One of Imo’s foremost lawyers, Ngozi Olehi, SAN says the disappointing performance of political leaders and their defiance against the constitutional principles of welfare and security of the people are leading to an unfortunate destruction of the last traces of democracy in Nigeria.
He said that vanishing democratic values which have ushered in arbitrariness and abject impunity in public affairs shows that what is needed for future elections are thugs, criminally feeble electoral institution, weak judiciary and crumbs to be handed out to the hungry and the vulnerable.
Addressing newsmen in Owerri on democracy in Nigeria since 1999, Barr. Olehi contended that systemic waning of quality of governance and continual diminution of democratic moralities have crippled socio-economic development, catalysed insecurity in every corner of Nigeria and weaponized hunger and penury to perpetuate the evils of their rules.
He said that it is worrisome that basic factors that sustain vibrant ideals of democracy have systematically diminished leaving the country at the mercy of jungle governance and lamented that the serial leadership crises that have bedevilled Nigeria are eroding the brilliance, inventiveness, dignity of labour and entrepreneurial zeal that sustain productivity as governance is considered the quickest means to fame and affluence.
The legal luminary said if professional bodies, labour unions, civil society and elites who have all this while remained docile do not wake from their slumber to recover Nigeria immediately, the waiting disaster would engulf everyone including those who have pretended to be unconcerned about or benefit from the gangsterism, tribalism and ineptitude that characterise governance in Nigeria.
He noted that in the current Chandler Good Government Index which measures government capabilities across 113 countries or roughly 90% of the world’s population, Nigeria is the 4th Worst Governed Country in the World based on the seven pillars of the ranking namely Leadership and Foresight, Robust Laws and Policies, Strong Institutions, Financial Stewardship, Attractive Market Place, Global Influence and Reputation and Helping People Rise and regretted that there are no policy frameworks to reverse Nigeria’s sordid status in the ranking as 2nd term is considered more important than anything presently.
Barr. Olehi SAN also noted that Nigeria’s 2024 Global Peace Index ranking is 144th out of 163 countries globally in which case Nigeria remains among the least peaceful countries in Africa and the world, with a peace level categorised as “very low” by the said Index pointing the present Federal Government lacks the moral strength that will drive transformational leadership Mohammadu Buhari’s worst era then took away from Nigeria as the 3rd fastest growing economy in the world in 2015 next to China and India.
He said though the Electoral Act requires some amendments, it will amount to nothing and cannot restore public confidence if the INEC staff remain morally bankrupt and incapable of resisting corrupt offers and inducements to sabotage the electoral process to produce the worst of persons as political leaders pointing out the dynamics of governance in the globalized world do not permit questionable characters to enjoy the confidence of development partners and attract foreign direct investment.
Barr. Olehi SAN said that Nigeria is managing to trudge on because the people do not know how bad the situation is pointing out that if the people realize that sovereignty belongs to them, the consequences will be swifts and deadly.
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