(Notes for the ordinary citizens : Attention of Mr President, Commander in Chief and other Top influencers of policies….(2))
In the first part of this series on the General elections. I appealed to the politicians and political parties to do the needful to ensure that the emergence of the next president comes from the South Eastern geo political zone. In this second part in the series we appeal to the public to put necessary pressure on the the political parties to zone their presidential ticket to the South East geopolitical zone. Towards this end we wish to invite the attention of Mr President, Commander in Chief and other Top influencers of policy direction of our society to the potential danger of dumping power shift, zoning midway in the game as political measures against national disunity, instability and exclusion today.It should be observed that the vaulting ambitions of some men, filthy wealth, misuse of money and personal interest of some politicians are threatening our collective existence and leading us on the path to Armageddon. Today some people are pushing their personal interest and ambitions far above national Interest or public expectations. It should not be allowed because of the negative effects of on the polity now and in the years ahead. They are capable of tearing the country apart.Therefore all hands should be on deck to use all powers at our disposal to halt the dangerous and unhelpful drift to hell. Our view is that public interest, national interest and the survival of the country beyond 2023 should be placed far above personal/ private interests by citizens.
POWER SHIFT IS FOR EQUITABLE JUSTICE &NATIONAL SURVIVAL
Let me make the point clear. A case for power shift, zoning is for equitable Justice and national survival. It is not about the South East geo- political zone per se. It is about the unity and survival of the country. There are cheap talks today about winnable formulae for the parties. This is an after thought. They forget the cause of equitable Justice and the need for national survival after winning an elections. Winnability is good but of limited value. National survival is better and of long lasting value. It is winning at the expense of social justice.And that cannot be a good start or foundation for a better tomorrow.
Changing the rules midway after the game had started, subverting the due process and violation of shared values, traditions and conventions are only recipe for crisis, resentment and alienation today. Nigeria can only be made great by patriotic citizens who are prepared to play by the rule of the game and to make due sacrifice in the national interest Power shift can be said to part of the nation’s DNA. It is rooted in democratic tradition, our history and constitution as exemplified by its provisions for the application of the principle of federal character.
Many tend to forget that once upon a time when the spirits of the nation were really down and its body was boiling in the doldrums ready to dissolve, it was the spice of power shift and zoning that saved the day. The military applied the concepts to solve nagging serious problem of pacifying the South West Geo- political zone by ensuring that a citizen from that geo- political zone became a president in 1999. Though unwritten power shift and zoning have become conventional practice that has been accepted by citizens and ingrained in their consciousness. Our focus on the South East here is only to underscore the importance of continuing with a winning formula and to point to the injustice inherent in subverting it today and the danger ahead of 2023.
Our central argument is that where the interest of the individual conflicts with the nation’s,the former should give way to the latter. Right now Nigeria is passing through very rough and abnormal times. It is awfully in awkward position. The country is obviously operating on dicey, shifting grounds, fishing in troubled waters and steadily sliding down the cliffs.She has been threatened on nearly all fronts by insecurity. How best to solve these life threatening problems should be the top priority preoccupation of the political and administrative elite. It is a country weighed down by wrong values, excessive regionalism, ethnicity, religiosity, selfishness and injustice.
Power shift, zoning are products of necessity. They are appropriate response to national problems in the spirit of the principle of federal character as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended. Discarding with them arbitrarily for selfish reasons will back fire to the detriment of the entire country. The easiest way to provoke the anger of a people and ignite a crisis of confidence in society is to bend the rules of the game to favor others and disfavor them especially when it comes to their turn to benefit from the system. This is when such people cry of injustice, marginalization etc with evidence. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.
This article recognizes the constitutional rights of individuals to run for the highest office and the wisdom of the Political parties to win political power by selecting candidates from any advantageous corner that could fetch them sufficient votes to win elections to form government.That is normal but as elaborated on below, national interest is superior to individual interest.Though individuals have the constitutional rights to pursue their presidential ambitions, yet they have a moral obligation to promote the collective interest, , “common good of the community,happiness of majority citizens of the society, respect the shared values of a people and carry out “those activities necessary” for the “safety of the state and the welfare of the community”.
