Dr. Bukola Saraki, Nigeria's Senate President
Dear Mr. President.
The State of a Nation in Search of Its Future
Shall we continue in this “dangerous
jungle” where life has become hellish and the future is uncertain so
that Nigeria can abound? My dear President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola
Saraki, may I passionately urge you to take a deep introspection, pause
and pay some rapt attention to the voices of the oppressed reverberating
from the wilderness, shouting menacingly “what portion have we in this
British contraption? We have no inheritance in the making of Lord
Lugard; to your tents, O Nigeria!” This is the sight and sound of the
sad reality of the present times. Yet, I sincerely hope that Nigeria
will not slide fatally from the precipice. I love Nigeria.
Our nation, once full of prospects, is
dying. That great hope at independence that made some global pundits to
tout it as capable of rivaling great lands, have faded. Unfortunately,
some elders who led us to this parlous path and have refused to let go,
are still shamelessly feasting, celebrating political marriage of
daughters, cutting political cakes at their birthdays and disingenuously
holding tight to political powers in their state of infirmity. They are
again at it, conspiring and consulting to foist their interest on us
ahead of another round of general elections and consign our future to
their protégés. Yet, they are pleading we should not pray that they die.
But they are worse than the village enemies that we daily ask God to
destroy. So, what option do we have?
I do not intend to spoil the fun or mar
the party of your two years anniversary in office as the Chairman of the
National Assembly. I concede that, at least, you have something to
cheer, even outside some good bills passed by the Senate in the last two
years; you have equally proved wrong some bookmaker – who had predicted
you would not survive your first three months in office. 91 bills
passed in two years and still counting, inclusive of the latest
amendments to the Electoral Act 2010; the first part of the Petroleum
Industry Governance Bill and some other notable ones, are parts of the
highlights of your robust leadership.
Good laws are the wheels of a working
and walking democracy, but it would require much more than passing bills
to get Nigeria out of the woods. However, no one should get it twisted;
it will equally require all the good laws, including repealing the
obnoxious ones and amending some other ones along the way, if we
sincerely desire to rescue our nation from the brink. It is therefore
worth the space, if merrymaking can give way to soul-searching and sober
reflection, while our 109 Senators and 360 Representatives use the
anniversary to interrogate their consciences and ponder if they had also
not betrayed public trust like the misguiding elders.
Mr President of the Senate, Sir, read
what the great Marcus Tullius Cicero said: “Six mistakes mankind keeps
making century after century: believing that personal gain is made by
crushing others; worrying about things that cannot be changed or
corrected; insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot
accomplish it; refusing to set aside trivial preferences; neglecting
development and refinement of the mind; attempting to compel others to
believe and live as we do.” Several of our political players are out of
tune with these wise points. They are pernicious power mongers and
disgusting opportunists, who are using the corridors of power for
influence peddling and yet seeking relevance without purpose.
Today, Nigerians are regaled with the
vexatious tales of how the cabal is exploiting President Muhammadu
Buhari’s encumbered health to undermine the entire nation and the
Presidency. You will recall that the Senate had received a controversial
letter transmitted by Mr. President on his way to the UK, which coinage
went beyond section 145 of the 1999 constitution (as amended), to
illegally narrow down the scope of operations of the acting president to
“coordination of government activities.” As it were, the Acting
President, Yemi Osinbajo, has been unable to swear-in ministers, post
ambassadors and sign the 2017 budget because of the predatory influence
of the cabal.
With all this treasonable affront and
troubling developments threatening our democracy, when shall the Senate
see beyond Osinbajo, and realise that this conspiracy is against the
people, the constitution and the hallowed authority of the red chamber
itself? Taking a cue from what the US Senate is doing to protect
institutions and democracy currently over the alleged Russia’s
interference in the 2016 presidential election, I similarly appeal to
the Nigerian Senate to immediately put a searchlight on the Presidency
and commence an investigation into the activities of some persons
undermining the system.
The Senate is also urged to investigate
the activities of the Department of State Services (DSS), and prevent it
from arbitrarily using its coercive powers to harass, intimidate and
illegally detain suspects without charging them to courts. Such virulent
act is inimical to the national security it seeks to protect. The
Senate should rise to protect the dignity of the DSS as a responsible
institution and guide it from putting its perceived invincibility at
risk.
In addition, the Senate is enjoined to
ensure that justice is done to the victims of the self-inflicted and
tragic Air-force aerial bombing of Rann IDP camp in Borno State last
year, so it is not forever swept under the carpet. Also, the recent
barbaric Navy onslaught against some policemen that led to some deaths
and arson must be investigated and the culprits punished in accordance
with the law.
There is an imminent threat against our
national security with the continuous inflow of dangerous weapons, in
large numbers, into Nigeria. As a matter of urgent national concern, the
Senate should commence a public hearing on this, and summon the
leadership of the Nigerian Customs Service, in order to unravel those
behind the importation of these deadly weapons and the underpinning
conspiracy.
Our nation is becoming a story of
tragedy; the fault-lines are widening and the union is at risk. This
nation must find a way to address the agitations of the Independent
People of Biafra (IPOB) for justice to be done to the South-East; it
must address the injustice against the Islamic Movement of Nigeria
(IMN); it must put a stop to the activities of murderous herdsmen. No
one zone or region has the monopoly of terror any longer and time is
fast running out on us. The Senate has a big role to play to redeem a
dying nation. We can no longer run away from restructuring, people’s
federalism, reforms and the need to recreate a new nation if we want the
union to remain.
As young Nigerians, we are coming up
with “The Big Alternative” – the irreducible minimums. No one must be
voted for or appointed who will not sign a pact to make use of only our
public health facilities, while their wards must only attend public
schools in Nigeria. We must put an end to the burdensome political
pension for politicians, stop double dripping – pension and political
emoluments; we must insist on open declaration of assets; we must demand
“made and make in Nigeria”– government and its officials cannot
patronise anything that has local substitute.
As I congratulate you on the occasion of
your second anniversary as the President of the Senate, Sir, like
Cicero, “Let the welfare of the people be the ultimate law.”
May God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Ariyo-Dare Atoye is the executive director of Adopt A Goal. He can be reached by email HERE.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
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