As another Democracy Day Approaches

Also published in Daily Trust

I recently fallowed the live coverage of the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected French President; I was amazed by the apparent effortlessness with which the whole ceremony was conducted. Both the officials and the ordinary people at the scene looked at ease as though it was a mere birthday party for a family member. And even though it began to rain in the course of the event, as a result of which even the new President got wet, still the orderly atmosphere at the scene was intact.

Incidentally, that particular French Presidential swearing-in ceremony was of special political significance given the fact that, the winning socialist party came to power after seventeen years since its last presidency. Also the race was extremely tight between the two final candidates. Yet, not only that the ceremony was simple (of course in French standards), the newly sworn-in President jetted out to Germany the same day on an official assignment.

Though, I don’t compare Nigeria with countries like France, yet while following the coverage I imagined a similar scene in Abuja or anywhere in Nigeria where such an important event is underway. This is because a comparison in this sense is quite reasonable.

Obviously an event like that in Nigeria, which would probably cost more than that of France, would hardly go smoothly. Imagining a similar scene in Eagle Square in Abuja for instance, all what I can picture are visibly stressed VIPs including the President, his international guests and other top government officials crammed into the so-called VIP stand, sweating while some of them desperately fanning themselves with the program schedules leaflets.

The scene is too noisy and disorderly that even the speech of the President is barely audible; after all, hardly if at all anybody at the gathering cares to listen to him in the first place, including the VIPs. This is because no one expects to hear any serious commitment that will be followed through. Everyone realizes that the event is merely a rhetoric pouring platform. Therefore all what matters to them is to be seen around by the President for obvious reason of course.

Certainly the scene at the VIP stand says it all about the situation on the other stands where crowds of spectators gather, many of whom if not the majority are already sponsored political cronies and rented thugs brought by various politicians to applaud them, in deliberate shows of false political popularity.  There are many others also who show up out of curiosity.

As the Democracy Day in Nigeria approaches, where and ever since its adoption by the federal government to celebrate the country’s return to democracy in 1999, every year official events are organized throughout the country to highlight and indeed celebrate the achievements purportedly recorded, which are commonly referred to as “dividends of democracy”, such scenario is bound to play out practically.

Interestingly enough, regardless of whether the average Nigerians actually have any reason to celebrate this day or not, one can’t deny the fact that some categories of people and organizations, which are “lucky enough” to be involved in one way or another in whatever activity deemed necessary for the “befitting” celebration of this day, are actually smiling due to the dramatic increase of demand for their services in this regard.

For instance, media organizations in all its forms enjoy huge patronage from political offices’ holders, who seek to blow their own trumpets through it, government contractors, cronies and even sycophants, who sponsor publications and broadcasts of felicitations to their various benefactors in the corridors of power for their “impressive achievements” “selfless service to humanity” and other “accomplishments which can’t be listed due to time or space constraint.”

This widespread show of sheer contempt to the ordinary Nigerians begins right from the offices of the “elected” politicians particularly at the executive arm of government. I am sure that right now the staffs of such incumbent political offices’ holders at various level of government are preoccupied with the concoction of largely false reports of what their respective principals have purportedly delivered over the last one year as “dividends of democracy”.

Desperate to please their largely corrupt and incompetent principals, such staffs deliberately fabricate and/or inflate figures for their principals to claim credit for what they never did and/or exaggerate the little they have done, which in any case does not match the resources they have received and indeed the period of time they have spent in their respective offices.

Though this work may sound easy because after all neither its fabricators nor their principals will be held to account for its contents, however, in reality it is not that easy. This is because the amount of misrepresentation needed to cover up the sheer failure and mediocrity that characterize their principals’ performances is actually too much; as the failure is too conspicuous to be easily concealed in-between some fancy English sentences.  Likewise, the huge and already spent allocated resources to be justified are too big to be justified with the ridiculous amount of what has been actually provided on the ground.

In any case, on the celebration day, such staffs will simply sit back to watch their principals, their representatives or appointees reading out the “dividends of democracy”, as they (i.e. the staffs) have concocted it on papers.

Meanwhile, the media especially the public-owned, dedicate the whole day presenting shows and hosting guests, who have betrayed their consciences (if they have it in the first place) to tell lies to the public in return of some peanut.

In reality, contrary to what it claims to represent, and in view of the public reactions it elicits, this annual event in reality simply sheds lights on the microscopic few, who actually reap the “dividends of democracy” as against the overwhelming majority, who are simply being short-changed and indeed ripped off.

This explains why if not for the public holiday observed on that day, the day will be hardly if at all recognized by the vast majority of Nigerians, notwithstanding the largely sponsored media attention it enjoys.