In other words, our view is that public interest/national interest and the survival of the country beyond 2023 should be placed far above personal/ private interests by citizens. As already observed though the politicians outside the South East geo- political zone have the constitutional rights to pursue their presidential ambitions, the law of necessity informed by the dictates of national interest had precluded them for now. They have a moral obligation to promote the “common good of the community and happiness of majority citizens of the society.
POWER SHIFT AS APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO NATIONAL PROBLEMS AND PART OUR DNA
Properly understood, power shift, zoning federal character are appropriate response to our national ailments. They are part of our nation’s DNA.But let it be recognized that no society is problem free.Every society has its general and specific problems and its elite must devise effective means to solving them. It is needless to say that the Nigerian elite failed to proffer solution to nagging national problems or lack the courage and commitment to enforce measures or observe the rules of the game.
For years now Nigeria has been faced with serious problems of disunity, poverty, under- development, inter ethnic and inter regional distrust, insecurity, injustice, ceaseless call for self determination,and shortages or scarcity of essential commodities and products such as oil and gas. Related here is the age long strong desire by the country for national unity, harmonious coexistence, equitable Justice and the compelling need to correct some historical wrongs such as inequitable Justice which the act of power shift,power rotation and zoning could rectify to ensure the survival of the country beyond 2023. All these are existential problems threatening the survival of the country.
Most of them are traceable to inequitable Justice, exclusion, poor governance, corruption , denial, frustration of some ethnic groups from developmental neglect and lack of effective participation in the political process.The concern for the survival of Nigeria- a country buffeted by ethnicity, security, distrust and related crisis associated with inept leadership, ineffective management, poor governance and inequitable justice is noble and urgent and deserves urgent attention today.Towards this end no suitable tool in the tools box should be spared. Power shift, zoning ,federal character, power rotation are useful tools or helpful measures evolved to address some of the national problems especially the psychological ones such as disunity, non- inclusiveness etc.They have forcefully become part of political culture since 1999 when the military government applied the principle of power shift and zoning to midwife the present democratic dispensation. So far, they have proved to be appropriate response to national problems especially by calming frayed nerves, keeping hope of survival alive and strengthening the faith of the citizens alive.
PERCEPTION, OBSERVATION AND DEFINITIONS
It has been observed that perception and definition of issues matter much in development activities. How people perceive and define issues inform their attitude. For instance, if the people see acts of Justice they would respond positively. And if all they see are acts of selective Justice, or indeed injustice, willful violations of cherished values and conventions for selfish reasons then there would be public resentment. This is a serious problem today because of the perversion of societal values, traditions, conventions by the political elite for selfish reasons. What we see on the national reader has been disunity, the elevation of individual interest far above the interest of the nation, disturbing threats to our collective existence. This has been harmful in the past and promises to be more hurtful in the years ahead if we do not check the trend. For instance, the failure of the politicians to respect the principle of power shift would set the stage for prolonged upheavals, disunity and rocking instability in the years ahead in Nigeria.
There are reasons for greater concern today.First is the ever-complex nature of our national problems which necessitated the resort to power shift,rotation, zoning and principle of federal character. As we write, the country is faced with acute insecurity, power crisis due to fuel scarcity, clouds of fear and self doubt, high mountains of disunity, inequality, distrust, deep feeling of neglect, exclusion, alienation, unemployment, mass poverty, etc. These problems are alongside the age long strong desire for national unity, even development, yearning for maximum participation at the highest level of governance by some zones and many more. If nothing is done to solve the problems well, they could tear the country apart.
Perhaps the greatest cause for worry is the emerging faces of presidential candidates for the 2023 elections. The problem here is that some of them are outside of the South East geo- political zone and such development is against the the principle of power shift -the accepted political norm of the country at least since 1999. It is also against public expectation and national interest. It appears to be a deliberate attempt to deny history, violate shared values and to turn back the hands of the clock or change the rule of the game midway for selfish reasons. .There is therefore the attendant need to ensure that things are done in the national interest as opposed to personal/private interests.
