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Tenure Debate: Jonathan Should Not Chicken Out

August 17, 2011

I have been thinking about what could be done to divert attention momentarily away from the torrents of bombs insulting our collective consciousness in recent times. From the blues, the indefatigable Reuben Abati, a highly celebrated columnist of no mean standing, came up with the novel idea that the President was planning to submit an executive Bill to the Legislature to tinker with the tenure of the offices of the President and Governors.

I have been thinking about what could be done to divert attention momentarily away from the torrents of bombs insulting our collective consciousness in recent times. From the blues, the indefatigable Reuben Abati, a highly celebrated columnist of no mean standing, came up with the novel idea that the President was planning to submit an executive Bill to the Legislature to tinker with the tenure of the offices of the President and Governors.

As expected, all hell let loose. Reactions are still raining in. Abati, I prefer to call him a painter because he creates scenarios with his writings, is quite skilled at creatively taking his readers on a journey of sadness and joy all at the same time. In the case of the Single tenure proposal, not a few thought that Reuben’s being his usual theatrical self except that if this were a joke, they believe, he took it a little too far. It didn’t quite occur to most commentators that Abati is a first Class graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Calabar before he went on to obtain a PH.D in the same discipline, a rare feat in this academic constituency. So, I really wonder why most commentators that went frenzy with ‘excitement’ did not think that perhaps Abati has invented one of his theatric gimmicks reminiscent in most of his writings, sold same to Mr. President and allow the scheme to achieve its desired goal.

 Above is one imagination that might as well be true, after all, it’s a bit odd to announce a major political Bill such as Tenure adjustment to the Press before sending it to the legislature. It’s even stranger that the same Reuben who issued the controversial Press statement that sparked off the debate had responded to an earlier Press enquiry that “he does not respond to speculations”.  What has happened between then and now to warrant a response to a mere speculation? Many have asked why the President needs to fly a kite at a period of grave social and political hiccup in the country.

The Nation is going through a very difficult time borne out of a variety of reasons: from post election trauma to security, challenges occasioned by face less, leaderless but extremely destructive Boko Haram group that claim they hate western education but not its products.

Proponents of a single longer-term tenor have made the point that the proposal if allowed to sail through in the legislative arm will address the intractable problems of election violence and win-at-all-cost tendency by the incumbent President and the Governors. The opponents are calling for a stay of action believing that it is only a ploy by the President to elongate his tenor. The third group consists of those who query the timing of the proposal and why it should be a priority for a government bedeviled with lots of challenges. The debate is still raging and parties appear to have all taken the usual wait-and-see attitude.

Let us now attempt a diagnosis of the current debate with a view to presenting those salient but un-explored perspectives. My strong view and advice is that: Mr. President should go ahead, fine tune the Bill and Present it to the Legislature along side all the naughty issues that constitute impediments in our constitution that prevent a proper running of a nascent democracy such as ours. Secondly, contrary to the belief that time is not quite auspicious to embark on the debate, nothing could be farther from the truth and I will elaborate on this shortly.

Thirdly, the talk in town that Tenure debate amounts to tenure elongation by the President from the backyard is quite understandable but factually incorrect. No one should blame Nigerians for maintaining a healthy appetite for skepticism after the rigmarole previous occupants of that seat have taken us through. 

I will like to state upfront that I am no big fan of Single tenured governance. This is because the reasons, advanced for its advocacy are quite simple and at best elementary. Democracy as a form of Government is extremely expensive but remains the most efficient way of regulating the affairs of Nations in a modern world. I am the first to admit the peculiarities of Nigeria as a Nation state but not really persuaded to conclude that because of our diversity of cultures, religion and tribe; we could not practice liberal democracy as it is meant to except we tailor it to fit our bogus frame. I am also not inclined to believe that the primary reason for a Single tenure proposal is to cut electoral cost.

Most democracies world over did not envisage a Single tenure because it deals with two incentives. First, inceptive to be corrupt, despotic and power drunk knowing there will be no time for reckoning. Two-term tenure on the other hand, provides leaders incentive to work hard for a possible re-election. This also sounds very elementary given our penchant for rogue elections in Nigeria. But with improved electoral processes, it is expected to address the later fear.

The reasons advanced above are not sufficient to suffocate or stampede Mr. President into abandoning what after all is the key missing element in our democracy. Instead of submitting a Single tenure Bill for whatever number of years, he should submit an enlarged executive Bills that will be consistent with his transformation agenda. That we have at present, a flawed hurriedly packaged Constitution made operational by Gen Abdusalimi administration in 1999, is a self-evident truth. Many of the problems that have consistently sparked off democratic un-rest and underlined our fault-lines are issues we deliberately refused to talk about and admit into our Constitution.

