Leonard Shilgba
Democracy does not equate to lawlessness nor inequity. It is headlined by the rule of law, rule of the people, and rule of processes. By rule of law, it excludes dictatorial or fascist tendencies; by rule of the people, they choose their representatives at their pleasure, who serve according to the people's values; by rule of processes, arbitrariness is disallowed.
Senators Saraki and Ekweremadu have been taken to the temple of justice in Nigeria, not straight to the gaol, to answer to certain charges. Does democracy, even Nigeria's democracy, frown at this? I doubt so. Why then is this cry against this? Why does Ekweremadu think that democracy is thereby being stiffled by the prosecutor (or the Executive)?
Democracy thrives only as enlightenment catches on like wild fire among the people. University degrees alone do not translate to enlightenment. I should think you will agree with this. Evidence abound in Nigerian social media: Lack of critical or logical thinking; intemperate use of language; and petty distraction from the theme of discourse. All these give Nigerians away as generally lacking in intellectual dexterity and objectivity required to enervate democratic culture. I have come to this conclusion, not lightly. Consistently, Nigerian readers, in their comments on just any news report or opinion article, eargerly, like a herd of untamed animals, descend the overworn path of ethnic and religious bigotries, while the real matter is left wrapped! "Cows eat grass; this animal eats grass. Therefore, it is a cow." This is a kind of unsound argument that most Nigerians make. The backlash of poor education offered in our schools is now here upon us. The solution? We must restructure our school curriculum and learning activities to include public debates and speaking classes, compulsory history classes, and Writing classes. Furthermore, we must scrap this "Science Students" and "Art Students" dichotomy from our secondary schools, and review our General Education offerings in our universities so that each student takes a bit from every category of the knowledge fields available. We are producing uncouth and ignorant citizens who can't interprete social dynamics nor decode roots of social tensions; whose constant parroting response is, "Break up the country; we are being marginalized; that is an Islamization agenda; this is selective anti-corruption fight, and so on and so forth," who are masters in the art of superstition and conspiracy theory, but unlearned in the polish of critical thinking.
We are producing citizens who erroneously assume that only lawyers must read their country's Constitution and tell them what it contains. To the Constitution O patriots! If you speak as a contrarian, it is because there is no light in you.
Senators Saraki and Ekweremadu must leave the public space in peace and face their legal matters as decently as possible. They should learn from Senator Clinton, who has not accused President Obama yet of being controlled by a "cabal" or of "dictatorial tendencies" only because of her "running battles" with the FBI over the email scandal. We ought to know, and those two senators and the whole Nigerian Senate ought to accept that it would be contradictory of the principles of democracy to:
1. Summon the nation's chief law officer and prosecutor to a committee of the Senate over a matter that is already before a Court of law, more so when the matter involves two of their top leaders.
Another notable example: Very lately, eyebrows were raised and disaporovals expressed only because former President Clinton met with US Attorney General? Do you know why? She (the Attorney-General) is the one to prosecute Senator Clinton should an indictment be made against her by the FBI! But here in Nigeria, even after the Nigeria Police investigated the Senate forgery allegation and thereafter submitted a report of culpability to the Attorney-General of the Federation, who has already filed the matter in a Court of Law, Senate presumes to invite him over the same matter! Where is integrity? And where is the non-interference mantra that some talk about?
2. Request or expect the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to interfer with any legal proceedings, for that would be obstruction of justice.
Our lawmakers must not be found in the toga of lawbreakers. Let everyone have their day in court, and show by sound evidence why they have the law on their side. And if any prosecutions are "politically motivated", that could not be an acceptable plea or argument of innocency.
Democracy does not equate to lawlessness nor inequity. It is headlined by the rule of law, rule of the people, and rule of processes. By rule of law, it excludes dictatorial or fascist tendencies; by rule of the people, they choose their representatives at their pleasure, who serve according to the people's values; by rule of processes, arbitrariness is disallowed.
Senators Saraki and Ekweremadu have been taken to the temple of justice in Nigeria, not straight to the gaol, to answer to certain charges. Does democracy, even Nigeria's democracy, frown at this? I doubt so. Why then is this cry against this? Why does Ekweremadu think that democracy is thereby being stiffled by the prosecutor (or the Executive)?
Democracy thrives only as enlightenment catches on like wild fire among the people. University degrees alone do not translate to enlightenment. I should think you will agree with this. Evidence abound in Nigerian social media: Lack of critical or logical thinking; intemperate use of language; and petty distraction from the theme of discourse. All these give Nigerians away as generally lacking in intellectual dexterity and objectivity required to enervate democratic culture. I have come to this conclusion, not lightly. Consistently, Nigerian readers, in their comments on just any news report or opinion article, eargerly, like a herd of untamed animals, descend the overworn path of ethnic and religious bigotries, while the real matter is left wrapped! "Cows eat grass; this animal eats grass. Therefore, it is a cow." This is a kind of unsound argument that most Nigerians make. The backlash of poor education offered in our schools is now here upon us. The solution? We must restructure our school curriculum and learning activities to include public debates and speaking classes, compulsory history classes, and Writing classes. Furthermore, we must scrap this "Science Students" and "Art Students" dichotomy from our secondary schools, and review our General Education offerings in our universities so that each student takes a bit from every category of the knowledge fields available. We are producing uncouth and ignorant citizens who can't interprete social dynamics nor decode roots of social tensions; whose constant parroting response is, "Break up the country; we are being marginalized; that is an Islamization agenda; this is selective anti-corruption fight, and so on and so forth," who are masters in the art of superstition and conspiracy theory, but unlearned in the polish of critical thinking.
We are producing citizens who erroneously assume that only lawyers must read their country's Constitution and tell them what it contains. To the Constitution O patriots! If you speak as a contrarian, it is because there is no light in you.
Senators Saraki and Ekweremadu must leave the public space in peace and face their legal matters as decently as possible. They should learn from Senator Clinton, who has not accused President Obama yet of being controlled by a "cabal" or of "dictatorial tendencies" only because of her "running battles" with the FBI over the email scandal. We ought to know, and those two senators and the whole Nigerian Senate ought to accept that it would be contradictory of the principles of democracy to:
1. Summon the nation's chief law officer and prosecutor to a committee of the Senate over a matter that is already before a Court of law, more so when the matter involves two of their top leaders.
Another notable example: Very lately, eyebrows were raised and disaporovals expressed only because former President Clinton met with US Attorney General? Do you know why? She (the Attorney-General) is the one to prosecute Senator Clinton should an indictment be made against her by the FBI! But here in Nigeria, even after the Nigeria Police investigated the Senate forgery allegation and thereafter submitted a report of culpability to the Attorney-General of the Federation, who has already filed the matter in a Court of Law, Senate presumes to invite him over the same matter! Where is integrity? And where is the non-interference mantra that some talk about?
2. Request or expect the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to interfer with any legal proceedings, for that would be obstruction of justice.
Our lawmakers must not be found in the toga of lawbreakers. Let everyone have their day in court, and show by sound evidence why they have the law on their side. And if any prosecutions are "politically motivated", that could not be an acceptable plea or argument of innocency.
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