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SILENT LEGISLATURE AND A FEARFUL GOVERNMENT By New York There has been tremendous outpouring of criticism at the manner in which the Federal government of Nigeria is handling the recent attacks on innocent citizens by a desperate evil cabal under the guise of religiosity. It is on record, that the official reaction of the Federal Government during the riots was to beg and appease the murderers and looters while castigating innocent Nigerians who are under attack for daring to express themselves.
The days following the attacks saw even a more bizzare twist in the government reaction. We are witnessing a government in denial of responsibility, a government in confusion, a government fearful of the rogue blood-letting oligarchy and a government that in its timidity is unsure of what to do. The government is personified by the posture of the President, Olusegun Obasanjo and the silence of the legislooters(legislators).
Take a close look at Obasanjo`s picture published in the Guardian Newspaper of Nov. 26, 2002. He sits there with his hands on his cheeks looking every bit like a child driven from home by angry parents whom he has offended. All alone, he sits in a neighbors yard, confused, rejected and dejected with suspicious neighbors peeping at him from their pinholes. A closer look reveals hidden defiance and paranoia for he knows not what he has done wrong.
In his paranoia, he now believes that the neighbors whom he has visited so frequently are now plotting his demise. He does not see anything wrong in his actions and inactions as such he sees no need to apologise to the victims for the shortcomings of his security agencies. He does not think the innocent citizens who lost their lives and properties deserve any relief, afterall one of them angered the murderous cabal. He prays and wishes that all the problems can just go away the same way he prayed and wished that sharia will just go away. He does not know that sharia is the root of the upsugre in violence since the commencement of his regime. He does not know. He wished to be left alone for he thinks he has suffered too much for Nigeria. This is the sorry state of the federal Government of Nigeria.
More tragic though is the graveyard silence of the national assembly who some of my friends refer to as "The Peoples Assembly" but I prefer to call the house of looters. If we condemn the executive arm of government for its failures, what can we say about our legislooters? Not long ago, we were told by the legislooters that in defence of the Nigerian constitution( decree 1999 I meant to say), the President must be impeached. They listed 39 "impeachable offences" ranging from the credible to the absurd. Pius Anyim and Umar Na abba spoke glowingly of the need to uphold the rule of law no matter who may be hurt. A lot of Nigerians for good cause sided with them .
A lot more were doubtful of the motives of the the house of looters. Past experiences have taught Nigerians that their legislooters do not act except there is potential for looting or there is a threat to their source of looting. Events leading to the resolution of the impeachment blackmail and the silence of the legislooters this past week has vindicated those who were doubtful. There is no gain saying that in a democracy, the legislative arm of government represents the wishes and aspirations of the governed. It not only check the excesses of the executives, it complements and fill in for the shortcomings of the executives. If ever there was a time for the national assembly to rise in defense of the governed there could not have been a better time than the past week.
Unfortunately, the crisis of the past week did not bring any loot to them, nor does it threaten the sources of their loots. So they remain mute, fixated in a catatonic posture and oblivious of what happens to their innocent people. Such is the quality of representation we get from our elected (selected) representatives. The fear, timidity and the confusion of the federal government combined with the silence of the legislooters is the most potent threat to the very existence of Nigeria as a nation state never mind the successful secession of Zamfara State.
To all Nigerians I say your future is in your own hands. You must rise in defense of democracy and the rule of law. That is the only way to survival.
Feb 2003
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