Today many citizens see the indifference, selfishness and vaulting ambitions of the political elite as a serious threat to the the survival of the country beyond 2023. Their penchant for breaking the rules of the game, violating cherished values, disregarding norms, conventions, traditions,etc has been hurtful and thus capable of prompting crisis in the years ahead for putting their personal interest above national interest. There is therefore the need to save the country from the selfishness and vaulting ambitions of some of her citizens especially the politicians today. Many of them need to tame their personal ambitions. They need to respect extant rules and practices including the principle of power shift, zoning, which had been actively on since 1999.
Towards this end, there is the need to deepen and sustain the emerging sense of belonging, values of hope and faith in fatherland by citizens as containede in the benefits of power shift/ zoning. In place of acute disunity, despair, hopelessness, faithlessness caused by many years of marginalization, exclusion from power and inequitable Justice, the resort to power shift, zoning, rotation of power or their prospects has offered the citizens especially the minority ethnic groups one convincing reason to carry with life faithfully and patiently as part of Nigeria with all its imperfections and hardship.The motivation is in the hope and assurance that some day near or far, one would have the opportunity to try one’s hands on the president’s or governor’s office- thanks to power shift, zoning etc.
VALUES AND THE ESSENCE OF POWER SHIFT, ZONING
Every society has core values and interests which it projects, guides jealously and defends vigorously. The standard approach is for every nation to define its interest, protect, and advance them at one time or the other.Sane values are the foundational pebbles for solid nation building. They help in defining public and national interests and stand and defend them. According to a recent reviewer, public interest is the “objective of the duly authorized organs of government “or ” the expression of majority rule”. National interests has been defined “as claims, objectives, goals, demands and interests which a nation always tries to preserve, protect, defend and secure in relations with other nations(https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com) Such interest ranges from “the pursuit of happiness of the citizen”(Socrates), “the moral development of the citizens”, (Plato)
“establishment of law and order” (Hobbes), “protection of natural law” (Locke).And to the Utilitarian writers, the purpose of the state is the promotion of the greatest good for the greatest number of citizens(Mills).
Like other nations, Nigeria has its core values, public and national interests including democracy, Justice,territorial integrity and survival etc which she would like “to preserve, to protect, defend and secure in relations with other nations ” for instance territorial integrity, unity and survival of the country. It is the responsibility of every nation to define, pursue and protest its interest. Against its colonial background the country’s goal and core values,public and national interest ought to be self evident. And her political elite must see some goals as far much more serious than others for pursuit and protection. Here the task of nation building stands out.
However one of the motivations for this piece is my perception of public interest, national interest, private interest which seems to be awkwardIy on reverse order visa vis the need for national survival come 2023 and beyond. It is observed that in most cases the personal interest such as the political ambitions of the politician has often been put far above public/ national interest in the country. This is not healthy for the development of the country. Nation building has suffered gravely in Nigeria.
NATION BUILDING
For me, the most important goal that should be taken far more serious than others is that of nation building with emphasis on the unity, development, prosperity and survival of the country. Essentially Nation building is about erection or construction of national institutions, promoting collective values, common identity and loyalty to the nation state. It is needless to say that the task has been poorly handled by the political elite in Nigeria. Today there is a conflict between individual interest and national interest, and there are attempts too many to promote individual selfish Interest above the nation’s and negative attitude to nation building and dastardly and unpatriotic activities that threaten the survival of the country or put it at great risk.
The promotion of national unity, national development of all communities, national survival. patriotism, nationalism, cultivation of strong national identity and loyalty,public morality, character development, empowerment, inclusiveness and maximum participation of the citizens in the affairs of the nation are essential for the health of the nation. Anything that should aid the realization of this set goal should be encouraged to be what it could be. This is why power shift,zoning, rotation of power federal character are important today as vital measures to promote national unity, development, prosperity and survival of the country.
They have proved effective in the past and hold enormous prospect of deepening the unity and development of the country and ensuring her prosperity and survival. So welcome power shifts, zoning on board nation building efforts in Nigeria. They are pragmatic measures to promote inclusiveness, check monopoly of power by some sections of the country, inequitable Justice and the like. They are useful tools for dealing with nagging national problems.
