"Gone are the days when leaders serve the people. Times have changed. These days, the people serve their leaders, how unfortunate "
The central assertion of social contract approaches is that law and political order are not natural, but are instead human creations. The social contract and the political order it creates are simply the means towards an end, the benefits of the individuals involved are legitimate only to the extent that they fulfill their part of the agreement. To avoid an endless war of all against all, free men contract with each other to establish political community, through a social contract in which they all gain security in return for subjecting themselves to an absolute sovereign, one man or an assembly of men. And that when the government failed to secure their natural rights or satisfy the best interests of society, citizens can withdraw their obligation to obey, or change the leadership through elections or other means including when necessary, violence.
Unfortunately, today governments of many countries around the world Nigeria inclusive, have failed to adhere to the social contract they entered with their citizens. The Nigerian case study is a situation whereby over the years preceding the country's independence, citizens have been supportive of every governments including the military juntas, largely for the government to provide security for their lives and properties, better their living conditions protect and promote their interests. The preceding democratic governments and the present one served as an avenue where citizens have the leverage to negotiate as electorates with whoever seeking to lead them, by way of presenting their demands and promise their support if such are going to be fulfilled afterwards. It was best on this agreement reached or otherwise, that citizens decide to support any candidate or otherwise. Social contract in this context thus, have been truncated and made to be a matter of opportunity and doing the otherwise in the side of the leaders. Preceding governments have made the promises to secure lives and properties of citizens whose efforts were the result of their being in power a mere blanket promises, people are living in an unsecured and chaotic environments in fear and grieves, with attendant communal clashes, bandit raids, insurgent attacks, incessant armed robbery, dreaded kidnapping, militancy and cultism, the continued activities of Sara Suka, Yan Daba, Yan Shara, Yan Kalare among other societal menace in most of our towns, cities and villages is unfortunate. The years long neglects by leaders at all levels under whatever guise to better the living standard of Nigerians is another setback and a big failure to the social contract between citizens and the leaders. Demands for better living conditions including provision of basic infrastructure and social amenities such as countrywide good access roads, provision of portable drinking water, uninterrupted electricity supply, affordable housing; mass transit, schools, foodstuffs, hospitals, clothing and employment opportunity for all have not been fulfilled, and painfully intentionally by the preceding rulers to continue subjugating the citizens as their servants not the other way round. At the same time unlawfully bring laws that infringe on citizens rights, and his attempt to demand for a fair share of the resources they are after and hijacked.
These situations have over the years culminated into a huge problem for the Nigerian state, so many people felt disappointed with the unfavourable system, the bulk of Nigerians were shortchanged and forced to begin to subvert the process, though some out of shared greed, coups have been staged during the military era all in an effort to change unfavourable governments, some coups were succeeded with fatalities amounting to dead or bloodless but others were abortive. Likewise in the democratic dispensation, elections were held, a period in which candidates whose manifestos are anti people were voted out and bring those people felt can deliver up to expectation into power. Astoundingly, the complain lingers, with the electorates hoping to see another time to vote out those they prior considered credible as they did nothing tangible to prove that, but doing otherwise. The fear here is that, until these set of people come to term with the reality that they were elected to serve not to be served, Nigerians will forever be complaining with their leaders. And the complain is justifiable given the fact that, in your domain someone with nothing, will be help to become something but turns against people's wish and desires over time, he/she lives an affluent life, built mansions, provide expensive amenities for his comfort and that of his/her family, go about in a convoy of luxurious vehicles and security security at home and office, all with the use of tax payers money and at the detriment of those whose interest he/she ought to serve, and leave them in a perpetual fear as a result of insecurity, riddle with abject poverty, diseases and hunger, lack of basic amenities including schools, hospitals, and housing for all, no roads, electricity, bridges, portable water supply among others. These and many more are the situations that led to the question of the legitimacy of these set of leaders, and the veracity of whether they shall be respected, including following their orders or any law they so enacted, at the same time help promote their interest and desire to continue dominating the political sphere without recourse to mass collective effort to change the status quo. Hence, the coup attempts in the past which consumed several governments including the post independent Nigerian civilian government, the lost of lives of the preceding military Head of States, officers and men among others, the overzealousness of some Nigerians who felt shortchanged, sidelined, or misrepresented to subvert the governmental process the results to which Nigeria is still battling to tackle enormous economic, political and social challenges which are deliberately created out of selfishness and now making things difficult for the preceding governments at all levels and the country in general. Lastly, the people's collective resolve to change any existing, flourishing and powerful unfavourable democratic government through election by way of voting out such government in the poll as in the 2015 general election. Categorically, these can be a results of the non-adherence to the tenants of the social contract between people and their leaders.
Undoubtedly, nothing is more powerful than the people's will, and it's high time that these people shall call the attention of of their leaders back to the drawing table to make amends the existing social contract, as it has a lopsided advantage only beneficial to the ruling class, which denied and exclude the teaming Nigerians in the equitable sharing of state resources, infrastructure and basic amenities, adequate security for lives and properties, employment opportunity, among other needs. The upcoming 2019 general election, shall be a year of opportunity for Nigerian electorates, since there are general uproar nationwide on the way the crop of politicians are ruling Nigerians, let's use this time to bring only people that can be beneficial to the people and societies to which they are representing into the corridors of power. Every Nigerian have the right to belong to any political party of his/her choice and can move to another as he/she so wish, it will be interesting to begin to avoid party politics and collectively adapt competency and credibility as a yardstick to which candidates can be elected into political positions at all level. This in essence will give opportunity for people who are ready to serve not to be served to become leaders, with vision and passion to serve the yearnings and aspirations of the teaming Nigerians, thus, fulfilling the social contract.
mumarlere@gmail.com
Wrote from Zaria
No comments:
Post a Comment