Philip Ilenbarenemen reports on Mr Solomon Asemota SAN led discussion at the Nigerian Observatory in London

Mr Solomon Asemota (SAN) at the NIGERIAN OBSERATORY,

London, United Kingdom

 

Mr. Solomon Adun Asemota, a senior advocate of Nigeria and a patriot of uncommon integrity has firmly posited the plethora of the problems militating against Nigeria at the doorsteps of the ruling oligarchy – Reports Philip Ilenbarenemen

Mr Asemota, SAN, made the damning accusation on Saturday 19^th of August when he visited the Nigerian Observatory in London, United Kingdom, as the inaugural keynote speaker at the “CHANGE AGENTS AND IDEAS SEMINAR SERIES”, which held at Cambridge House, 1 Addington Square, Camberwell in south east London. The Nigerian Observatory with its unique structure is designed as a free speech and free choice platform that provides an extensive, unhindered view of Nigeria.

In his address to kick-start the discussion session, titled, “Saving Nigeria by Nigerians in the Diaspora”, the erudite constitution lawyer, human and minorities’ rights activist took the discussants on a most fascinating historical journey through the annals of Nigeria since amalgamation and identified the roles of its major dramatis personae. In the speech, which saw the legal luminary at his anecdotal and humorous best, he wondered how it happened that a country seen by the rest of the world at independence in 1960 as a potential world power, could have managed to squander all that hope to become a failing state in just over half a century. He then argued that Nigerians in the Diaspora have a profound duty and role to play in saving Nigeria from numerous problems and even from itself; challenging them to help save the country from the raging ideological warfare of the Oligarchy at war with Democracy.

For the purpose of the discussions, the following definitions and premises were established:

Ideology – a “system of ideas and principles forming the basis of an economic and political theory”. Before the British Amalgamation in 1914, the ideology practiced in the various territories, kingdoms and emirates was despotism, a system of government in which a single entity, called the ‘despot’, rules with absolute power – in Nigeria’s case, Oba, Emir or Chief.

British colonialism then came about as a result of conquest or treaties between the British and indigenous peoples – that introduced the indirect rule system, which have been described as “decentralized despotism.”

The main objective of the British rule in Nigeria was the economic exploitation. The British did not practice democracy in Nigeria. They only tried to set up democratic institutions a few years before independence, which were not solid enough to sustain democracy in the new nation that emerged in 1960.

Democracy – a form of government in which the people have a say in who should hold power and how it should be used.

Oligarchy – “a small group of people having control of the state, “government by the few” or, in the case of Nigeria, “government by a few coup plotters in khaki and their associates in agbada.”

Aristocrats – Rulers, who govern in the general interest of the people and their government is described as Aristocracy.

Oligarchs – rulers who govern in their own selfish interest and their government is known as Oligarchy.  Religion, violence, insecurity and corruption are instruments used for the promotion of Oligarchy.

What Nigeria is passing through today – corruption, instability and insecurity – is the ideological war waged by the Oligarchs against the enthronement of Democracy in the nation.

Whereas Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first indigenous Governor-General and later President famously alluded that Nigeria won independence from the British on a “platter of gold”, the British deliberately left a vacuum in the young nation’s democracy and leadership. Britain never really severed Nigeria from its apron strings; it remained largely behind the scene as the puppeteer through the inexperienced leaders and weak democratic institutions they left behind leaving Nigeria yet to be fully independent and democratic today.

“Nigeria’s leaders rejected out of hand the adoption of any African or indigenous Constitutional model, it was the foreign Westminster model that was unanimously favoured.’’ According to Michael Vickers in his book “A Nation Betrayed”.

From inception, Britain governed and sustained Nigeria on the principles of divide and rule thereby sowing “…seeds of disunity …as a policy of government”.This same tool have been effectively used and mastered by the ruling oligarchy over the years leading to a deliberate of playing different regions, sections and interests against one another – “North versus the South, East versus the West, Muslims versus Christians, Majority versus Majority, Minority versus Minority, the rich versus the poor, the educated versus the uneducated, ethnic nationality versus other ethnic nationalities etc.”

“…the military coup of 1966 laid the foundations for present day Oligarchy.” Over the years, the “seed of disunity” that was sown grew to bring forth “fruits of disunity” leading “to the Civil War of 1967-1970.”

