DEMOCRACY DEVLOPMENT IN NIGERIA: THE ROLE OF ---

DEMOCRACY DEVLOPMENT IN NIGERIA: THE ROLE OF LEGISLATURE





BY





M. M. Yusif
Department of Political Science
Bayero University, Kano





Being a paper presented in a Training Workshop organized by Society for Youth Awareness and Health Development (SYAHD) on Sustainable Democratic Governance in Nigeria held on Sunday May 10th 2009 at Mambayya House, Kano





Democracy Development in Nigeria: The Role of Legislature

I am delighted by the Society for Youth Awareness and Health Development to have invited me to a forum of youths from tertiary institutions in Nigeria on democracy development. The topic given to me by organizers of the programme is “The Role of Nigerian Legislature in Democracy Development”. In view of the reality of legislative practices and democracy generally, the topic seems a very complex one and needs to be carefully thought out. In order to bring out the paradox of democracy in the current era of globalization I have slightly amended the title as above and yet would attempt to do what the organizers wanted me to do.
1
A central background problem on the relationship between legislature and democracy in Nigeria is that Nigerians have lost confidence in ability of today’s democracy to solve their social and economic problems as are many of the citizens of other “New Democracies”.

Twenty years ago the vast majority of Nigerians, especially the middle classes sighted a sign of relief and benefits from transition to democracy. When it became endless transition various categories of the middle classes had to initiate campaign and demonstrations against military rule, for democracy.

The pursuit for democracy became a reality when the military is forced to conclude the transition. But over the intervening years that hopes for social and economic benefits steadily declined. Even among the middle classes only those who embraced the neo-liberal agenda hook and sinker have no courage to complain.

My records are too numerous to be noted. Some observers can see directly from the law makers who each receive N100 million annually for travels, another hundreds of millions of naira for seven workers as assistants, as constituency allowance, etc. These are official allowances in addition to monthly salary. The danger is that now the vast majority of Nigerians thinks that the benefits of democracy come only to those who are elected to make and implement laws and their campaign managers. To say the least, democracy is associated with looting of government resources.
2
Why is it so hard for democracy in Nigeria to meet the aspirations of the people? The essence of democracy is not of celebrations of the procedures which has become the major concern of politicians and all those who benefit from the ceremonies. It is not merely about formation of political parties and holding of elections.

From a theoretical focus democracy is a system “for accomplishing what can only be achieved by citizens joining together with other citizens to determine the rule of the game whose outcomes express the common goal”.

The real purpose of democracy, why it is taken seriously from any ideological point of view is that people can come together to make rules which can be made to affect how the economy grows; how to divide the resources generated by the economy; and very important how to instill personal sentiments that we share ‘nationality’ and we are working for overall development of the nation.

It is also fundamental that through democracy people come to make rules that would enable the political system to provide growth, fairness and equity as well as other goals we share in common between various ethnic and social groups.

A variety of political forces both of capitalist and socialist expressions converge on the utility of democracy for both individual and collective development of human society. Therefore, it is anticipated that every progress of human society should be accompanied by expansion of democracy.

However, neo-liberal globalization has transformed political and other relationships in profound ways to the extent that the logic of collective action to press for democratic demands have changed.

Consequently democracy has become less responsive to lower social group interests in the society. Why?
3
Democracy character and development in Nigeria as in other countries must be seen from a theoretical point of view that it is a product of global economic relations and the specific economic structure produced locally.

From the 1950s through the 60s up to mid 970s capitalism in Europe, America and Japan was more or less a democratic system. So, also in other countries. It negotiated and renegotiated itself with various interest groups to create a balance for the benefits of all. These were the days when social democracy became the order of the day and when welfare states existed every where providing all sorts of services free while capitalism still making its own profits.

Meanwhile, in Nigeria this era of democratic capitalism was partly under military rule, yet majority of citizens of Nigeria had more economic benefits, interest groups had more space for collective action to achieve a goal and generally Nigerian citizens were more distinctively working together to achieve a common objective. These were also the days when the economy, both by private and state initiatives had made fast jump for growth and development.

Inspite of all these, why is democracy enfeebled to day?

4
The structure of democratic capitalism globally, began to change after the middle of the decade of 1970s. There is technological revolution which started during that decade.

Consequently the structure of capitalism began to change as a result of boom and bubble in finance, investment, and business which raised competition between capitalist enterprises. Thus, long time before neo-liberal globalization is borne capitalism had to begin to deregulate in Europe, America and Japan.

When Reagan and Thatcher came in the USA and UK respectively, they met capitalism already deregulating itself, so they had followed it and pushed not to deregulate and marketised in their respective countries but also across the globe.

So, the idea of neo-liberal globalization spread everywhere, including to Nigeria. One policy arm is to marketised the economy. The second is to democratize by forming political parties and holding elections. A complete project of Milton Friedman of “Economic and Political Freedom” as the only course to development. Most countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America have followed this wind of change, but there is already a common consensus everywhere that this democracy has failed to give democracy to ordinary citizens. Only to corporate and big business. Okay, what are the obstacle for ordinary people in this democracy?

