By Ambassador Usman Sarki
“The discovery of new values in life is a very chaotic experience; there is a tremendous amount of jostling and confusion and a momentary feeling of darkness. I let my spirit float supine over that chaos”, Joseph Conrad
Confusion and a momentary feeling of darkness are engulfing all of us in this country, which we seem to meet with helpless despair and resignation. In his inimical way, Joseph Conrad noted the “air of futile mystery” that surrounded a circumstance that he was describing. Likewise, in looking at the unfolding political drama and the dramatis personae of our country, there seems to be this “air of futile mystery” around the jostling for power and positions, that sadly and ordinarily pass for politics in Nigeria. Like retreaded tires that have been worn out by extensive usage, the most spectacular and successful achievement of Nigerian politics is the recasting of the same actors in the drama of dominance and succession into offices, that have no relationship with the aspirations of the people or the demands of the country’s needs and fortunes to become great and above the ordinary.
Politics as far as the Nigerian condition demands are manifested in the existence of political parties upon whose platforms offices are sought and elected positions are held. The absence of a sense of purpose and viable objectives among the different parties make them rather stale and of no particular distinction from each other. By way of altering this unhappy circumstance that has kept our country back from achieving its full democratic potential and development aspirations, I shall venture to provide a vision of a new political party with the following aims and objectives as well as guiding philosophy and principles.
“Our Party shall be guided by the following objectives that are unalterable and from which we will not deviate under any circumstances:
(1) To achieve absolute control of the Nigerian State and all its legally constituted organs, agencies, institutions and established frameworks, that make up the foundations of the Sovereignty, Independence and Territorial Integrity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
(2) To control the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to make it the instrument of achieving a holistic programme of genuine and lasting unity and integration of the Nigerian Nation, to be inclusive of all is constituent parts and peoples, devoid of discrimination on any grounds or justifications;
(3) To bring about a revolution in the governance system and structures of the Federal Republic of Nigeria towards establishing a State that favours inclusivity, justice, equality, equity, morality and humanistic tendencies, that are predicted on common consensus and approach to governance and decision-making that reflect the views and opinions of the democratic majority while not neglecting the sentiments of the democratic minority on any issues of national importance;
(4) To establish a just, equitable, equal, non-exploitative, non-discriminating and genuinely transparent and benevolent economic system based on full participation of all able Nigerians in production, commercialisation and sharing of economic benefits devoid of undue exploitation and alienation of any segments of the population or constituent parts of the country;
(5) To ensure the supremacy of the rule of law in all affairs of State and Government, as well as in the conduct of Nigerians whether in private or in public undertakings, for the sustenance and maintenance of peace, justice, security and concord throughout the country;
(6) The promotion, protection and entrenchment of human dignity, rights and privileges as commonly held and agreed to, by Nigerians in accordance with their collective cultural, religious, customary and national outlooks, that do not in any way detract from the minimum standards established by reason and morality everywhere in the human family;
(7) To maintain the vision, aspirations and hopes of all Nigerians and other Africans, towards the restoration of the dignity of the Black and African person everywhere, through active defence, protection and advancement of the rights, claims and entitlements of the Black Race, as well as others who have historical injustices to redress and to contend with, that have been committed against them or their ancestors in any way, shape or form;
(8) To strive for global peace and to work for the improvement of the human family in all aspects of life on this planet by ensuring decent, reasonable and sensible use of finite resources and the genuine protection of the planetary resources that are indispensable to continued human existence, security and happiness;
(9) Our Party shall be resolutely and uncompromisingly against corruption, nepotism and lawlessness in all public and private matters including in government and business undertakings, and shall fight these negative forces with unremitting force and determination to root them out completely in our national life;
(10) Our Party shall enthrone genuine democracy as the basis of governance and politics in the country, where public opinion and the will of the citizens become supreme and the sole determining factor in the conduct of all affairs of State and Government.
