10 Years Of Nigerian Democracy

10 YEARS OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES. Comments By Zacharys Anger Gundu. Ph.D. Department of Archaeology. Ahmadu Bello University at the Kaduna Round Table on Democracy and Development. Women Multi Purpose Centre, Kaduna. 30th June, 2009.

10 YEARS OF NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY.

OUR UNDERSTANDING. • To set the tone for a discussion on ‘10 Years of Democratic Governance in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges’. • To brainstorm and clarify the following questions: – – – –

What progress have we made in the past 10 years? What challenges have we faced.? Are these challenges surmountable? What can we do individually and collectively to make the Nigeria of our dream a reality?

BACKGROUND. • 29TH May, 1999 marks the return to Democracy. • Highpoints : • • • • •

One of the most endowed countries in Africa. 100 million plus people. Incredible cultural diversity. Huge landmass. Resilient people.

BACKGROUND (Cont). • Low points: • • • • • • • • •

Return after decades of military rule. Weak institutions some of which were underdeveloped. Weak constitutional framework. Skewed federalism. Contempt for knowledge. Unresolved ethnic and religious questions. Unresolved citizenship questions. Overdependence on oil revenues. The leadership and wisdom Questions.

ASSESSMENT CONTEXT. • There are different perspectives from which one can assess the country in the last 10 years. • What have our leaders done with the resources generated in the past 10 years? • How faithful have they been to the promises made to us. • What difference do we see in the key areas of the polity? • Is the average Nigerian better off today than he/she was before 1999?

UNDERSTANDING BASIC FACTS. • • • • • • • • •

Since 1999, Nigeria has been led by one single Political Party: Which is the PDP. Between 1999-2009, the country has generated in excess of -N-36 trillion NNPC has retained -N-6 trillion of this amount. Between 1999 and 2009, the NNPC failed to remit -N- 368 billion to the Federation Account. LG allocations have risen by 600% between 2000-2004. Statutory allocations to States increased from $1 to $6 billion between 2000-2004. With 1/3 of this increase going directly to Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom as major oil producing States. The number of Universities has grown from 35 in 1999, to more than 100 in 2009. Less than 20% of eligible candidates get placements in Nigerian Universities.

UNDERSTANDING BASIC FACTS (Cont). • Primary Education needs 872,972 teachers, they currently have 534,974 out of which those qualified are just 294,884 (55.2%). • About -N-1.3 trillion was spent to rehabilitate roads in the country from 1999-2007. • The National Assembly has passed 532 laws since 1999 • It costs an average of -N- 1 billion for the National Assembly to pass one law. • Appropriation to the National Assembly has risen from -N-3.4 billion in 1999 to -N-106 billion in 2009. • The EFCC has recovered in excess of $5 billion since 2005. It has also successfully prosecuted in excess of 82 people.

UNDERSTANDING BASIC FACTS (Cont). • Oil and gas account for 99% of the country’s export revenues. • Oil and gas accounts for 85% of Government revenues. • $10 billion spent by President Obasanjo to build 10 power stations across the country. • Nigeria ranks 159th out of 177 on the UN Human Development index. • More than 1/3 of Nigerians survive on less than a dollar a day. • Nigeria has earned about $400 billion dollars from Oil since the early 70s.

NIGERIA’S HIGHPOINTS SINCE 1999. • A civilian to civilian transition and uninterrupted ‘democratic’ rule. • Telecom ‘explosion’. Tele density (no of lines per 100 people) 47.98 % in 2009(April) as against 0.74% in 2001. • Banks Consolidation. • The creation of EFCC and ICPC to fight corruption. • The Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

NIGERIA’S HIGHPOINTS SINCE 1999 (Cont). • Institution of open bidding for oil blocks (2005)which hitherto were awarded by fiat. • Growth of the non oil sector from 8.2% in 2005 to 9.6% in 2007. • Drop in inflation to 5.9% in 2007. • Phenomenal growth in the number of Universities. • Growth and maturity of the judiciary.

A WORD ON THE HIGHPOINTS. • Are we truly running a democracy? • Improved Tele density based on the use of the cell phone cannot support the telecom interface with development. • Its doubtful whether Nigerian banks are doing actual banking. In any case they are still the backbone of corruption in Nigeria. • Though the EFCC and ICPC did raise the country’s position on the Transparency International Corruption perception Index from 1.6 (in 2005) to 2.2 (in 2006), this figure has stagnated and these institutions have been substantially undermined and are today only symbolic. • The NEITI has also been undermined by government to the extent that no one is sure for example what the country earns from oil and gas.