5
there is no doubt that the deregulated economy has produced more wealth, more rich people and perhaps more prosperity for many people in Nigeria as in other countries. But this wealth has made the gap between the rich and poor wider. It has increased inequality in the society. The increasing inequality has vidicated a report of one consultant that only about 169 families control the economy and politics of Nigeria.

What about corruption? To put it in a wider context corruption is more than what Hausaman would call “gaisuwa” or Igbo would call “Egunje”. It is any action which subverts the established rule and procedures of doing something in order to favour self or somebody which ultimately some benefits would trickle to you or to somebody closed to you.

Corruption is very dangerous. It undermines democracy, the capacity to act democratically and every promise of development. It breeds sycophancy, godfatherism and in short marginalized those who are capable of fighting for democracy.

At economic level. In Nigeria as in other countries in the developing world, as the scale of market economy widens, the federal government of Nigeria has withdrawn a range of public services including health and education as well as assistants to farmers which in developed countries ran to billions of dollars annually. Subsequently, our markets are flooded with junk food and drinks that are dangerous to our health and yet there are no health facilities.

There are numerous other problems of the New Economy. One which is worth noticeable in this discussion is that hundreds of industries have collapsed and left us with mass of jobless youth on the street whose concept of democracy is not to fight for common goal but for them only to get money to eat food. Politicians play with this new social group who are found every where on the streets.

Furthermore, at any community level whether of work or settlement including family relations, market dominates individual desires instead of responding to goals we would like to achieve together.
Consequently, as earlier hinted the logic of collective interest for collective action has disappeared. So, what would we do with our New Democracy to change this situation?

6
Our future is still very much in our hands. We have gone far through this theoretical relationships to fully understand the problem of democracy today. But there is no saying of returning to past democratic vision – nor should we wish to go back to past – but it is certainly possible to reshape the present in ways that would better serve the interests of majority of Nigerians. Again, it is not that we have to go extra-legal i.e. demanding for social revolution in order to get democracy to serve the interest of the poor majority.

We have the legal principles and the structures to turn them to our advantages. The structures of the “New Democracy” are the same with those of the “Old Democracy”. For example, about legislature in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1979; 1989; and 1999, contained virtually the same provisions. These provisions as in chapter 5 of the 1999 constitution are about:
i. Composition and staff of the National Assembly
ii. Procedures for summoning and dissolution of National Assembly
iii. Qualifications for membership of National Assembly and Right of Attendance;
iv. Elections to National Assembly; and
v. Powers and control over public funds.

Yet in 1979 the functions of the legislature was more impressive with more impact on the lives of the citizens than were today, both in term of attendance, procedures of work, sensitivity of members of the legislature to the need of their constituencies and the nation generally, the role of political parties in policy making, etc.

From the beginning the parties who produced candidate are not democratic and these parties as I know them cannot produce anybody who could be a democrat. Secondly, there are flaws in the Electoral Law and System which should be corrected to allow free and fair electoral competition.

In view of the little I have said about problem of democracy today and in particular of the legislature, the solution is not as simple as the organizers of this programme take it. I think it is going to be a battle – with self and with other people – to get democracy in the sense I have defined it above. So, by what means?

7
It is possible to lay the foundation of this battle by reconsidering the legality of chapter two of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. This chapter is on the “Fundamental Directive Principles of State Policy”. It provides for the fundamental responsibilities of the Government in economic, social, political, educational, environmental, etc. policies. Section 14 (i) states very clearly that “The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a state based on the principles of democracy and social justice” and that 14 (2b) added that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of Government”.

As you are young students from tertiary institutions note that section 18 on Educational objectives provide that Government is to direct “its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels”

These are promising provisions to build a free, fair, equal and democratic society. But the provisions are not justiciable in Court of Law. The state can interpret them the way it wants without to be challenged in court by anybody. The power to citizens to do that would go along way to empowering them to participate in the governance.

The ideas on this can be generated even in a legislative house. Bearing in mind that democracy is a bargaining process, bargaining ability by knowledge based arguments can produce desirable results.

Stumbling blocks that cannot be moved by ideas, the art of lobbying can be used to bring them into the hold. Indeed, educated parliamentarians who understand the process of law making as an act of pushing of an interest should recognize and raise lobbying to higher level in law making.

This would go along way to confirm that democracy involves controversies between groups, interest and individuals in a legislative house. In the first and second republic for example this was discernible in the work of the National Assembly. This had made citizens as interest groups to participate by making their contributions. This has died in the Fourth Republic making democracy dull and legislative functions too exclusive and may be secretive.

8
By way of conclusion it is worth restating that the problem of democracy in Nigeria or in any other country is that in a most fundamental observation, neo-liberal globalization has put democracy under siege. Therefore, it is made to serve only the interests of big business, politicians and corrupt officials. But this relationship can be broken to free democracy and make it distinct from neo-liberal globalization.

In order to do this it is the responsibility of the citizens to rise and protect our democracy. But it is going to be simpler and within the constitutional framework if the market fundamentalism is controlled, the people empowered economically, the gap between the rich and poor reduced and the political rules are not only for the rich to enter the game. Thank you for listening.