This is a blind seeing, a deaf hearing and equivalently a mute speaking societal or governmental challenges of the citizens or electorates in Federal Republic of Nigeria.
To start with, I want to, with sypnosis of time give the brief Constitutional definition of Citizen. Who is a Citizen? According to Chapter 111 S.25(1)(a)(b)(c) define Citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria “as every person born in Nigeria before the date of Independence, either of whose parents or any of wadequate provision of an equitable educational opportunities at all levelshose grandparents belongs to a community indigenous to Nigeria“. In Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Chapter11 S.14(2)(a) posits the individual rights of the
citizens in this country (Nigeria), as to what a citizen is capable of doing in terms of giving power to those seeking it. It equally places the citizens in the honey ground of recognitions in the coast of Federal Republic of Nigeria, when it comes to electoral capability. It undermines electoral godfatherism/godmotherism and recognises the citizens/electorates who are of the age of 18 years, as the determinant factors in the electoral endeavour and to seciring position in the state, as it is enshrined in the Electoral Act of 2010 S.12(1)(5). In contrary; in today’s practice, this has turned a regrettable story for the gods. Now, the bequeathed legal rights of the electorates have been overridden, downthrown and overruled by the so called politicians whom the electorates sheepishly elected.
Therefore; the electorates which ought to have been the sovereign heads in determining who and who not to occupy the position they are aspiring to. Albeit, they have metamorphosed everything with their affluence, influence and connection, and they have made the weapon of the social, mentioned thereup as the determinant factors in securing power into any governmental Position in Federal Republic of Nigeria. And the Criminal Code Act strictly stands against bribery and corruption, as it is enshrined in S.98a, 98b, 98c 98d of the Criminal Code Act, albeit; they would still blatantly and grossly infringe or commit an heinous crime with impunity incessantly, under the clear eyes and noses of the Force.
Moreso; over the time, the rights of the citizens are not being contravened but also suffer murders in the hands of the rulers who they cowardly voted in. And whenever any move is to be made, they (the rulers) would vehemently silent the revolutionaries with money, it is either by using the Forces as their tools to execute their obnoxious actions or to smart down the voices of the commoners on the streets. They who ought to have been the protector human dignities and to equivalently ensure orderliness in the Society, they are always being utilized terrorised the peace of the people. Over the years, the rulers and the Forces have served as fiercest and cruel archenemies to the Citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since her independence in 1960 and her Republic in 1963 respectively. In the case of the Aba Women Riot of 1929, Homo homini lupus; when human beings turned fierce beast to their fellow human beings, in terms of exploitations, over taxing, intimidations, marginalisation et al.
However; in S. 18(1) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, assured her citizens adequate provision of an equitable educational opportunities at all levels, but this constitutional promises, which the Federal Government ought to have fulfilled, they have blatantly fallen short of it. Also, it is enshrined in Subsection3(A,B,C,D) of the Federal Constitution, all the expected projects that would have enriched the Citizens cognitively or academically, which the Federal Government has eyes-openedly abandoned.
Nevertheless; it is extremely appalling to have seen the dungeons on which the Legal Rights of the Citizens are being thrown. There is no room or space, which was at the initial stage constitutionally paved for equity but the heavybellied have abruptly denied them of it. It is coherently posited in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in S.17(1)(2a,b) that equality, dignity, freedom, and justice et al, shall be the most esteemed, cardinal and cherished factors in the proper sanctification of the Country and her Citizens. But the reverse is the case here; “this is a country where there is a dichotomies between what had been written down a Constitution and what has been laid down to be followed by the Rulers”. It is a country where a rich man’s son and a poor man’s son would be apprehended with the same level of offence, but that rich man’s son would be granted bail while that of the poor man’s be abandoned there in the Cell, and probably, he may even be used in exchange for an influential personality that was formerly convicted to death for an heinous crime he committed. Although I still believe confidently, that this constitutional breaching/menace could be curbed, if some points that will be subsequently postulated to preempt it recurrence would be adhered to.
In conclusion; I optimistically believe that, to remedies this “constitutional upheavals or scratch my back and I will stab you back” that are inherent in the daily ventures of Government. If the followings can be adapted to or adopted, trust me, here would be a good place to dwell:
✓ GOOD BEHAVIOUR : To ensure apt conduct, we must at the first part, put on good behaviours, so that, the raw face of the law can be crisscrossedly faced by those who infringed the law. Ubi jus ibi remedium, it is a Legal Maxim which means “where there is a right, there is a remedy”. So, if this is being adhered to by the Ruled and the Rulers, the Nigeria Constitutional sanity and dignity would be restored et alia.
✓ REVOLUTION: Revolution can also do best in this wee period, other advanced or developed countries in technologies and hitherto have tried it and it worked for them favourably. Countries like France had experienced revolution, which was called, French Revolution in 1789/1790s, America also experienced revolution from 19th April 1775 and it ended with half-cooked peace in 3rd September 1783, and this led to America Independence in July 1776, and therefore graced her appellation with the name United State of America. Russia was not in exception, Russia Revolution which started in March 8th 1917 and ended in November 7th 1917, to mention but a few. So far so good; I would say that revolution is always a solid and we’ll structured edifice where a State can run into when battling with cumbersome issues, and equally whenever her sanity or the well being of her Citizens are at stake.
I hereby rest my case; by saying that the policies mentioned thereup should be considered as it may be most significantly sacrosanct.
OMOH MONDAY OMOKHAGBOR DESMOND,
© Pavilion of justice.
I hereby drop my inkling ballpoint for now.
First and foremost; this article is to ignite some extrapolating lights on the age-long/archaic Okpella ideology in selection, politicking, representation and in employment consideration, and the concise explicit scrutiny of its contents, its embedded hope for the society, if there is any. Or its place in the all and sundry developmental advancement in Okpella. The survey of its pros and cons in alignment with Okpella as the centre of discourse. This age-long ideology is not developmental, it is retarding. It is not progressive, it is anachronistic. It is not hospitably fused, it is hostile. It is not jovial to to communal unity, it has a fostering force of segregation. It is not moral, it is quickening immorality of all kinds in the society (cultism, cybercrime, disorderliness, indecency, hatred et alia). All these practices which would also take age-long time to curb, so, it is high time we jettisoned this ideology that is one-way-faced, positively purported, but selfishly practiced. A one time president of America(Abraham Lincoln) once stated that; “the action and inaction of any government should be beneficial to the general”. While Godluck Ebele Jonathan says; “harmony is not found in a place where disharmony and its brothers, segregation and discrimination dwell”. Therefore, the sole objective of this article is to x-ray the multitudinous nightmares, daydreams, shadows and flashes that Okpella as a honey and milky community had, which this age-long ideology preempt from structuring their feet in the coast of Okpella.