General Yakubu Gowon’s government prosecuted the civil war of 1967 – 1970 declaring at its end “no Victor, no vanquished.” It then embarked upon a post war “…policy of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reconciliation”, which included a five year National Development Plan, 1970 – 1975 that was truncated by the coup of July 1975.  This coup was executed by the crop of largely Nigerian home grown military officers at a time the economy was booming and growing “…at the average of 11.75 percent per annum …” ostensibly as a result of corruption but actually “Gowon was overthrown by Northern officers like himself because he refused to change the state governors.”

To sustain the “corruption charges” against the sacked General Gowon regime, the National Development Plan was abandoned truncating the efficient use of national resources for the “Common Good” and “…followed by a massive purge of civil servants who were inherited from the British colonial administration, had been largely loyal to the service and the nation.”

Whereas Mr Solomon Asemota suggests that if Gowon hadn’t been carried away by the allure of office and had announced a firm date to hand over power to a democratically elected civilian government, “…Nigeria would have been spared the trauma and the emergence of Oligarchy.” But Nigeria haplessly drifted into the crazy cycles of military coup de tats, which the popular afro beat musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti tagged as “Overtake don overtake, overtake – ODOO” thereby entrenching the mentality of “it is our time to eat” our share of the Nigerian national cake that remains one of the major banes of Nigeria’s governance today. “The resultant effect of these coups made institutions created for law enforcement to become not only politically, but also ideologically incorrect.  Today, Nigeria has ideological Armed Forces more concerned with the politics of the nation and the protection of the Oligarchs than with the defence of the nation. All security apparatus including Immigration, Customs and Police, Road Safety, Traffic Wardens are nationally controlled and have gradually become paramilitary. Retired Inspectors General of Police are now the spokespersons for the Oligarchs on security.”

This underscores the fact that, Nigeria today is being torn apart as a result of the unholy struggle between the oligarchs and the enthronement of democracy because “When an institution charged with law and order decides to breach the law, no matter how “justified”, it creates insecurity.” Since the first coup de tat of January 15, 1966, which was in all intent and purposes “downright treasonable felony” especially because it was against a democratically elected Government as that of Tafawa Balewa, all others were also justified as some sort of heroes against corruption and for good governance, whereas, they were all criminally motivated and treasonable. Thus, all failed coup de tats were dubbed treasonable felony and all successful ones formed the government against, which any coup de tat or attempted ones became treasonable felony.

From January 15, 1966 to May 29, 1999, bar the four years of Alhaji Shehu Shagari’s squander manic civilian government – October 1^st 1979 to December 31^st 1983 – the ruling oligarchy used the military and authoritarianism to establish and consolidate itself in power in Nigeria through lies, corruption, religious and ethnic cleansing. “In 1983, the Buhari/Idiagbon coup toppled Shagari; Babangida toppled Buhari; then stepped aside for Abacha who died in mysterious circumstances in June 1998 bringing General Abdulsalami Abubakar to power. Abdulsalami handed power to Obasanjo this time as a civilian on May 27, 1999 in a political process fully dictated by the Oligarchs with the Constitution only released for the first time at Obasanjo’s swearing in ceremony.”

For maximum strength, the oligarchy used the military to systematically destroy the scanty and weak pre independence democratic institutions established by the British colonialists during this period. Firstly, it discredited and deliberately weakened the civil service turning it into a “messenger department” of government, then it destroyed federalism, the system of government upon, which the republic was founded by instituting an unfair balance of power equation in the country – subsisting rulership under a rigid centralised military command system that brooked no opposition nor allowed a free press. It then hijacked the Police by co-opting the Inspectors Generals and a few favoured officers into the ranks of its ruling military council. Next, the oligarchs with their extensive reach into the traditional rulers and the clergy, ensured that the judiciary could not operate effectively by subtly consolidating power and providing Nigeria with one of the most cumbersome, tenuous and contradictory Constitutions ever written – the 1999 constitution – thereby leading it into errors and becoming protagonists of injustice in Nigeria.

With a prostrate and compromised judiciary, other institutions such as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Independent Corruption and Public Complaints Commission, ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC necessary for the enthronement of the rule of law and democracy became huge jokes. Similarly, all government parastatal for the provision of real economic development such as electricity, good motorable roads, good schools and functional hospitals among others became avenues for institutionalising corruption, stealing and draining the much needed capital from the economy.

