Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Beyond the Narrative of Change: the Symbolism of Jonathan's Defeat

Good question! Some children in Nigeria and many African countries die because of lack of drugs or treatment that is just $5. What does democracy mean in this respect. People may have the freedom to express themselves, but a person who is dying or hungry has little opportunity to express himself or herself. And even if they do so, what is the guarantee that they contribute is seriously going to be taken into consideration?

I organized a lecture in my school recently on "Thomas Piketty's book "Capital in the 21st Century" which was well-attended. We got a Professor of Economics at the University of Minnesota who read the whole book make the presentation. The presentation was great and in consonance with Professor Olalemi's pertinent observation on the need for reliable data for making  inferences, the presentation was backed by very insightful data. Of course we know that sometimes the same data can be interpreted in more than one way.

But the reason why I brought this up is because of Professor Ogugua's critical observations about democracy. One of the main point Piketty made in his book which I have read a lot but not all, is that every country will have to figure its own pathway out of the broad possibilities of shaping development that exist in the modern world. There is no one single way or  path.  Even among Western nations, there have been variations. And even within the United States, the different states were shaped by different trajectory of events producing states with great variation in terms of their commitment to the common good.

While there are broad parameters because of the modern world that we live in, but by and large any group of creative people or leaders can forge a new and creative pathway for development broadly conceptualized. But Africans and indeed Nigerians in this case have to be serious with themselves. Nation building is a serious business and requires a lot of hard work, dedication, patience and integrity. 

The late Prime Minister of Singapore did not try to replicate the western experience, but he did not also reject things that he thought were inspiring from the West. I personally believe that the kind of democracy we have in Nigeria is too expensive for the country, given that much money is spent on running it than on human development of the general population. One does not need to be a Republican before becoming concerned about government expenditure that is just paying salaries and perquisites to elites.

 The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, who is now the emir of Kano shocked the ears of the Nigerian people when he said publicly some years ago, that 25% of Nigeria's national budget is spent on the national assembly. Unfortunately, the Nigerian government does not allow people to produce documentary films on the true lives of ordinary people otherwise the government would be embarrassed about the gap between the national resources of the country and the way some people are trying to barely eke out a living. 

Nigeria has a so-called democracy but at a time when the cultural attitude towards human decency is declining. In the past, some of our traditional systems of governance were not liberal democracies but they had more accountability and the ruling elites were relatively restrained in their pursuits. Shame was an important part of the culture and a means of social control. 

Will African leaders be creative enough to forge a uniquely African path for development  that even when different from that of the West, yet, cannot be ignored because of its substance and integrity in serving ordinary citizens and creating an inclusive society with high standard of living?  

Samuel

On Wed, Apr 1, 2015 at 9:57 PM, Anunoby, Ogugua <AnunobyO@lincolnu.edu> wrote:

What does "kind of democracy" really mean?

The problem as I see it is not the "Kind of democracy" or system but the people who practice it and their culture. Any other "kind of democracy" would be expensive if the players and culture are the same. Could it be the case that  "waste" is embedded in the DNA so to speak, of Nigerians politics?

 

oa

 

From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Moses Ebe Ochonu
Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2015 10:31 AM
To: USAAfricaDialogue
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Beyond the Narrative of Change: the Symbolism of Jonathan's Defeat

 

The kind of democracy we practice is way too expensive and extremely divisive, especially for a country already divided by historical ethno-religious fault lines. This time around we dodged the bullet of post-election violence, and violence during the elections was minimal--thank God. But the rhetoric and exchanges between supporters of the two main camps in the run-up to the elections were the most bigoted, hateful, and bitter I have seen and read in my lifetime. We will be healing and rebuilding shattered relationships and solidarities to the extent possible until the next presidential elections in 2019. Which forces me to ask: can we literally afford to have billion dollar (that's about how much INEC requested for these elections) elections that create deep enmities and deepen our familiar fissures every four years? I don't know if this is sustainable and I suspect that the financial and sociopolitical costs of our "democracy" will be the subject of debate in the coming years. For how can one justify going through an exercise that is injurious to our lean finances and frail body politic every four years? Four years is a short time, and it means that the country is in perpetual campaign and political mode, leaving little time and room for governance and the construction of national bridges of solidarity. While we heal from the division of one election, the next one is upon us, unleashing its divisive fury that will consume and occupy us till the next election. And on an on it goes, taking a toll on the sociopolitical fabric of the country, or what's left of it. It's a fast turnaround that costs much in treasure, blood, and peace. 

 

However, while we have this "democracy," while we continue to search for a democratic model that suits our peculiar sociopolitical and fiscal anxieties, and for what it's worth, the idea of voters sending a clear message, now and then, to political incumbents (and ascendant oppositions) is important. That message is that there is a consequence for poor, indifferent, and callous governance--for complacency and abuse of power. For the past sixteen years, the PDP has serially abused Nigerians and shown scant regard for the anxieties and aspirations of the people. This approach to politics and governance deserves to be rejected and it has. 

 

This is the overarching message of this election, not the hysteria about change. This message was articulated brilliantly and simply by my friend, Enoch Obeto, during a roucous discussion on the elections by a group of Nigerians in my neck of the woods. His assessment was beautiful in its simplicity: Buhari or no Buhari, change or no change, let Jonathan and other elected officials know that if you disregard the needs of the people, or cozy up to corruption, Nigerians' favorite bete noire, you should not expect to be rewarded with continuation in office. 

 

If you believe that substantive change is about to come or that the fantastical promises in the APC presidential manifesto is realistic in light of depressed oil crude oil prices, falling Naira value, and ongoing insurgency, you will be disappointed. 

 

But if you believe, like Enoch Obeto does, that what was at stake in the election was the imperative of punishing the profligacy, incompetence, and indifference of the PDP dynasty, whose latest face is Jonathan, then you will not be disappointed no matter what happens in the Muhammadu Buhari era. You will see the election only as a point of departure for struggles of accountability. You will see it as a clear message to the APC too, which will do well to learn from the errors of the PDP. And if Buhari manages to find a way to manage the sharks and rogues around him well enough to fulfill SOME of his promises, that would be gravy on the steak, icing on the cake.

 

--

There is enough in the world for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed.


---Mohandas Gandhi

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Samuel Zalanga
Department of Anthropology, Sociology & Reconciliation Studies
Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive #24
Saint Paul, MN 55112.
Office Phone: 651-638-6023

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