The Anti-Coup Bill
By
I have read with utter amusement and contempt the recent decision of the National Assembly to outlaw coup and also punish all civilians who participate in such illegal and unconstitutional government. The decision of the National Assembly though welcome, it is highly laughable, mocking, bizarre and unintelligent.
Firstly, among the multivarious, and multifaceted problems facing the down trodden masses of this country is the question of "military coup" that should be addressed first by our almighty National Assembly. Of what relevance is the National Assembly effort towards stopping coup plotting to the ordinary man on Ikorodu Road in Lagos? Does that effort by the National Assembly put food on our table? The answer is simply no. The entire exercise by the National Assembly if successful, will only benefit the present occupants of the National Assembly and not the electorates. The anti-coup bill though desirable, its timing is both awkward and silly. Basic element of logic and constitutional jurisprudence would have told the national legislators that the only antidote to coup [which we do not pray for] is good governance. Essentially the legislators at the National Assembly can take advantage of such provisions as Section 4[2], 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the 1999 constitution to better the lot of the electorate.
More than two years of democratic rule, the electorate are yet to reap the dividends of democracy not to talk of peace order and good government. Ask the Tiv/Junkuns and Kano people their own democratic dividends. They will certainly tell you it is not coup plotting or coup stopping.
One would have expected the national legislators to seek ways of addressing the gargantuan and mounting problems facing the populace amongst which are gross unemployment, over rising cost of living, grinding poverty massive corruption in high and low places to the question of lack of security of lives and properties.
It is only when the people can massively assert this right through mass demonstration and rallies against any usurper regime that the concept of sovereignty which the constitution have unquestionably bestowed in the people of Nigeria would have any meanings and therefore stop coup. Let nobody be fooled, no amount of legislation can stop coup except good government and practical delivery of democratic gains. Again let me warn our national legislators that some of their recent legislations are not only contrary to our constitution and the principles of Federalism but also a clear usurpation of the powers of the state government. The worst and most embarrassing legislation was the one dealing with order of precedence in which the Chief Justice of the Federation is made to queue behind the Speaker of the House of Representative as against the third position is another law that offends commons sense and logic. I wonder when our national legislators will learn to reflect the wishes and objections of the masses in legislating making process.
December 2001