Leadership (Abuja)
9 January 2009
Following the swearing-in of President Atta-Mills of Ghana on Wednesday, presidential candidate in the 2007 elections and opposition leader, Prof Pat Utomi while congratulating the people of Ghana and her electoral institution, suggests Nigeria may need technical assistance from the Ghanaian electoral commission. Excerpts:
Kudo
I would like to congratulate the Ghanaian people for doing Africa proud by holding credible and fair elections that would help in removing the shame that has been elections in Africa recently.
"As I also congratulate the electoral commission in Ghana for having more than a thing or two to teach their counterparts elsewhere in Africa, especially in Nigeria, I do hope it will not be considered uncharitable to suggest that we may need technical assistance from the Ghanaian Electoral Commission."
We also hope that whoever is considering the Electoral Reform Committee's report should pay attention to what has happened in Ghana to see what they can learn from it.
As it is pertinent to note that democracy has finally arrived in Ghana by the fact of change from one political party to the other each election cycle, it helps us with a very important understanding of the nature of multi-party democracy, which is that possibilities are embedded in the nature of the process.
The Lessons
One of the great lessons of multi-party politics and democratic process is that sometimes, even when an incumbent party is doing well, change may be necessary as this would prevent absolute power from resting in any group because the group may become insensitive to the people.
As Lord Acton says, I have said often, power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely, but that even more importantly, prolonged absolute power makes mad.
This is why democracy gives people the opportunity to change governments after a while even if nothing terrible has happened to the government just to ensure those in power know that the people are sovereign and power must be responsive to the people.
"When Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, the PDP Chairman said they would be in power for Sixty years, I did not bother to join the list of those criticizing him because though it was a natural thing to say, it was a comment showing lack of sophistication and an understanding that democracy of its own tries to change prolonged absolute power."
The Future
I therefore call on all patriotic people of goodwill to join in congratulation the Ghanaian people who show great wisdom in changing leadership from time to time from party to party, as they help expose the retrogression inherent this kind of approach.
Of greater importance to me are the Nigerian people who should now realize that it is in our hands if we want to be constantly outdone by the Ghanaians, and that as we resolve never again to leave our future to some government agency or regulatory body, we must pull-in together and indeed with one voice say it is only together we can.
I urge all empowered with mass communication media to help the people Nigeria by highlighting the commonality of the Obama occurrence with this Ghanaian display of citizen sovereignty so that our people can truly begin to believe that together we can.
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