Between 1993 and 1998, prodemocracy elements in the country in an uneasy alliance with some progressive political elites in Nigeria – who were collectively seen as enemies of Nigeria for daring to challenge the oligarchs – challenged the military over its annulment of the 1993 Presidential election that would have ushered in a civilian government. Having no serious plans to take over power from the oligarchy post the struggle, power was consolidated in the hands of the oligarchy through the complete control of all the political parties and handing over power to one of its finest officers and former military Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo to form a sort of rearguard civilian government. Mr. Asemota established that “Before handing over power, the military determined who would and did succeed them. This they did by ensuring the complete control of the political parties. If they did not approve a candidate, that person was defeated at the primaries. As there was no independent candidacy, political ambition was halted where it was not approved by the Oligarchs. All the political parties have subsequently become much the same. Democracy is thus struggling to maintain a foothold in Nigeria …” But Obasanjo virtually hijacked the party machinery for himself and having now lost that grip over the party, he has joined forces with another oligarch to make the governance difficult for President Goodluck Jonathan. “The Oligarchy sabotages democracy and the Nigerian state through its control of the law enforcement agencies including the elements of the state security services. Thus the practice of Oligarchy, in my view, is responsible for the backward slide of our country, especially when any sign of disagreement among the Oligarchs, or between the Oligarchs and the democratically elected governments threatens the security of the country. The Oligarchs will do whatever is necessary to maintain control of Nigeria even if that means the country will descend into the depths of conflict and economic turmoil. Thus Nigeria is constantly at war.”

The Nigerian Observatory’s first discussion session noted that:

1. There is an urgent need to rescue and strengthen Nigeria’s nascent democracy for it has been hijacked by oligarchs who neither believe in, nor want it in the country.

1. All the democratic institutions including all the arms of government, the press, the civil society and voluntary organisations, the electoral commission, the census board and anti-corruption agencies among others must be strengthened and empowered to function properly and independently within the constitutional parameters.

1. Nigeria’s party system is undemocratic, corrupt and doesn’t represent the people but the ruling oligarchy and their minions.

1. Since the 1966 coup de tat till date Nigerian governments at all level and the political parties brooks no opposition – you are either absolutely loyal to them or you are considered a troublemaker to be put down by all means necessary including extra judicial ones.

1. The 2011 Presidential election in Nigeria had a comparatively “…genuinely democratically elected President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.” Albeit “unfortunately, President Jonathan has to operate within the mould of the Oligarchs as an honorary member, not being a military man himself. To step completely outside this mould would, at this juncture, likely mean the termination of Jonathan’s Presidency by the Oligarchs.”  Once democracy is allowed to operate well in Nigeria, the country will move forwards progressively.

1. At independence in 1960, “Nigeria’s leaders rejected out of hand the adoption of any African or indigenous Constitutional model, it was the foreign Westminster model that was unanimously favoured.’’ Whereas Nigeria needs to develop and adopt its own unique Nigerian ideology and model of government that will recognise its peculiar circumstances and experiences and be anchored on the practice of democracy and  the spirit of the Rule of Law, thereby upholding the principle of “Government of the people, for the people and by the people”. This also will provide “all ethnic nationalities”, the space for cultural expression peacefully within one nation.

1. Nigeria’s founding fathers elected to adopt democracy and federalism at independence, therefore the current demands on the President Dr Goodluck Jonathan to resign as President of Nigeria and for the Federal Republic of Nigeria of Nigeria to institutionalise Sharia laws as its legal status and jettison western education by Boko Haram insurgents and the demand by a renegade faction of the Movement for the survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, who recently declared self government from Nigeria as undemocratic, unacceptable and belated.

1. The retired Generals and other oligarchs in and outside the political parties in Nigeria are all primarily in the battle to weaken the rule of law and democracy.

1. Pondered whether Nigerians want to be saved and saved from what?

10. Richard Branson quotes Nigeria as the last place he would ever want to do business. Corruption is so endemic and deep into the system and the fabrics of the body politic of Nigeria that it is almost an impossibility to do anything in the proper and acceptable way as elsewhere in the civilise world. So whereas the Nigerians at the corridors of power are desperately looking for the opportunity to join the ranks of corrupt rulers, the ordinary Nigerians are desirous of change.