A WORD ON THE HIGHPOINTS (Cont). • Revelations about corruption in the NNPC which between 1999-2007 was directly under the President also mean that the NEITI was created probably as a smokescreen. • The open bidding for oil blocks adopted since 2005 was far from fair and transparent. The number of petitions, court cases and probes surrounding the rounds of bidding in 2005, 2006 and 2007 alone proves this point. • The inflation figures touted by government are suspicious. • The phenomenal growth in the number of Universities has not translated into quality nor spaces for qualified candidates.

NIGERIA’S LOW POINTS SINCE 1999. • Unbridled corruption at all levels of public life. • Human rights abuses: Odi, Zaki- Biam, Vaase, Gbeji and the continuous assault on communities and peoples of the Niger Delta. • Rogue electoral system. • Contempt for knowledge and the collapse of the educational system.

NIGERIA’S LOW POINTS SINCE 1999 (Cont). • Wholesale /uncritical importation of economic policies of the Breton Woods Institutions including privatization, free market economy and public sector reforms. • Insecurity: Unresolved murders include those of Chief Bola Ige, Harry Marshall, Funsho Williams, Chief AA Dikibo, Sunday Ugwu, Alhaji Ahmed Pategi, Victor Nwanko, Odunayo Olagbaju, Barnabas and Abigail Igwe, Chimere Ikoku and Chief Ogbonnaya Uche amongst many others.

NIGERIA’S LOW POINTS SINCE 1999 (Cont). • Infrastructure decay/collapse: Roads, public utilities including electricity. • Poor accountability and rule of law. Though the rule of law has slightly improved in the last two years, (respect for court judgments) it still remains a major issue. • Inability to evolve an appropriate and transparent tax regime for the country.

SO WHERE HAVE WE STOOD IN THE PAST 10 YEARS.? • Most Nigerians still lack access to clean water, electricity and health care. • We are still to resolve the citizenship question and give every Nigerian a sense of belonging in every part of the country. • We see each other as ‘settlers’ and ‘indigenes’ and have fought incessantly on this matter. • We have also continued to use religion to mask primordial cleavages, fighting and denying each other in the process.

SO WHERE HAVE WE STOOD IN THE PAST 10 YEARS.? • The Niger Delta crisis has remained a sour point for the country. • From OMPADEC to the NDDC to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta to Amnesty for militants, we seem to be missing the point. • Non performing budgets in which the Federal government since 1999 has voted –N- 3.921 trillion for capital projects and –N- 8.307 trillion on salaries and allowances (recurrent expenditure). • Until 2007, much of the capital vote was shared. In 2007, MDAs were compelled to return about -N-400 billion of unspent capital votes.

SO WHERE HAVE WE STOOD IN THE PAST 10 YEARS.? • There is apathy in the land and the average Nigerian looks at government as an inept rogue arrangement that cannot be trusted. • Nigerians remember that President Obasanjo promised to increase electricity output 5 fold from 2,000 megawatts in 1999 to 10,000 in 2007. • He spent $10 billion and by 2008, less than 3,000 was been produced by PHCN!!!!!. • People remember that President YarAdua promised to declare a state of emergency in the power sector, more than 2 years in his tenure, he is yet to do this. What emergency!!!!!!

SO WHERE HAVE WE STOOD IN THE PAST 10 YEARS.? • Nigerians remember President YarAdua acknowledging that he emerged President through a flawed process and promising to bequeath to the country a responsible electoral system just to turn around and undermine the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Report and support rigging in the Ekiti gubernatorial by- election. • Nigerians remember that for 8 years President Obasanjo was the Minister of Petroleum and this ministry was totally unaccountable. • Revelations are indicating that the ministry was not more than a conduit pipe to siphon public funds.

SO WHERE HAVE WE STOOD IN THE PAST 10 YEARS.? • Between 1999-2008,NNPC colluded with 4 local companies over LPFO sales and defrauded the government of -N-17 billion. • Between 1999-2005, NNPC made illegal payments to Texaco($25.6 million), Palm Ocean Oil ($16.9 million) and NNPC Crude Oil and Gas($31.6 million)-a non existing Company. • We have a failed education system. • We also have big leadership and wisdom problems..

