DILEMMA OF KOGI EAST POLITICS

Representative democracy, though a good and convenient system for modern societies, comes not without pitfalls. The pitfalls I speak about are not necessarily situated in the democratic system itself. In fact, there is nothing seriously wrong with representative democracy as it is the nearest means of having everyone involved in governance. The problem is with the general attitude that underlies the process, at least in our part of the world. The accumulation of negatives which have fuelled widespread public discontent is fast demeaning the significance of representative democracy around here. Indeed, democratic values have been misplaced and replaced with politics of the stomach and thus, the greatest damage to representative democracy. Politics of the stomach is to blame for all the assault on democracy in Nigeria. The one who aspires to be elected is not motivated by a sense of service to the people but of service to the pockets.

Those who will vote are wont to do so in so far as it can be determined how heavier their pockets become after the exercise. This two- way problem has reinforced and succeeded in characterising our democracy with cynicism, mistrust, greed, instability and unhealthy rivalry. At the receiving end of this ugly development is the society. Another victim is the political system. While it puts our system of representative democracy in peril, it equally erodes support for our political system. It hinders the development and progress of our land and people. It weakens the bond and unity of purpose amongst our citizens, and their representatives. It clouds our judgment and misleads us into assailing the character, and damaging the reputation of otherwise talented and concerned representatives. Where we are meant to appreciate, we blindly denounce. We must not forget that our leaders are humans and will naturally find motivation in our appreciation. When we deny them that, we drive them to confusion and loss of focus. A worrisome scenario of these concerns is to be found in Kogi east senatorial district. The volatility of political activities, the astounding conflicts of interest and the fiendish partisanship has all but denied this district the dividends of representative democracy; its most damaging effects are conspicuously felt at the level of the federal legislature. Be it the House of Representatives or the Senate, politics of the stomach as typified in the campaigns of changes or no comeback politics is grievously taking its toll on the legislative developments and achievement in Kogi east federal constituencies and senatorial district. It is instructive to point out that the National Assembly is more or less the central workshop of Nigeria politics. Lots of the goings on in the upper and lower chambers of our legislature have bearings on democratic achievements and because of this the good fortunes or deprivations that become the lot of the people is greatly dependent on the status and influence of the people they have in the congress.

Few people really understand what goes on inside the National Assembly and as a result of this inadequate knowledge or information about the affairs of the congress, we conveniently rush to town heaping blame on our senators and representatives and ascribe to them names such as ‘ I concur member’ ‘the mute member,’ the smile only senator, back bencher, and a lot of other satirical labelling. This attitude is quite demeaning and tends to roll back the frontiers of our legislative achievements. This ridiculous attitude rather than spurring such congress men to action, produces a negative effect on their resolve, disposition and interest in the legislative business. Indeed, it puts a wedge between the constituents and their representatives because the general feeling of apathy and prejudice that has taken over the reasoning of the constituents, in the worst case scenario, such representatives recoil and only hob-nob within a few circle of the constituents that patronise them. This is to be expected because the masquerade will always go dancing where it receives the most applause. Over the years, the people of Kogi east senatorial district have had to endure what we may call a raw deal in legislative representation. They have been complaints about the senator and representatives who are out for themselves, lack integrity and act unethically. But we have never really taken time to analyse and reflect on the whys and wherefores of the raw deals we get. If we had done that we would have known that we are responsible for our problems. We ourselves are to blame for our representatives’ lackluster showing in the National Assembly. While we like the ideas of representative democracy, we have little liking for the practices, institutions and politicians that make it work. Our intolerance of the processes and lack of trust and support for our representatives remain the greatest bane of our legislative achievements. It is lamentable that even up to this time, the scales have not fallen off our eyes that we may see that our senator deserves our trust and support to succeed and bring back democratic gains. Comrade Musa Wada, Lokoja