(11) Our Party will root our violence and insecurity in all their manifestations throughout our country by using any and all legal means or other facilities or instruments at the disposal of the State, in order to secure the happiness, peace and security of present and future generations of Nigerians;
(12) Our Party shall abolish classes, privileges and entitlements that are not earned or bestowed by industry, hard-work and genuine struggle in life, and ensure that such unnatural and unethical differences do not form an obstacle or a barrier to any Nigerian in his or her quest for advancement in life or the enjoyment of the privileges of citizenship;
(13) Our Party shall be the sole voice of the Nigerian Nation and People, for the protection of their rights, safety, dignity, cultural and social advancement, by becoming the only platform on which national unity and common outlooks will be attained in all areas of endeavour;
“Their hearts—like ours—must endure the load of the gifts from Heaven: the curse of facts and the blessing of illusions, the bitterness of our wisdom and the deceptive consolation of our folly”, Joseph Conrad
As Nigerians, our hearts have endured the load of the gifts from Heaven in the form of a beautiful and bounteous country, but with the added caveat of disappointed hopes and aborted dreams of greatness, that make the pains and bitterness of lost opportunities the more unbearable. As always, we retreat into our shells and cocoons of nothingness and contemplate our unhappy lot in silence forced upon us by hopelessness and the deceptive consolation of our folly. Waking up from this drunken stupor and making some sense out of our lives has become not only imperative, but also a calling of the highest order.
As such, in my contemplations and silent reflections, I came up with the idea that if I were to form a political party, it would have some salient points as its fundamental principles and philosophical aspirations and objectives from which it cannot deviate. These fundamental principles that shall drive the party’s reasons for existence and its outlooks, shall consist of the following unalterable beliefs to which the party will be committed and will never be compromised or diluted in any way, shape or form:
(1) That Nigeria must remain a united, indivisible, peaceful, strong, prosperous, progressive, Pan-African, anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, gender sensitive, freedom loving, law abiding and self-respecting country under all circumstances and at all times.
(2) That the unity, sovereignty, independence and integrity of the Nigerian Nation State is non-negotiable and shall remain unalterable and indivisible.
(3) That Nigeria’s Foreign Policy posture, objectives, principles, outlooks, fundamental tenets and ingredients, shall remain in conformity with the basic premises that were outlined by the Founding Fathers of the Nation, and as spelled out by The Rt. Honourable, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in his to the United Nations General Assembly Speech in New York, on 7th October, 1960.
(4) That the integrity and sacrosanct nature of Nigeria’s Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and all other Statutory National Security Agencies and Outfits, must be respected and protected against all and sundry partisan or sectional interests and inclinations. Their national outlooks and integrity must not be compromised or diluted by any external political interests or agendas.
(5) That all the natural resources both above and below ground as well as in the territorial waters of Nigeria that Providence has bestowed upon the country, must be made the property and posterity of all Nigerians regardless of their places of origin or habitation, and proceeds from their extraction or exploitation must be shared equitably along agreed principles of revenue and fiscal generation, mobilisation and allocation to all the political and administrative entities that make up the Federation of Nigeria.
(6) That no section of the Federation of Nigeria should seek or claim ascendancy over others, in terms of access to elective or appointive political offices, resources, access to opportunities and available factors of development that the country possesses and shall offer to its constituent units.
(7) That the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy as outlined in Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), must continue to guide the essence and ethos of State policies and overall governance philosophy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
(8) That the provisions in the relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) especially Chapter 2 in which the predominant economic system of Nigeria was described, should be adhered to scrupulously without dilution or digression in the modes of implementation of all economic, fiscal and development policies.
(9) That the rights, privileges, obligations and duties that have been specified and enshrined in the relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), such as in Chapters 2 and 4, must be diligently safeguarded, promoted and advanced both in the philosophical underpinnings of State polices, and in practical implementation of both their letters and spirit in governance and administration including the administration and delivery of justice.