In nation building, National interest or public interest is superior to individual interest. The development of the country and the promotion of her unity can be be done only by patriotic Nigerians who are ready to make sacrifice in the national interest. Angels will not come from heaven to do this for us. The cost of national unity and development is sacrifice of personal. Interest in the national interest.One of the ways to do this is to respect noble traditions and conventions such as power shift. Any disrespect will not be in tune with the mood of the nation especially the spirit of power shift which had guided our democracy since 1999. In Other words, such ambition is against current public/national interest of which national unity, equitable Justice etc are important parts.
PUBLIC AND NATIONAL INTEREST, PRIVATE INTEREST, NATION BUILDING & POWER SHIFT
A major cause for concern with the the 2023 General Elections and the future of the country today is the cavalier attitude of the political elites to nation building and national interest. They show no feeling or regard for public or national interest. All that that matters to them is their selfish interest- otherwise all else can go to blazes. They do not think of public interest, national interest or national survival beyond 2023. Their negative attitude here has been driving the country to the abyss- perhaps unwittingly.
According to relevant literature, public interest essentially “stands for the broad versus the narrow, the more inclusive versus the limited” And it embraces “those “activities necessary to the safety of the state and the welfare of the community” and the happiness of the citizens.For example the police force, military service, maintenance of rule and order, harmonious coexistence, unity of purpose etc. According to experts “the concept of public interest holds the ultimate ethical justification for the demand which the state makes on individual” to do one thing or the other. It calls for a “readiness of the citizen to make sacrifices” if necessary and to share responsibility for sustaining the values of the polity”. If this makes the disregard for power shift unwise,public interest is also seen as a “means of drawing attention to considerations that transcend the immediate, the selfish, and the merely expedient, to resolve conflict of interest, promote the idea of the common good” (T.H Green 1960). Public interest is about the “idea of common wealth” as well as the necessity of government to ensure that what is good in the public interest is done(Robert Maclver 1963). Again it is expected that citizens would do only those things that are in accord with national interest and avoid those things that are against the collective interest of the nation.
Public opinion is vital to national development. To some, it is the gauge that keeps society going on the right path in accordance with the expectations of the public and thus indicative of public interest. According to relevant literature the contents of public interest are not fixed. Rather as a writer notes, public interest “can be seen as a continuum that represents the values ,aspirations and objectives of the community or polity.” And it is said to be “reminder that morality must have a central place in any society”. Generally, it “serves to remind the parties immediately concerned that there are considerations extending beyond their own goals, their particular rivalries or negotiations” and to “build consensus” on issues. (www.encyclopedia.com).
While Power shift, zoning, federal character belong here, the political elite in Nigeria must have the moral courage to learn to do what is good for the country in the national interest and to realize and appreciate the fact that “there are considerations extending beyond their own goals, their particular rivalries or negotiations”. This includes the survival of the nation. Public opinion is in support of power shift as a good measure to be adopted in the public interest which already noted essentially “stands for the broad versus the narrow, the more inclusive versus the limited”. The political elite should learn to be patient, stick to what works, respect collectively shared values and realize the bold fact that we all cannot be president at the same time. Recall that when the military acted irrationally by annulling the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the negative effects dogged Nigeria for more than eight years- a period longer than the time which Abiola would have spent in power had he won a second term. National interest should be upper most consideration.
National interest is about the collective interest of the country. It can be defined “as claims, objectives, goals, demands and interests which a nation always tries to preserve, protect, defend and secure in relations with other nations”
(https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com). According to Wikipedia it is “public declaration of a country’s needs and intentions based on assessment of current situation…. “It is a rationality of governing referring to a sovereign state’s goals and ambitions be they economic, military, cultural or otherwise”. To H.J.Morgenthau, National Interest is the interest of a nation as a whole held to be an independent entity separate from the interests of subordinate areas or groups and also of other nations or supranational groups, or any foreign policy which operates under the standard of the national interest”. “The meaning of national interest is survival- the protection of physical ,political, and cultural identity against encroachment by other nation states”
(https://en.m.wikipedia.org). There are other definitions relevant to our discussion.
