Still on the siren immunity
Assured of the iron-cast paraphernalia of rigging which usually guarantees a return, the incumbents are in no mood to debate. Truth is, they have nothing to say to the electorate because they do not depend on them to ‘win’. Nothing exemplifies the disconnect in governance better than the fact that nothing stopped the presidential campaign […]
Assured of the iron-cast paraphernalia of rigging which usually guarantees a return, the incumbents are in no mood to debate. Truth is, they have nothing to say to the electorate because they do not depend on them to ‘win’. Nothing exemplifies the disconnect in governance better than the fact that nothing stopped the presidential campaign train all through – not bomb blasts, road accidents, killings or other underhand arrangements. If the people mattered, there would have been moments of connectivity between the train and what happened to the people from taking time off to talk to warring factions in Jos to cancelling rallies where convoys have been involved in fatal accidents leading to the deaths of personal aides. With gusto, the train began and without impact it ended.
Such is the luck granted to incumbents. Poor opposition, they have no such luxury. They could not despatch presidential planes to world leaders to explain the elections even where there are capable resident envoys. But then, one must understand that the envoys were mostly home helping to sustain the status quo. The Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom is the chief campaign co-ordinator, there was no representation in South Africa and several political ambassadors abandoned post and returned home to campaign – all of course at tax-payer’s expense. Such impunity is only known to our kind of democracy. On the part of the president, there was no comment to his peers at the states to free up the democratic space – the silence that greeted the tearing down of posters, closure of campaign offices paled into insignificance to his heckling in a few places for which he wanted his opponents banned. Little wonder, after all this is a presidency installed and sustained on the doctrine of necessity which is unknown to law or constitution.
One of the most disturbing show of insouciance was last week’s accident involving the convoy of Ibrahim Shema in which several deaths occurred including the governor’s chief aide. Accidents such as this would have been avoided if governors owe their allegiance to the people and do not have to use a truckload of anti-riot police and tear down roads at breakneck speed because they have a function. Governor Shema showed up unfazed at the campaign venue while his aide lay cold in the hands of death. Nothing could stop this governor from a rare photo-op with his president which in itself is a rare of loyalty Nigerian style. If he had told the president about the incident, they both decided to hush it up and carry on as if nothing had happened. In Benue State, a similar accident in which journalists on Governor Suswam’s convoy were involved did not deter the governor from zooming off. Suswam’s eyes are too dainty to behold a wrecked car in which journalists beaming his activities or the lack of it hung on a thread.
It would appear that accidents trail the ruling party in most of its endeavours. For by weekend, another accident had hit the convoy of Governor Aliyu Babangida. It is notable that Babangida behaved differently from his peers by not only cancelling his tour, but showing up at the burial of victims and asking that their medical bills be borne by the taxpayer completely not altruistic but commendable. The siren immunity, which is neither covered by law or convention, is a carryover from military dictatorship where a military governor closes down the main highway at dawn because he would have a function there in the evening. Not even in Gnassingbe Eyadema’s Togo is such impunity condoned.
The amount of money spent maintaining convoys including allowances for aides and security agents is whopping to say the least. One wonders why we continue to keep it when it benefits nothing except buffer up ego. Isn’t it ludicrous that people who swore on holy books purporting to have faith in God spend so much time protecting themselves? What is it that they need all the protection for that the people they represent are not immune against? Why bother so much when you truly can’t stop death when it would come? They want to be called people’s governor, talakawa governor et al, but need police protection from the same people – its incredible. Within years, they are forced to return to the same people as ordinary folks! In office, their actions and words continue to distance them from the people, which is why they spend stupendous amounts of tax-payer’s money on frivolities and often have little or nothing to show for governance.
On the presidential debate, it is instructive that Mr. President would only grant interviews to pop stars who, like him are immune from the vicissitudes of life rather than face a panel that would help him realise that governance is more than the perks that comes with being called ‘Your Excellency.’