11. Nigerians in the Diaspora knows the difference between a bad unworkable government system and a good functional one therefore they want to be saved.

12. Nigerian rulers are impervious to media criticisms even as they paradoxically work hard to buy their silence or else brutally repress it into silence.

13. Nigeria’s rulers in all walks of life must however beware of sycophants – those servile selfish people who attempts to curry favours by flattering them.

14. The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, which ought to promote the rule of law and democracy has been hijacked and corrupted and compromised with filthy lucre in order to pervert the cause of justice in Nigeria.

15. Nigeria needs a workable election system that can guarantee that the democratic mantra, “one man, one vote” counts and the genuine leaders of the people emerge at elections. Subsequently Nigeria is in urgent need of real electoral reforms without which democracy would never take root in Nigeria.

16. The recent gubernatorial elections in Edo State was hailed as a small significant step in the right direction as it was bereft of violence and largely adjudged to be free and fair representation of the people’s will and INEC should strive to replicate it nationwide in future elections.

17. The biggest obstacle to the emergence of a long lasting platform for believable democratic change in Nigeria is the unspoken alliance of the ruling oligarchy and their minions against the Nigerians in the Diaspora who having studied to improve themselves and gathered invaluable experiences about life and what make the society work or fails. Many are ready and willing to return to improve things in Nigeria but there is this hostility against them at home by oligarchs who are threatened by the possibility of being exposed as evil by the success which the Nigerians in the Diaspora would make of things.

 

The Nigerian Observatory’s first discussion session resolved that:

1. President Goodluck “Jonathan and all Nigerian democrats need to cast a new mould for democracy, a mould built on the Rule of Law and Freedom. “

2. As the centennial of the Amalgamation of Nigeria approaches, Nigeria is in desperate need of a new constitution – a peoples’ constitution authored and signed by the real autochthons, “we the people …” The current constitution must be rejected for no amount of tinkering with it can make it workable because it was deliberately fashioned to contradict itself and perpetrate the oligarchy in power for ever.

3. The provisions of certain amenities for the welfare and enjoyment of Nigerians such as the provision of functional healthcare, education, good roads and portable water, must be made compulsory available and guaranteed in the constitution rather than be left to the whims and caprices of the undemocratic political parties that represents only the rulership and are largely anti-people.

4. Nigerians in the Diaspora must immediately form a Nigerian Union in Diaspora or any such name, in the mode of the West Africa Students Union (WASU) of the pre-Independence days. The headquarters should be in London because of her historical influence in the political development of Nigeria and being politically and geographically beyond the reach of the Oligarchs.

5. Nigerians should strive to enthrone the politics of inclusion not exclusion. And all those who want to be saved must take the necessary steps to themselves and their country, Nigeria.
6. Nigerians in the Diaspora are particularly well endowed with the intellectual weapons that can institutionalise the type of democratic institutions necessary for the sustenance of democracy such as the truth, reconciliation and restitution panel similar to that set up by the post apartheid government of Madiba Nelson Mandela in South Africa, so that the wilful killing of people like Pa Alfred Rewane, Chief Bola Ige, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola among other atrocious and violent reprisals against progressive forces for the emancipation of Nigerians cannot be swept under the carpet.
7. Nigerians must not be weary of fighting for the enthronement of genuine democracy and the rule of law. They must keep on fighting and informing the people of their rights and how to uphold them.
8. Nigerians in the Diaspora “may also wish to inform … fellow Nigerians that countries that engage in fierce ideological warfare do not win medals at the Olympic Games, not withstanding 2.3 billion Naira spent in the pursuit of Olympic medals. It takes more than Naira and Kobo to win medals. Nations that win medals are focused with a common destiny. This is what Nigeria needs at present” – a common destiny irrespective of political philosophy, religious creed, gender or ethnic nationality.