National interest is a rationality of governing referring to a sovereign states goals and ambitions , be they economic, military, cultural, or otherwise
(https://national interest.org). It can also be understood as “the claims,objectives, goals, demands, and interests”.ToCharles Ierche and Abdul, National interest means the general, long term and continuing purpose which the state,the nation, and the government all see themselves as serving.
National interest has also been defined as “what a nation feels to be necessary to its security and well being .. and it “reflects the general and continuing ends for which a nation acts”(Brookings Institution)National interest is that which states seek to protect or achieve in relation to each other. It means desire on the part of sovereign states (Vernon Von Dyke. https://national interest. org).
As these definitions especially their key words indicate,National interest is about a “nation’s goals”, “desires”, “ambitions”, “survival” and what “it feels necessary to its security and well- being”, survival and realization of national dreams. Thus power shift, zoning were measures adopted in the national interest to promote and sustain national unity, check inequitable Justice,ensure citizenry participation, engender support strengthen faith and keep hope alive about the possibility of Nigeria far beyond 2023. As already observed they are part of the nation’s DNA and law of national survival makes them a necessity in our nation building effort.
Private interest speaks for itself: it is about individual ambitions or interest pursued normally for the good of the individual, family friends and associates. As observed earlier, it is about “the narrow”, “the limited”. To recall,Public interest is about inclusiveness,the “broad and “those activities necessary” for the “safety of the state and the welfare of the community”. Personal interest is selfish in nature while public/ national interest is altruistic- for the general good of the nation.The whole idea is that individuals should work to meet public interest,and not to defile it as some elite tend to do in Nigeria. Individual interest is meant to be subordinated to national interest for the good of all citizens. However, the trouble is that as noted earlier in Nigeria, though the political elite know what is right, yet they have often been unable to rise above their personal interest to do the needful for the unity, development and prosperity of the country. The general tendency has been for the politicians to subordinate national interest to their own political ambitions.
WHO WlLL FIX NIGERIA TODAY?- Tasking the Nigerian Political Elite
There are questions we must answer earnestly as we prepare for year 2023 General Elections: (a)Which comes first-country or leaders (b) who will fix Nigeria and how best to do it? Is individual interest superior to national interest or otherwise? For me the answers to these questions are clear and simple. No society is problem free.Nigeria can only be best fixed by Nigerians and the Nigerian elite particularly the political class must lead the way with good examples and show the right way by doing the right things right.The responsibility of fixing Nigeria belongs to Nigerians and not foreigners from the Mars or any other planets. Angels will not come down from heaven to solve our national problems. We have to do it ourselves. The problem with Nigeria has been the lack of ability and sincerity to solve problems as it should be done. Let us learn to do proper diagnosis of our ailments with strong moral sense for appropriate and effective treatment.
In my view, the nation comes before leaders. There has to be country before scouting for those to lead and manage her and determine how to do so. So survival of the entity becomes a topmost priority. Any student of Nigerian history and development will agree that the elite have broken society’s values and failed to do the right things right in leadership, management, governance and justice. They need to change their way or attitude to nation building.
For instance they need to show good examples in morality, patriotism, nationalism, altruism, hard work, equitable justice, tolerance, sound leadership, effective management, good governance and undivided loyalty to nation building. As noted elsewhere, each of us therefore has a role to play to save the day especially by making due sacrifice in the national interest.For example, the politicians would need to check their vaulting ambitions and subject them to the demands of public interest, respect established conventional practice such as power shift etc. Those outside the South East geo- political zone should drop their ambition in the national interest of fairness equitable justice and survival of the nation. The political parties would have to zone their presidential ticket to the South East in the national interest and equitable Justice and respect for conventions and tradition. The voters must learn to vote according to the dictates of their conscience and to resist the temptation of being corrupted with money or other materials of wealth to sell their votes. Together with the security agencies, we have to ensure that our votes count-if need be blow the whistle where we spot foul play.
▪︎ John Abhuere, PhD, is of the Centre for Child Development and Youth Development, Abuja.
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