Thursday 26 June 2014

The insensitivity of power BY DAVID BENSON

May 29, 2014 is come and gone. With it marked 15 unbroken years of Nigeria's democracy since a return to civil rule in the country in 1999.

Described and celebrated as the longest democratic dispensation and the most sustained throughout the country's history since her Independence from British rule in 1960, some say the nation is tottering on the path to achieving real democracy. Others blame its structure of governance for her many woes, while a great deal of many are critical of its institutions, values and the type of leadership she has been unfortunate to have evolve and become saddled with in her quest and determination to sustain and protect her democracy. This, have led to such indigenous approach being termed 'home-grown democracy.' With this development, governance, analyst believe, is subject to a lot of experimentation.

Many pitfalls often arise as a result. The collateral effects are most likely bound to threaten the political course or stability of democracy and may in the effect, put it in a detour and deter it from meeting or achieving the set ideals for the governed.


Approach to power always makes it easy or difficult for leaders to cut and lay their dreams to meet the approval and acceptability of the people. It is the wisdom to incorporate some degree of appeal into leadership that distinguishes one form of leadership from the other. Next is the ability to work a broader vision into governance and shape it to meet with the popular and broader needs of society.
This actually is what sets one government apart from the other. It is what broadens governance, gives it the desired acceptability and places a stamp of populism on its leader. And a leader can only be popular when his core vision matches the common views and wider aspirations of the people he governs.

And talking about experimentation, pitfalls and collateral effects which often may threaten the political course or stability of a democracy, the predictable detour that can always work to deter democracy from achieving its set ideals for the governed are certainly excused through its given leadership approach to the fundamental execution of political power.

The level headedness to cut and lay one's leadership dreams; to fit it with a degree of appeal and match its vision of leadership to the aspirations of the people is what craves a popular yearning amongst a people for its continuity. Besides such hollow ring, the thrust of leadership, whenever held suspect, can only be viewed from an insipid perspective. It leaves its circle unattractive; and the people, very tired and reproachful of its very power base and more especially, if such power base is held suspect of impunity and characterized with undeserving rule of tyranny. And such, is the moment that time comes calling and invariably; runs in to the rescue.

May 29, 2014 is come and gone. It is the date which has come to peak a history. In Akwa Ibom history, since the return to civil rule, it is the time at hand which has effectively come to separate the seven years of Governor Godswill Akpabio's days of uncommon political power. The years that has brought about an uncommon political experience and had certainly unleashed an uncommon characterization of development: physically, socio-politically and has also in cultural terms changed the totality of Akwa Ibom concept of democracy and justified it with the absolutism of power.

May 29, 2014 is the time that has brought with it a countdown to Governor Akpabio's last days in power as the dashing helmsman who determines the fate and affairs of Akwa Ibom State. Come May 29, next year; that clock will have ticked to a final stop. And the bells will chime calling for a hand-over; signifying the end of what began with a seeming order but ended in a hotchpotch.
It has marked an era, which boisterousness took a fast train ride with the hounds only to end up and in spite of its popular sides, a very contemptible band in power.

Akpabio's theatre of power has never ceased to effectively engage any reasonable mind in thoughtful thinking. And with the countdown to his exit, many will be drawn to increasingly think and reason how best this era of governance will be recorded in history.

Has he any equivalent or parallel in human history? How will he be best remembered? Will it be like that influential twentieth century political figure who, guided by a dramatic passion and vision, of whose unique perspective could never be properly placed, inspired a people to work for greatness, attempted to build a better nation; set up to construct a great civilization; but yet eaten up by the virus of racial hatred and a consuming passion to be worshipped and feared by men, ended up destroying both the vision and the civilization he had painstakingly worked to create. In the bid, the world and that most influential individual of the twentieth century lost all things that were precious and his name and face though instantly recognizable, became synonymous with infamy of power, such as succeeding generations would wish to ever forget.

Now, Governor Akpabio came in at a very demanding time. Obong Victor Attah created his face in politics and gave him an acceptable frame. As it is often cited, Attah fashioned his interest and fed his vision for power. He saddled him with the wings to fly with the sudden swiftness of an eagle. Attah groomed and sanctified him to take the mantle when it was time he walked out through the revolving door. The youths bought in. The people bought in. He was the prince apparent. The very governor-in-waiting.

When Attah's vision began to derail, the people queued behind him. The people, the whole people, everybody became drafted into the project. All became implicated in establishing his government. Let God's will be done! Let God's will be done!! It became an enchanted cry on every lip. We lavished our goodwill upon him. We invested all our hopes and dreams in his materialization as governor. Only for the realization of this hope, people weathered three days beneath the cruel elements, with unwashed bodies and hunger in the stomachs, they stood firm by a common resolve. And because it was a challenge thrust at the people, faith and sacrifice paid off. Godswill was given the ticket by popular will.

We, the people, everybody, excepting a negligible few, voted him into office and his government was supposed to be a government of the people. But seven years from that beginning, the reality has isolated the people from the power. To the elected, his greatest failing has been an inability to execute an allotted task on behalf of the people that made him. In the end, we all have come to the cross-roads of history. Condemned by time and the savagery of lust found in the vilified approach of Governor Godswill Akpabio's descent to bestial and primordial exercise of political power. what valid conclusions can we then arrive against a government that had suddenly turn against the people with an absurd pension scheme for former 'elected' governors, while their deputies and spouses will be provided by law for a life-time?

As if an attempt to impose a successor is not enough, consider this highlight of the recent Bill, passed post-haste by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, and condemned by the conscience of both the governed and the Nigeria Bar Association, but signed into law to be implemented from June 2014 by Governor Godswill Akpabio: the law as designed is to take away from the people, impoverish the masses and add a lifetime of comfort to those they elected into power.

It is said to provide, a N100 million annual medical bill payout to former governors and N30 million for their deputies. Other provisions include a new official car and utility vehicle once every four years; the provision of a personal aide and adequate security for his person during his lifetime; the provision of funds to employ a cook, chauffeurs and security guards for the governor at a sum not exceeding N5 million or an equivalent of $50,000 per month.

Other provisions of the law include a befitting house, not below a five-bedroom mansionette in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja or in Akwa Ibom State, for the former governor; a furniture allowance of 300 per cent of annual basic salary once in every four years; a yearly maintenance and fuelling of vehicle allowance of 300 per cent of annual basic salary and severance gratuity of 300 per cent of annual basic salary. The fore-going is not all; the law also provides a yearly utility allowance of 100 per cent of annual basic salary; entertainment allowance which is also 100 per cent of annual basic salary; and the state to bear the full cost of burial for the beneficiary and pay a condolence allowance of a sum equivalent to the annual basic salary of the incumbent to his next of kin.

The above can only represent an insensitivity and recklessness on the part of any sitting government against its governed. Its interest can only be protected when a citizenry wallowing in hunger, disease, squalor and base deprivation allows the same government to perpetrate itself in power through the imposition of its own lackey as successor. But Governor Akpabio with the great countdown should think on how to finish well, and not to work the means of earning for himself the most despicable infamy in history. The people are watching and also a stunned world.

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