(10) That the Federal Character Principle shall remain enshrined in the National Constitution and must be respected in all recruitments, appointments and postings into federal government offices, agencies and establishments both within and outside Nigeria as the case may be.
(11) That nothing proceeding from any envisaged constitutional alterations shall unduly disturb or undermine the above outlined principles, and that nothing emanating from this envisaged exercise shall be construed as leading towards the restructuring of the basic principles and practical manifestations of the configuration of the Nigerian State as presently formed and recognised, as well as the system of the governance and administration of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
(12) That the Civil Service of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the State Governments and the Local Government Council Administrations respectively, shall be protected from politicization and that their professional integrity, cohesion, outlook, competence, composition, substance and vision shall be safeguarded against all factors that may lead to their deterioration and loss of focus and direction.
(13) That all federally owned and administered institutions, agencies and organs, shall be deemed as the inheritance and posterity of all sections of the country, in which their stakes and interests must be reflected and protected, whether in the discharging of the respective mandates of such entities, or the composition of their staffs and leadership cadres.
(14) That there are forces today that have coalesced and galvanized around the idea of separation from Nigeria and formation of independent countries around exclusive ethnic identities and geo-spatial enclaves which are inimical to the visions of Nigeria that have been outlined in sections 1, 2, 6, 9 and 10 above, which must never be allowed to come to pass for whatever reasons or stated justifications.
(15) That no action(s) should be taken consciously or vicariously in the conduct of the “alteration” of the national constitution that would provide justifications or grounds for sedition, treason and unrest or the spread of impunity in the conducts, utterances and dispositions of individuals and groups in Nigeria, that would call into question the integrity, unity, sovereignty and independence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or undermine the readiness and ability of the Nigerian State to deal with existential threats and challenges to its sovereignty both internally and externally.
(16) That as a self-respecting Nation, Nigeria must use every means at its disposal to protect its prerogatives, sovereignty and independence against any and all internal and external threats that are capable in the least of undermining the respect and integrity of the State and the resolution and capacity of authorities to deal with crisis and emergencies.
(17) That all measures must be taken by all the institutions of State at the federal, state and local levels in Nigeria, to deal with existential threats to the country’s security, unity, sovereignty, independence and social and economic well-being.
(18) That since 1999 after the return to civil rule in Nigeria, there has been a noticeable loosening of the fabric of society and the grip of government on the country. In the name of democracy and in exercising constitutional liberties and human rights, Nigerians witnessed the incremental erosion of the authority of the central government and the ascendancy of impunity and challenges to the authority of the State in the country whereby prerogatives of the State could hardly be exercised without challenge or interruption.
(19) That in keeping with its constitutional, democratic and secular character as recognised already and enunciated above in the relevant sections, Nigeria’s laws particularly its national constitution must uphold the principles of peace, justice, harmony, equality and humanity as sacrosanct and indissoluble attributes of the country. Nigeria’s laws therefore, should provide for the citizens the blessings of good government and the accompanying benefits of peace and tranquility.
(20) That any endeavours to revisit governance and constitutional review or “alteration” in Nigeria, should meet the highest expectations of all Nigerian citizens everywhere. Such endeavours must be altruistic and be driven by patriotic disposition of all relevant actors and stakeholders, while seeking to create and establish affection among all the citizens, between the people and their rulers, and between the State and the citizens. This connection of interests and obligations should make for a wholesome formula for stability and prosperity as they obtain in countries that are blessed with such a conjunction of good fortune and wise leadership.
(21) That leadership is the most invaluable factor in all affairs of humanity, therefore it forms the most essential requirement in every endeavour that pertains to governance and the organisation of the State and society. As such, a central role should be given to discussing all aspects of leadership in Nigerian that would lead to stability, sustainable development, peace and security.
(22) That any likely review of governance and constitutional frameworks in Nigeria should result in delivering wholesome life to citizens in conditions of safety and security. They should also ensure the attainment of good, wholesome, transparent, efficient and effective governance to become the basis for sustainable prosperity, peace and security all over the country.