9. The Nigerian pastime of using ad hoc remedies as solutions for endemic problems such as the preference of Oligarchs in Aso Villa, the National Assembly and the Judiciary for ideological and practical solutions over constitutional or legal ones, which are making it very difficult for the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to perform his constitutional duties as Chief Law Officer of the Federal Republic must be stopped. In the healthy democracies such as those nations of the West that hosts Nigerians in the Diaspora, the rule of law is always preferred to the rule of might. Nigerians in the Diaspora, most of whom live in mature democracies in Europe and America and who are part of the development and progress in those countries, have a duty to work for replicating such progress in Nigeria, where ignorance and under-development is regarded as an act of Providence.

10. No longer must Nigerians accept bad feudalistic ruling oligarchy as their fate but they must now rededicate their faith in the rule of law, democracy, peace and unity.
11. The Nigerian observatory must evolve into a veritable platform for the agents of change willing and able to contribute ideas that can make a difference between doom and gloom on one hand and excellence, freedom, the rule of law and democracy with a formidable media for propagating the democratic ideals and expose at every turn the ills of the oligarchy that continue to hold Nigeria down.
12. The Nigerians in the Diaspora must continue to use everything possible including working together in a platform such as the Nigerian Observatory to break down the barriers that screen them from the powers that be in Nigeria. It must be reemphasised that Nigeria belongs to us all equally and the constitution must guarantee every fundamental human rights as declared by the United Nations organisation.
13. The oligarchy and its security operatives, who are members, sponsors or protects terrorist insurgents such as Boko Haram must be sorted out, exposed and brought to account for their actions no matter how high up in the society or how powerful they maybe.
14. Nigerians must dutifully work hard to sanitise the judiciary in order to repose confidence in it and strengthen the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
15. Nigerians in the Diaspora must take up the role of articulating, formulating and advising governments and other institutions inside Nigeria about new ways and means to improve and develop the country, the rule of law and democracy.

BRIEF RESUME OF KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Mr. Solomon Adun Asemota, senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN

This is the first outing of the Nigerian Observatory, a platform for Nigerians who believe that they can be agents of change for the betterment of Nigeria by lending a helping hand and their minds to articulate ideas that can uplift our nation and peoples from the doldrums and despair to the mountain top of excellence.

To flag off discussions by giving the keynote speech is an uncommon Nigerian. He is a Nigerian with solid, unblemished and verifiable reputation for truth and integrity. A man of towering achievements that is worth emulation by the crop of “leaders” we have today but choose instead to be a humble servant of the voiceless Nigerians.

• This respected gentleman has served Nigeria well in many capacities –  as a Police Officer trained in the United Kingdom
• Former member of Constitution Review Committee1987/88
• Member Constituent assembly 1988/1989

He is currently:

• National Coordinator, Ethnic Nationalities Movement
• Member of Patriots
• Chairman – Christian Social Movement of Nigeria
• Chairman, Board of Trustees of Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants, CURE – Nigeria

Mr Philip Ilenbarenemen moderated the event and also acted as the Rapporteur.

 

The convenors – ARISE NIGERIA and EDO OKPAMAKHIN – and management of the Nigerian Observatory, London, United Kingdom would like to place on record their profound gratitude to Mr Solomon Adun Asemota for finding time to visit the Observatory to share with us his thoughts and huge repartee of experiences on Nigeria and Nigeria’s future. We love and cherish you and wish you many more years in the service of our country, NIGERIA.

We also want o thank everyone who was able to attend this inaugural discussion session for finding the time from their very busy schedules to come and contribute to the debate by adding their voices to the clarion call for a better democratic Nigeria. We love you and Nigeria needs you.

Furthermore, many thanks go to Dr Peter Ozua and Dr Philip Idaewor for the moral and otherwise support that made this event possible.

To all the patriotic Nigerians out there who could not make it to the Observatory this time due to one thing or the other, we thank and hope to see you, and are looking forward to your contributions to the Nigerian project in an event at the Observatory soon. Its time Nigeria arose to take her rightful place on the world stage. But this cannot happen without the full participation in the affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of “we the people …”

Fellow Nigerians in the Diaspora, Nigeria calls, obey.

Philip Ilenbarenemen – Moderator/Rapporteur, Nigeria Observatory’s CHANGE AGENTS AND IDEAS SEMINAR SERIES – 2012

Contacts: Philip.ilen@yahoo.co.uk, philidaewor@yahoo.co.uk, charlieeze@yahoo.com

DATELINE: LONDON 19, AUGUST 2012