fellow citizens...and an exceptional understanding of the practicalities of political life". This guiding philosophy is one which our leadership should imbibe. Those on whom the mantle of leadership has fallen should learn from the leadership principles of Rudolph Giuliani who teaches that leadership works in both ways - it is a privilege, but it carries responsibilities - from imposing a structure suitable to an organisation's purpose, to forming a team of people who bring out the best in each other, to taking the right unexpected risks.
We can deepen and sustain this democracy if all concerned are taken and treated as stakeholders in the Nigerian Project. Our ultimate objective should be the enthronement of an enduring democracy. We will definitely arrive at our Damascus if we promote an arrangement that accommodates all. Today, our democratic experiment is a tenuous one. It looks like it would end tomorrow because we have not come to put our faith in it. We should march on with boldness and hope.
The traditional role of the media is to inform, entertain and educate the people. Over time, the media in Nigeria have, to a large extent, lived up to expectation in this regard. However, in this era of development journalism, this age-old role has been expanded to include a brand of journalism that questions and interprets situations and even sets agenda to further illuminate issues. Indeed, journalism as a profession has taken on more responsibilities. It has become a critical tool with which society is dissected. It is in the light of the onerous role which journalism has taken on in modern times that the media have come to be commonly referred to as the watchdog of the society.
In performing this role, the press bark when society is being misgoverned. They raise an alarm when societal values are being thwarted. They take on individuals and institutions and task them to get their bearing right. In this regard, the press are like the compass that guides the traveller. When society finds itself in a morass, unable to find the tree for the woods, it is the press that readily put on their thinking caps to proffer solutions to the problems that exist. The role of the press in this regard is corrective. Sometimes they function as the barometer with which the mood of the society is gauged.
For the media, these roles are challenging and Herculean. However, it is gratifying to note that the media in Nigeria have not been found wanting in this task. As the Fourth Estate of the Realm, the media as an institution has a responsibility to partake in an aspect of governance. Whereas the Executive and the Legislature carry out the day-to-day functions of government with the Judiciary interpreting the rules of the game, the media should always be there to draw attention to the misdeeds of those who operate the three arms of government and the rest of the society at large.
This role of the press is very germane in a democracy such as ours. Democracy in Nigeria is still at its rudimentary stages. It needs to be nurtured to fruition. Since the politicians are still learning the ropes, they are bound to make mistakes. Some are likely to indulge in abuse of the system. The press have a role to play here. They have to keep watchful vigil on politicians with a view to putting them on their toes. Those who run foul of the rules of the game should be called to order. We are told that what is necessary for evil to thrive is for those who know to keep quiet. The press must be outspoken, bold and courageous. It should refuse to be cowed by oppressive or intolerant regimes. When tyranny is foisted on the populace by dictatorial leaders, the press should stand up to such dictatorships with a view to ensuring that the people's freedom is guaranteed. It is not too much to expect this from the press. After all, did Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate, not admonish us to fight off tyranny and tyrants because, as he put it, the man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny?
The press should not just be content with criticisms of bad leaders and their ugly policies; they have a duty to ensure that those who do not have what it takes to lead do not emerge in the first place. A people, we are told, get the leadership they deserve. In most cases leaders do not foist themselves on the people especially in a civil setting. It is the people that decide who should preside over their affairs. The press should through their crusade, prevent evil men from getting to power. The press, in carrying out this task, should be guided by the position of Alexander Pope, the English didactic poet, who held that "the reign of the prince of evil terminates in universal darkness". The press should show the light by ensuring that those who do not possess the right potentials are not given the chance to rule.
This corrective impulse which the press is charged with demands something in return. The press must be above board. Practitioners must operate in a manner that is worthy of emulation. To be able to seize the moral high ground, the press must shun nepotism, sectionalism, bribery and corruption and all the other vices that have been militating against our statehood. Whatever contributions the press are making towards nation-building must take cognisance of the fact that we all have a collective responsibility to make Nigeria the pride of Africa and a respected member of the comity of nations. In this regard, the press must avoid sensations. It should not create panic through false and unverified reports. To do so would be unpatriotic.
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