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On the immunity clause for lawmakers
THE ongoing attempt
by the House of
Representatives to pass a bill that will grant immunity to members of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly is something that should be of serious concern to all Nigerians and, indeed, lovers of democracy and freedom all over the world.
It is being seen as a desperate bid by the lawmakers to legalise and institutionalise corruption. It is sheer brinkmanship and political brigandage.
The bill, which has already passed its second reading if allowed to scale through, will spell doom for our nation and turn Nigeria legally into a country where its leaders are neither accountable to themselves nor the people.
Presently, the government is accountable to no one but at least, it can still be made to account for its actions, because the law ensures that, even though the mechanism for its enforcement is seriously jaundiced. But once the immunity being championed by the lawmakers is allowed to fly, then there will be no more hope for probity, accountability and transparency in this country.
It is sad to note that at a time when democracies globally are taking a giant leap beyond secrecy, and are becoming increasingly accountable to their people (the electorate), ours is sliding back into draconian days, days better imagined than experienced.
We don’t have to recount the various precedent cases in great democracies worldwide-Watergate, Clinton-Monica Lewinsky, Baglojevich and just recently Silvio Berlusconi that shows that a government that is open thrives better than that mired in concealment.
It is, indeed, a historical fact that a government that is accountable to its people, that conscientiously does all it can to strengthen the institutions of democracy, that punishes incompetence and malfeasance and rewards integrity and diligence does well, last longer and guarantees development for the greater good.
How did we get it so wrong as a people and as a nation? How did we allow such heartless, conscienceless and shameless men to get into power? What do they need immunity for if their hands and hearts are clean?
They can’t even pass a simple Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill to make government more open and accountable neither could they pass a sound Fiscal Responsibility Law for the whole of the Federation to check executive lawlessness and fiscal recklessness.
Nigerians must not allow them to get away with this one.
Eneruvie Enakoko,
Chairman,
Civil Liverties Organisation (CLO)
Lagos
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My Ghana experience
Courtesy University of Ibadan (UI),
and the kind gesture of its Vice-chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, I was sponsored to attend a three-day training in Accra , Ghana ’s capital recently. My experience in Ghana , Nigeria’s next door neighbour, was as intriguing as it was self deprecating.
To say the fact, my feeling as a Nigerian during a week’s stay at Ramada Resort, Coco Beach, oscillated from the sublime and to the ridiculous no thanks to the Nigerian leaders that have plummeted my country’s greatness through their greed, self centredness and lack of vision
Nominated alongside the university Acting Bursar, Mr. Ibrahim Aponmade, Director, University Advancement Centre, Mr Debo Adeosun, to attend professional training organised by Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the UI participants arrived Ghana on October 4 exactly 45 minutes after leaving Nigeria by air through the Arik Airline.
Just as we were reminded to fasten our seat belt because we would soon touch down at Kotoka International airport, Accra, I looked through the window and I saw Ghanaian splendour as there was light every where.
To my anxious mind, Ghana , from distance was like London with everywhere bubbling, shinning, luminous and dazzling. “Is it true that these people have been enjoying uninterrupted power supply for the past 10 years and celebrated the feat as claimed by someone? “ I soliloquizingly asked myself.
My mind quickly went back to Nigeria .
I remembered I had bought some litres of petrol for my wife before leaving home in order to facilitate the operation of our generator.
We were welcome with impressive courtesy to Ghana . I began to see semblance of typical Nigerian setting as we were being chauffeured driven to our hotel: face me and face you structure, music blaring shops, suya etc.
I noticed that Ghanaians were more disciplined on the road. No rough driving,, indeed, they were more organised. Their government had banned Okada. The roads were neat but dotted with dozen of teenagers hawking their wares like some of the cities in Nigeria .
Ghana’s Cedi is now more powerful than Nigeria ’s Naira. I exchanged N1,000 for eight cedis. But things seem to be expensive. I discovered that it was propaganda that Ghana has been having uninterrupted power supply for the past 10 years. Ghanaians told me it was a lie, they still experience power outage, but the frequency is infinitesimal compared to Nigeria ’s epilepsy and unavailability.
Ghana’s population is relatively smaller yet they are probably more organised. With the small population, they have solid sport national teams at all levels. I saw many foreigners from America and Europe who came on tourism to Ghana .
When will Nigeria stop snoring away? Ghana is fast ahead of us. And with the benefit of hindsight, Ghana may take over as the Giant of Africa!
Sunday Saanu,
sundaysannu@yahoo.com
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On Nigerian 2009 opening ceremony
THE opening ceremony of the ongoing FIFA
World Cup being hosted in Nigeria was nothing to write home about.
The Abuja National Stadium was virtually empty. This is a disgrace to the country, considering the fact that the opening ceremony was watched all over the World.
A friend from Germany, who called me during the opening ceremony, asked if that was really the activities heralding the start of such an important event, or if the people were only rehearsing.
I was lost for words as to what to tell this friend. All I could say was that the stadium in Abuja was so far from the city and that most people in the Federal Capital Territory are civil servants who don’t really like football.
The attendance in other venues have been encouraging and I would want the Local Organising Committee (LOC) to shift the closing ceremony from Abuja to Calabar.
Calabar people are really supporting this competition and this can be seen in the way they turned out to watch the matches.
Nonye Chibuzor,
Port-Harcourt,
Rivers State.
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