INTERVENTION OF MILITARY IN POLITICS: BANE OF NIGERIAN POLITICS.

Nigerian Military forcefully and violently snatched power from democratically elected leaders in 1966. They enacted decrees that gagged the press and muzzled the people from asking the critical question on accountability, transparency and good governance. That was the case for 33years except for the interlude of four years of civilian regime of Alhaji Sheu Shagari (1979 – 1983) and that largely contributed to the docile attitude of large percentage of present generation of Nigerians.



The military through many coups and counter coups ruled Nigeria without the consent of Nigerians. The military created 774 local governments; 36 states and federal capital territory purely out of selfish political consideration and patronage. The reality today is that all the 774 local government, 36 states and FCT are more of point of corrupt practices than the office to render selfless services to the people of Nigeria.

The last straw that broke the camel’s back was the introduction of structural adjustment programme SAP by the military, which led to the collapse of the Nigerian Economy, major institutions, parastatals, industries and all the multinational companies that used to be big employers of labour were all moribund as a result of SAP. That is why today we are having the crises of unemployment which has led to the high level of poverty and criminality in the society.

When the military handed over to civilians in 1999, it was their surrogates that they handed over to the corrupt ex-military and paramilitary officers, corrupt ex-civil servants and politicians, most of who have served and corruptly enriched themselves under one military government or the other. These surrogates with no knowledge or experience of how to run a democratic system of government, hence, they resulted to unethical money bags/criminal profiteering political system and other vices like intimidation and elimination of political opponents. They turned Nigeria to a lawless country and most lucrative business for corrupt politicians.

Politicians spend billions of naira during elections especially to the office of governor and president by distributing rice, money and all kinds of gift items in order to buy votes from gullible electorates. They use this to capitalize on their ignorance and poverty level. When they get to public political office, they recoup their money and loot the public treasury. Where there is no sufficient money in the public treasury, they use the state assets to borrow billions both in naira and dollars from which they will loot through all kinds of criminal manipulations. Today Nigerians voters have become docile because the economy is so bad that people are so poor and desperate to live.

Therefore, anybody who is offered a little amount of money sells his or her conscience and sells his or her votes in other to survive because of poverty. The middle class has been destroyed while the politicians are stupendously rich while the masses are miserably poor.

THE WAY-OUT

The way out is Awake Nigeria Movement concept of violence free revolution which is a collective sponsorship of candidates to positions of authority whereby minimum of 5,000 Nigerians will come together in each of 774 local governments across Nigeria engaging in discussion and education on good governance and electoral process regularly. This will turn them to violent free revolutionaries that will use their vote and that of others to elect genuine representatives who will serve their interest.

During the elections each constituency will choose one or some among them to represent their interest as candidates to run for councillorship, chairmanship of local government, members of state house of assembly, House of Representatives, senate, and governorship as well as presidential elections.  

During the campaign, they will not engage anybody with money to run the campaigns for their candidates. Instead the 5000 members will collectively contribute money enough to sponsor their candidates. They will voluntarily form themselves into campaign group to go from house to house and street to street, campaigning for their candidates. On the election day they will also voluntarily form themselves into party agents and poll guards as well as observers that will oversee the conduct of elections at the polling stations and make sure that their candidates are not rigged out. If eventually their candidates win, they (the candidates) will not be indebted to anybody except the ideologies of the group or party that they represent.

Because all the money spent that took them to victory is collective contribution, financial and otherwise by members across all units, wards, local governments, states and nationwide. We believed that only an animal in human skin will get to position of authority through this process and think of looting the treasury. Besides, the people will become more sensitive and vigilant to the development in the polity for any leader to think of doing business as usual.

Therefore, if we want a corrupt free, great and prosperous Nigeria we must change the way we elect our leaders to positions of authority because the political system in place is making our leaders/politicians spend too much money especially during elections. The attempt to recoup all money spent and loot much more for their future ambitions is the cause of endemic corruption bringing our country to its knees.  

We have several write ups on this concept, three of which are attached to this presentation.

For information, please kindly visit our website: www.awakenigeriamovement.com

For more clarifications kindly call/sms: 08033768113

Thank you.

Akanni Iromini
Founder and National Coordinator
Awake Nigeria Movement