(23) That the national constitution and State institutions should be geared towards making Nigerians to become law abiding and obedient citizens who respect all the attributes and principles of legally enacted rules and regulations.
(24) That the Nigerian State should be organised around principles and constructs that have meaning and elicit in the citizens such sentiments as dedication, discipline, patriotism and love of each other and pride in the country across generations.
(25) That the preferred form of governance and constitutional rule in Nigeria must foster the effective exercise of ministerial responsibilities and magisterial prerogatives, the two pillars on which the authority of the State are rested.
(26) That all the recognised principles of democratic rule and governance that are universal in nature and that are obtaining in other lands and climes, should be observed and entrenched in any arrangements that may proceed from any political dispensation in the country, whereby no deviations and undue improvisations should ensue therefrom.
(27) That all values of humanity, human rights, human dignity and human development, as enshrined in regional and international covenants as well as in Nigerian laws, must be in conformity with the value systems of Nigerians and not opposed to them. These values must be in harmony with the belief systems of Nigerians and their inherited cultural and customary rights and practices that are not opposed to universally approved and accepted norms and practices.
(28) That the Nigerian Constitution provides the legal framework for the governance of the country, apportioning responsibilities among the three tiers at the federal, state and local government levels, as such each should be be made to perform its allocated statutory functions that focus on individual competencies and jurisdictions, depending on the powers that have been devolved on it.
(29) That the resourcing of government and State institutions through the annual budgeting for expenditures, should be done honestly, transparently and prudently, in accordance with laid down procedures and regulations, bearing in mind the need for accountability and judicious management of the country’s resources.
(30) That the system of controls and oversight of government as approved and allowed for in the constitution and other extant legislations, should be diligently pursued and sustained. These shall entail the various institutions of State comprising the civil service, the security and law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and executive bodies that have been created for specialized functions and purposes.
(31) That any structures, organs, agencies and institutions existing or to be created anew through any emerging dispensation, must reflect the yearnings and needs of Nigerians for stability, peace, security, sustainable development and all other positive outcomes that are expected to be delivered by the government and the State. In this regard, the Nigerian government structures must be properly managed and efficiently supervised, based on proven management techniques and approaches and the holding of responsible officials to account in their deeds and actions.
(32) That the ultimate aim of any improvements or changes that would be done to the governance and constitutional frameworks of Nigeria, must lead to efficiency in the administration of justice, the management of the economy, the delivery of social services and social protection, and mobilizing Nigerians towards building a better future for their country.
(33) That any future arrangements pertaining to how Nigeria should be governed must produce a sense of discipline, order and commitment in the country’s leadership as well as the rest of the citizenry, that could also create a sense of coordinated purposefulness in carrying out functions and discharging responsibilities that make for effective and efficient governance in all the three tiers of government in the country.
(34) That any emerging political dispensation in the country must seek to remedy the challenges or fill the gaps in governance especially those that have impaired effective decision-making and timely implementation of policies and programmes in the country. Accordingly, the three tiers of government must live up to their responsibilities in the spheres of security, marshaling of the country’s productive forces and mobilization of the citizens towards building a great and modern nation.
(35) That planning and effective public policy formulation and implementation are critical to the success of any government enterprise. Hence, the immediate steps towards regeneration of the country must begin from addressing of two critical social issues that are foundational to any progress anywhere, which are education and healthcare delivery. These can only be effectively offered if their management is localized and dispersed across the local government areas and the states.
(36) That social distinctions originating from natural or artificial causes such as gender, disability, poverty, illiteracy, lack of opportunities in life, etc, must not be allowed to form barriers between and among Nigerians, therefore, the government and the State should dedicate efforts and resources to bridge any perceive gaps towards taking Nigeria to a harmonious level where class distinctions and social classifications will not determine the fate of its citizens.