Take for instance the last general election where zoning for the office of President threw this country into unnecessary crises of monumental dimension. The effects of post-election crises have invariably ignited fires of miss-trust, wanton destruction of lives and property and a time bomb waiting to set off in 2015 because of whose turn it will be to produce the next President.

Consider the Constitutional lacuna the Nation sank into because of the sudden disappearance of Yar’Adua from the political radar in 2009/2010. Could we as a Nation have forgotten so soon the tensed atmosphere and fear that envelops every attempt to conduct a national election because we have bluntly refused to have another look at our constitution and smoothen those rough edges that have always underlined our differences instead of defining our strengths in diversity. 

What time could be better than now to discuss and agree about rotation and not necessarily tenure after a grueling electioneering that tasked the patience of even the most docile in our society? They say we don’t have electricity and Jonathan is talking about tenure adjustment. They say corruption is hitting the high heavens and Jonathan is talking about tenure. They say insecurity has taken over the entire nation State and he is talking about tenure. They are shouting that the economy has collapsed and he has the temerity to talk tenure.

To all these, I ask; which of them is new in our polity? The uncomfortable truth is that these problems are as old as this troubled nation. Another irrefutable truth is that they are not about to go away if Jonathan chickens out from presenting a proposal to discuss a very touchy issue about how, when and where our next executive leaders should emerge from.

In Nigeria, politics drives the economy. If we don’t get our politics right, we could as well forget a robust economy. What manner of a people would admire an Okonjo Iweala greatly as an outstanding world personality deserving of being a Minister twice but would also enjoy a consensus that she is not good enough to be President, mostly because of the geography of her birth? Imagine for a moment; a situation where the entire country will focus attention in one particular zone just to elect a President from that zone by all the political parties? Wouldn’t that afford an opportunity to pick the best and brightest from that zone?

Why do we as a people prefer living in denial? The best way to solve a problem is to acknowledge the problem and confront it head-on. I would prefer we discuss not just how long leaders will spend in executive positions but also how and where they will emerge. Debating just about a single tenure is not only admittance of cowardice but also mischievous.

Our legislative arm whose responsibility it is to amend the constitution is largely lazy, idle and un-focused. Constitutional amendment that will have a far-reaching impact is what is needed at this time to keep the seventh national Assembly busy. The best time to start is not two years into the life of this Assembly when they will be pleading fatigue and distraction but now that they are fresh and rearing to go.

Mr. President unfortunately have developed a very unhealthy attitude to shift blame each time he’s rattled about issues of National importance such as the current Constitutional amendment proposal. It belittles the office each time the occupant of that exalted position runs in search of a hiding place on matters he should stamp his feet and defend. It gives the uncomfortable impression that the president is pushing for matters that did not receive proper articulation and rigor deserving of policies emanating from that high office. In short, it is a tell sign that he does not believe in the policies he is trying to push. This has created a very disturbing perception in the minds of many that the President believes in nothing. And any leader that believes in nothing is a weak leader and not worthy of the position he or she occupies.

Mr. President will not be allowed to chicken out from presenting executive Bills that will discuss rotation of federal offices be it Presidency, Senate and House leadership and also the judiciary to reflect the complexities of our fragile polity at least in the short term. We should also encourage him to present along side that, the issues of Fiscal federalism, devolution of powers between the center, states and the local governments. He should represent the issue of independence of the State Assemblies instead of the current system that have made them look like the bloated Special Assistants of their respective Governors. The local Government Administration should be very independent from the state Governments. The current system that makes them look like departments under the office of Governors’ where funds appropriated for them to make impact at the grass roots are seized and used at will by the Governors is totally un-acceptable.

The two regions that should do everything to push for rotational offices to be entrenched in our constitution along zonal lines among the regions are the South East and the North East who incidentally are the two weeping zones of the nation.  Whereas the South East is yet to test power at the centre, in the North, the North East has held power at the centre the least. Ironically, the two zones are at the forefront of shooting down Jonathan’s proposal while still waiting to slug it out in 2015 on who takes over from him.

The danger in shooting down Jonathan’s proposal now instead of amending the content seems a blanket approval that he has a right to go for second term in 2015. If in 2015, he chooses to exercise that right, remember we all helped him arrive at that decision because you cannot plead what is not in the constitution, which he allowed us ample chance to discuss and decide but we choose to shout him down.

Chike Orjiako.
[email protected]
 

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