SO WHERE HAVE WE STOOD IN THE PAST 10 YEARS.? • How else can we explain the whole sale importation of Breton Woods policies into the country? • How else can we explain the construction of 10 power stations in the country, totally dependent on gas and transmission lines that are not there? • How else can we explain the energy crises in an oil producing country? • How else can we explain the total collapse of the education system.

IS THE NIGERIAN CHALLENGE INSURMOUNTABLE? • NO. Our challenge is NOT insurmountable!!!!!. • Yet everyone who has faith in the Nigerian project must empower him/her self to take those actions that can surmount the challenges we face. • A first step in doing this is to accept partial blame for our plight as a people and as a country. • Whether big or small, military or civilian, Christian or Muslim, rich or poor, man or woman, educated or illiterate, we must share blame and begin to stand up for our faith in this country.

IS THE NIGERIAN CHALLENGE INSURMOUNTABLE? • While accepting that leadership is crucial to national rebirth, if ordinary Nigerians stand up for this country, the power of that action will cleanse leadership, ensure electoral integrity and accountability. • We must also value knowledge and the wisdom with which it interfaces with development. • We have examples from Korea, India, Japan China, Singapore, Malaysia to urge us on.

IS THE NIGERIAN CHALLENGE INSURMOUNTABLE? • We must appreciate that the power to national rebirth is within and not without. • We must have faith in ourselves and create a Nigeria where all are valued. • We must create a system that is based on taxation and not oil rents. • We must go beyond lip service in governance and religion. • We must have the COURAGE to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

IS THE NIGERIAN CHALLENGE INSURMOUNTABLE? • We must recognize that national rebirth will threaten other countries and their tribe of collaborators within. • Lives/jobs and livelihoods may also be on the line in facing this challenge. We must brave these because true compatriots do this time and time again. • As a country, we must break and rewrite the rules for ourselves.

BREAKING AND RE WRITING THE RULES. • Through out the world, countries that have made breakthrough development have re written the rules of the game. • ‘Globalization and free trade’ are held up by the west as the mantra of development. • The truth is, all western countries without exception have one time or the other thrown out the concept of free trade, • Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, China, South Africa, Japan have all done it. • We are headed for the wrong direction and the dangers are real especially when an unaccountable leadership is in place.

BREAKING AND RE WRITING THE RULES. • Though rewriting the rules has worked, there are great dangers to it. • North Korea and Iran are going through a terrible stigma because of their desire to properly arm themselves. • The invasion and plunder of Iraq by the US (and its allies) was because of Saddam’s determination to have a voice in the community of nations.

BREAKING AND RE WRITING THE RULES. • Mohammad Mossadegh of Iran was ousted by the American CIA on the prompting of Britain because he dared nationalize Iranian petroleum assets injuring British interests in the process. • The American puppet Mohammad Reza Shah was imposed on the people even though Mossadegh was democratically elected. • Omar Torrijos of Panama was killed in a plane crash masterminded by the CIA on July 31, 1981 for daring to insist on the rights of his own people, stand up to Ronald Reagan and champion human rights. • He was replaced by the American puppet Manuel Noriega.

BREAKING AND RE WRITING THE RULES. • 1973 overthrow of President Salvador Allende of Chile by the CIA. • The CIA overthrow of Guatemala's Jacobo Arbenz in 1954 following a dispute between Arbenz and United Fruit Company over land reforms. (less than 3% owned 70% of the land). • Replaced by another puppet, the right wing, Col. Carlos Castillo Armas.

NIGERIA OH NIGERIA. • Nigeria, oh Nigeria. • The country of my birth, rich, complex and full of talent. A giant of sorts yet so poor and empty of wisdom. Nigeria that continues to oil other parts of the world but cannot oil its land, train her children and prepare for the rainy day . Nigeria, oh Nigeria. A land of rogue leaders including an evil genius and the butcher of Zaki- Biam. A land eluded by accountability and visibility, a land peopled by resilient people, blind and speechless, unable to tap their intellect preferring to depend on non renewable resources that tomorrow maybe no more. A land that is raping and killing the cow from whose milk it is feeding fat. Oh Nigeria, your rebirth is at hand even as we mobilize to stand and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

THANK YOU, GOD BLESS YOU AND NIGERIA.