IF WE all sit in our comfort zones, just complaining and do nothing but watch politicians and their thugs destroy our hard-earned democracy, then, we should not expect that the Nigeria of our dream will ever be realised. Our docility will not help the growth and development that we yearn. Nation building is a collective effort. Both the leaders and the led must work together to accelerate development. It is the active participation of citizens in a society that propels the wheels of progress.
Civil society plays a pivotal role in shaping the political landscape of democratic nations. They need our support. In the United States, Canada and many countries in Western Europe, especially the United Kingdom, civil society organisations significantly contributed to the development of the political process, fostering democracy, accountability, and citizens engagement. All the vices and anomalies that we see in our democracy today were all experienced by the advanced democracies in their formative years.
In advance Western nations, the contributions of civil society in deepening democracy and good governance is so huge. The role civil society played in the development of advanced nations can be replicated here. Civil society organisations act as watchdogs, ensuring accountability and transparency. They mobilise citizens, fostering a sense of ownership and participation in the political process. They contribute to informed decision-making, bringing expertise and diverse perspectives to policy discussions.
All of us who pray to leave a better country for our children should know that a good country can only emerge if we struggle for it. We should encourage our children to learn and imbibe the culture of mass advocacy right from primary to secondary school. All parents should get involved in civil mass advocacy. We must shun the culture of leaving the wrongs done to us to God, or allow wrongs to exist before us without protesting against them.
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All men are born equal. There can’t be second class citizens. We must work to build that country where everyone is afraid of the law, and are therefore ready to always do what is right. We must work against that country where privileged people possess the capacity to make others disappear.
If you feel that your voice is so faint and not audible as a single person, look for a group to join, or better organise a small group in your neighbourhood. It is important that we come together to rescue Nigeria.
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The ruling APC administration does not want to be criticised, and the administration is making frantic efforts to muffle all voices of dissent. Civil protest, which is a fundamental human right, has now been criminalised and people picked on protest grounds are now been charged for treason. Unfortunately, these are people who, over the years, made us believe that they are progressives, while in essence they were just expressing the frustrations of prolonged opposition.
We need to support civil advocacy groups with money, active participation and our knowledge. If one-tenth of the money that go into churches and religious organisations are given to civil society groups, our nation will feel the positive impact.
We need transformative electoral reform in Nigeria before the 2027 general elections. We can no longer play politics with electoral reform; our democracy depends on the quality of our future elections. What happened in Edo State can happen in Ondo because the system is wired to produce flawed outcomes.
Down through the ages, religious organisations have always been agents of imperialism. No matter what Nigerians go through, they are not going to speak against their imperial masters. The mercantile nature of religion in Nigeria has made it the first offspring of capitalism. Some of the preachers are already telling their adherents that the time to give more money to the church is now, but our only hope of salvation is mass civil participation in good governance advocacy.
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Civil society plays a pivotal role in shaping the political landscape of democratic nations. They need our support. In the United States, Canada and many countries in Western Europe, especially the United Kingdom, civil society organisations significantly contributed to the development of the political process, fostering democracy, accountability, and citizens engagement. All the vices and anomalies that we see in our democracy today were all experienced by the advanced democracies in their formative years.
Our democracy is young and requires nurturing. Our leaders need to under perpetual watch and criticism. Criticism is the torch that beams light on the path of development.
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In the United States, civil society has been instrumental in advocating for civil rights: Organisations like the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) fought for racial equality and social justice. In influencing public policy; groups like the Sierra Club (environmental protection) and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) (social security and healthcare) have shaped policy debates.
There should be enlightenment of citizens to reduce voter apathy among and increase participation of citizens in democratic governance. We must not resign to fate. The harvest is plenty, but labourers are few. To save Nigeria requires the participation of all patriotic citizens.
In the area of promoting transparency and accountability, investigative journalism outlets like ProPublica and the Center for Investigative Reporting have exposed government wrongdoings. The Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street movements exemplify civil society’s ability to mobilise citizens around key issues. So many similar groups in western Europe and Canada have contributed immensely in advancing democracy, development, justice, equity, fairness, civility and accountability.
Good governance can never come on a platter of gold! Until we arise, our challenges are not going to end!
Unfortunately, we are a people with a short memory. After the Edo State gubernatorial election, observers’ report indicted INEC of complicity in the unfortunate procedural glitches, especially at the point of results collation. A lot of Nigerians have suggested that INEC should be restructured before the 2027 elections. It is expected that by now, the mechanism for the propagation of that message of restructuring INEC should be ready, and patriotic citizens from all parts of this country, should be engaged in it.
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We need transformative electoral reform in Nigeria before the 2027 general elections. We can no longer play politics with electoral reform; our democracy depends on the quality of our future elections. What happened in Edo State can happen in Ondo because the system is wired to produce flawed outcomes.
There should be CSOs who monitor the characters and antecedents of judicial officers as well as security officers. CSOs should monitor the characters of political office seekers and holders.
There should be enlightenment of citizens to reduce voter apathy among and increase participation of citizens in democratic governance. We must not resign to fate. The harvest is plenty, but labourers are few. To save Nigeria requires the participation of all patriotic citizens.
Comrade Amechi, Lagos-based trade union activist, will write this column, ‘The Observer’s View, every Tuesday.
