|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
When I hear people say they hate politics and that they do not take part in it, I know they are ignorant and do not know that they are inadvertently setting themselves up for possible heartbreak and frustration. Politics is what births governments and governments determine the quality of your life.
Many of us do not adequately appreciate how governments shape our lives, relationships, families, accomplishments, peace of mind, quality of living, and indeed, our lifespan. In fact, many Nigerians believe, ignorantly, of course, that they can live their lives independent of government and attain fulfilment.
How governments run your life
Well, I got news for you. Your government can make or mar you. A government can and does determine how you live your life, determine your marital or family status, directly decide how far you go in your career or how big your business can grow, or even the type of business you can do, who you can relate with, where you can live or work, who can be your family, how you spend your money, whether you can leave the country or not. The government has total control over your life. This is achieved through laws, regulations, policies, and sometimes pronouncements.
So, for instance, the government requires you to present the woman or man you propose to marry for approval, as stipulated by the Marriage Act, before you are recognised as married. Even customary marriage has a law guiding it.
In 1996, then head of state General Sani Abacha unilaterally stopped the Super Eagles, the male national football team and defending African football champions, from going to South Africa to defend their trophy due to political scabbles with the Apartheid country. Many organisations and individuals, including sponsors, sports companies, and media organisations, who have spent millions of naira in readiness for participation at that year’s AFCON lost their money. That is how the government can disrupt your life or plans.
In May this year, the government banned the importation of certain goods, including pharmaceutical products, poultry, fruit juice, pasta, etc. Imagine what the ban does to individuals and businesses who rely on such imports. A similar scenario played out during the administration of the late Muhammadu Buhari, when the government suddenly shut our land borders. That led to billions of dollars in lost income for businesses that export goods to the West African subregion. One can only imagine the knock-on effect on the affected businesses in terms of employee retention and job cuts, salary payments, debt servicing, vendor engagements, and ROI for shareholders.
Recently, to curtail what the government viewed as excessive japa of medical personnel, the regulation was tweaked to make it more difficult for the country’s nurses and doctors to leave the country. The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), for instance, increased the timeframe for its verification process for nurses who wished to move abroad to at least six months from the two weeks it used to be, as part of efforts to stem the japa trend. It also precluded newly qualified nurses from the verification process. That was an instance of the government determining when you can leave the country for greener pastures. Through taxation, the government determines how much of your salary you can spend. The government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria, determines your business’s access to adequate funding for expansion through the Monetary Policy Rate. The government determines what kinds of food are available for you to eat: organic or GMOs. Governments have been known to seize people’s international passports to prevent them from leaving the country.
If a government labels a group a criminal organisation, you may be committing a crime if you relate or interact with such a group, even if some members of the group are your family or relations. That is an example of how the government can determine who you relate with. Recently, a federal court in Canada, siding with an earlier decision of the Canadian Immigration Appeal Division to deny a Nigerian asylum, was reported to have labelled the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s two dominant political parties, as terrorist organisations. What that means is that a Nigerian-Canadian citizen who identifies or sympathises with APC or PDP risks losing his Canadian citizenship or being deported for being a terrorist. Indeed, the government controls every aspect of the citizens’ lives and living.
Who or what is this all-powerful government?
In a democracy like we have in Nigeria, government is simply a group of people the citizens themselves have chosen to entrust their lives to. The government comprises a legislative arm (those who make the laws to guide our lives), a judicial arm, tasked with interpreting the laws made and providing succour for those wronged, and an executive arm, empowered to implement the law. Thankfully, as a citizen of a democratic country, you have the power to choose your government and to participate in and monitor what laws it makes since such laws directly or indirectly affect you or your business. Unfortunately, your non-participation in politics or in choosing your government does not nullify the choice of those who did.
And this brings me to the legislative arm (the National Assembly) and the laws they make, many of which hardly garner robust participation from Nigerians. Did you know, for instance, that the National Assembly is currently legislating on 87 amendments to the country’s constitution that will have far-reaching ramifications for you and me? I bet not many of us know this. This is why you must actively monitor your government to know what it is doing on your behalf and check to see that it is in your best interest.
Let us examine some of these amendments and what may be in them for you. Of the 87 amendments sought by the National Assembly, many are very critical to the country’s growth and development while some may be self-serving.
Creation of State Police
State policing has perpetually been under the Exclusive List in the Constitution. What that means is that only the federal government is vested with the powers to create a police force. One of the bills under consideration seeks to move policing from that list to the Concurrent List, thus allowing both the federal and state governments to legislate on the creation of a police force. The creation of state police has long been a contentious issue, but it is hoped that the current security collapse across the country may sway the argument in favour of state policing.
Creation of new states
There are several bills from different lawmakers seeking the creation of new states. Hopefully, they will be consolidated and deliberated upon.
Local government autonomy
In a landmark judgement last year, the Supreme Court granted local governments autonomy from state governments. That means, federal allocation will henceforth go directly into LGA accounts as opposed to the current practice where state governments collect such allocations on LGAs’ behalf only to give them what they desire. The era of selecting council executives by state governors is also over; just like the state governors, council chairmen and councilors must now be elected, not selected. To ensure state governments do not interfere in the election, the Assembly is considering autonomy for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the local government level.
Electoral reforms
A number of electoral reforms are also on the table. Reforms being considered include more autonomy for INEC, the speedy legislation on election matters before and after elections, to ensure that the right candidates go to the polls or are sworn in. A single 6-year term for elected executives across the three tiers of government. Recognition of rotational presidency, governorship, and chairmanship.
Harmonisation of elections into one day rather than the current staggered approach.
Diaspora voting
As part of the electoral reforms, voting by Nigerians abroad is also being considered to ensure Nigerians are not disenfranchised wherever they may be in the world.
Women participation in politics
To enhance and encourage better participation by women in partisan politics, the lawmakers are considering tweaking the constitution to reserve legislative seats for women as well as citizenship reforms that will help eliminate gender-based biases.
Increase the number of justices in the Supreme Court
Another amendment seeks to increase the number of justices in the Supreme Court from the current constitutional maximum of 21 to 31. According to the promoter, this is to enable the speedy and efficient dispensation of justice.
Citizenship via investment
A curious amendment is the one related to citizenship by investment. Investing a certain amount of capital in some countries affords the individual the opportunity to become a citizen of such a country, if he/she so chooses. Nigeria hopes to emulate such a programme.
The lawmakers have set December 2025 to conclude deliberations on the above amendments and many more. How have you contributed to this process? This is the time for robust engagements with your representatives on these reforms and how they affect your lives or livelihood.
Politics goes beyond electioneering or voting, it requires your oversight over the people you have entrusted your lives to. You must insist on regular constituency and town hall meetings with your representatives to get a firsthand knowledge of what is going on at the National Assembly and how you can contribute to the legislative process. If you are passionate about a specific law, you can get your representatives to vote on it as well as mobilise others to support such.
It is time you stopped saying you hate politics and therefore remain passive. You must take your destiny into your hands otherwise others will continue to manipulate it to your disadvantage.
