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| MURITALA NYAKO |
Doing Democracy Movement(DDM) have received with utter shock
the untenable display of might as right, in the manner upon which the governor
of Adamawa State, MR. Murtala Nyako, was
forced out of office by the State House of Assembly, beating every civilized
constitutional standards, and pretending it was an impeachment by
constitutional means. Without prejudice to whatever offence that the governor
may or may not have committed, DDM position is premised on the fact that the action of an obviously
compromised and controlled House of Assembly,
from the federal capital, lacked the requirements of the minimum
standard of civilization, ideals and expectations of an open quality democracy.
This no doubt is sowing further seeds of crisis in an already violence-charged
Nigerian polity.
DDM maintains that in the case of Mr. Murtala Nyako, fair trial did not take place as underscored
by the Magna Carta: “To no one will we sell, to no one will we refuse or delay,
right or justice; and indeed, under the Nigerian Constitution. This concept
revolve around the premise that no man or woman will be denied the opportunity
to be heard without delay or prejudice, before an unbiased judge. This
procedural due process of law requires that every man or woman should have his day
in court of law, and the benefit of the general law which hear before it
punishes, which proceeds not arbitrarily or capriciously, but upon effective
inquiry and gives judgment only after trial. Why the rush in Adamawa state?
DDM maintains that evidence on ground suggest that the fate of Mr. Nyako was already predetermined
by the Presidency and the Peoples
Democratic Party(PDP). The abuse of the
impeachment process, was simply
to legitimize illegitimacy, if the spirit of the Nigerian Constitution must
be taken seriously. Inspite of the approach of the Court by Nyako to test the
legitimacy of the process, a Judge of the Court of Law, proceeded with reckless to do a hatchet job, his training,
judicial code of ethics notwithstanding.
DDM insists that sustainable democracy requires
constitutionalism, compromise, competitiveness, open access and respect for
law. What has become absolutely clear in the predatory society which the
present administration consciously engenders, is a clear field where political
actors use any means and break any rules in the quest for power and wealth. What Adamawa State signifies is
an environment that is conducive to corruption: where politicians bribe,
blackmail, intimidate, assassinate political institutions, silence criticism,
eliminate their opponents by legal manipulation, arrest and detain. The police
and soldiers are made to protect the ultimate order, rather than the general
populace. Police do not enforce the law and judges do not decide the law.
DDM unequivocally condemns the selective use of the
impeachment process by the Presidency to haunt perceived enemies or those
opposed to the benchmarks of the status quo. The impeachment process which is a
veritable democratic instrument inserted in the constitution to enable
representative institutions to punish erring elected executive members, must be
used strictly for purposes envisaged by the spirit of the constitution, and in
accordance with laid down criteria of the same. It must neither be used as a
witch hunting instrument nor in a discriminative manner, which offends the
tenets of effective liberal democratic
behaviour.
DDM calls on the Presidency and all political actors to
seriously note that enduring stability can come to Nigeria only from a
representative government that is accountable to its citizens, respects and
protects their rights, and is guided by the rule of law. It is important that
Nigeria escapes from this cycle of military democracy, that is intolerant of any strong opposition.
Only a truly fair, open, credible and participatory, competitive electoral
regime can begin that process effectively. The presence of a veritable
opposition political party or parties, is critical for the survival and
deepening of this democracy, since no single political party can possibly
represent the many diverse interests of such great, multi-ethnic country.
President Jonathan can best secure his place in history by ensuring that such
opposition party and other voices of dissent, are not deliberated slaughtered
in the alter of inordinate ambition.
Conscious of the
tacit attitude of the ruling
elite in Nigeria to resist change and competitiveness in the political space,
DDM calls on the majority of Nigerians of whom power resides; and who bear the
brunt of evil governance to revisit
their strategies for radical transformation in the country. By change we mean
the transition from the present socio-political structure of our society
towards a shared or equitable society, in which all men and women, especially
youths enjoy justice, freedom of opportunity, of expression and of association;
a society which is ruled by a government to which the majority of the people
have given their freely expressed
consent without coercion or arbitrary manipulation; a society in which a good
measure of economic equality and basic infrastructure prevails;
If we view the hard realities of present day-Nigeria against
the background of the principles of a shared society, its backwardness inspite
of enormous human and material resources abound, the conclusion must be that
change will have to be radical, if it is to be meaningful, in the sense that it
must aim at a profound transformation of society itself, rather than the mere
change of individual attitudes within society, which has been the mainstay. It
should be a process of liberating ourselves from ourselves, rather than solely of development.
Signed:
Anyakwee Nsirimovu
Convener.
Anyakwee
Concerned and active citizenry that practices the
"civic virtues" is essential to a healthy democracy. "We the
People" should be the most potent force in Nigerian politics, but are
willing to act or just there? The only reason politicians at all levels
represent themselves and special interests ahead of real long-term interests of
the people is that we the people let this happen. The reality is that no
improvements in our system will be made unless the public demands those changes
and holds politicians accountable if they break the rules. Morning comes
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