Even a child in the primary school will rattle the definition of democracy, lick it up like lollypop. It is the government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
A cursory look at this definition shows that the word ‘people’ appears three times in the rather short sentence. I find that fact striking.
Another striking fact about democracy is how rapidly it has taken root the world over, replacing other forms of government with alacrity. Democracy has evolved over the years to replace systems such as monarchies, dictatorships, theocracy, and so on.
Why is democracy preferred to other forms of government? I believe the answer is obvious. While other systems revolve around the ruler’s whims and caprices, democracy puts the people first. In other forms of government, the people are taught to serve the ruler faithfully. In a monarchy, for instance, jesters fall over themselves to make the king laugh. Praise-singing is seen as a noble profession in such places because the royal is gladdened by their services. In a democracy, however, the leader is expected to serve the people diligently. He will go to the people and beg for their votes. He will convince them of his loyalty to them in a bid to get their support.
In other forms of government, the people are called subjects and treated as such. In a democracy, the people are citizens who have rights enshrined in the constitution. In other forms of government, the ruler is the law, but in a democracy, the rule of law is sacred and the people are king.
Democracy was born to reduce the abuse of power by men who find themselves in positions of authority. It was introduced to give governance a human face. Nigeria is counted among nations that practice democracy. We have tried to sustain this status at all cost. Unfortunately, the people of this great nation have not seen much of the much-touted dividends of democracy. In some parts of the country, we find that the only meaningful legacies of good governance are those left behind by erstwhile military rulers.
The point being made here is that democracy seems not to be working in this country, and I believe that one of the reasons for this ugly situation has to do with the people. It is a sad situation that whereas the people are the fulcrum of a democratic government, the masses in Nigeria seem not to know that they are part of the government. They think it ends with casting votes (usually for those who paid better). They feel disappointed by their trusted leaders, but do not know how to react to this situation. Many people, out of annoyance, vow never to participate in the electoral process again. That is their reaction. Others believe that since the people are powerless to effect any reasonable change, their best bet is to praise-sing their way into the ruling circle and get their cut of the national cake. Still others assess a government on the basis of personal favours they have received from the administration, and nothing more or less. These attitudes cannot sustain good governance.
Our people have come to associate possession of power with absolutism. Many people even believe that questioning a leader’s policies and actions is the same as questioning God who put him there. How ridiculous! Others believe that it is the leader’s turn to occupy such an exalted position, and that no one should prevent him from enjoying his God-given privileges. Such people cross their fingers and wait for their own time to clinch power so that they too will acquire the right to rape the land unchallenged. Unfortunately, it is people with such a depraved mentality that usually clinch power in our polity. They are quick to remind any critic of their stupid policies that their predecessors did worse and got away with it.
I believe that the problem is that there has been no concerted effort to integrate the people into the philosophy of democracy. We must remember that we are talking about the same people whose psyche was badly damaged under ruthless dictators and totalitarian leaders. There should be a conscious effort to debrief the masses who were conditioned to swallow whatever the ruler said without questions.
A story was told about a chimpanzee that was in captivity for twelve years. During this period, he was tethered to a tree with a rope of twelve feet. After twelve years, the rope was cut and he was released from captivity, but he could not move beyond the radius of twelve feet. It took a long time of retraining under a new master for this chimp to understand his new status and take full advantage of it to enjoy a better life.
Advanced democracies of the world begin from infancy to educate their citizens on their rights and their place in the scheme of things. It is incumbent on us as a nation to educate and re-orientate the masses on their place in our democracy. It will be impossible to experience true growth and good governance until the people realize the immensity of the power they possess in a democratic setting and learn the right way to wield it.
NNENNA Ihebom
