By Adadareporters
Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie, a civil rights activist, says more military coups will be inevitable in Africa unless ‘our leaders learn the dangers of frustrating democracy’.
Chukwumezie, who spoke with our correspondent on Friday, said although he was not making a case for the military, ‘the khaki boys have achieved more in Nigeria than civilian regimes put together’.
According to him, “I am not an advocate of military takeover. But if they continue frustrating true democratic principles where the votes of the masses and the votes of majority count, then, I, without prejudice, fear or favour, will prefer the khaki boys to come and reset our system once more.”
On the implications of what is happening in Gabon and Niger on Nigeria, Chukwumezie said, “Let us hope that the judiciary will save Nigeria this path. Can’t you see the lack of political will? Just imagine the last elections. The shame of spending hugely knowing that such spending is not necessary because people have been pencilled down where things matter most! You can believe that such would lead to anything good in a million years without a revolution or readiness to revolt whether by civilians or military.
“We must not copy or wholly accept the western pattern of democratic governance. We need good governance where the interest of the masses should be paramount and where there is capital punishment and public shame for mismanagement of public funds.
“If we have developed our natural system of administration that starts from family, to kindred, to village, to town, up to the top, then we would have developed a unique system of governance.
“If not, then a military/civilian system of government can be recognized. Libya practised something similar and would have been a world super power if not for the chaos orchestrated by the West that felt threatened by such wonderful system that took care of all its citizens.
“Yes it was not perfect but all citizens then were very comfortable. We have tasted the so-called African version of democracy long enough to know without any iota of doubt that military regime is better than what we practise as democracy.
“Check all the achievements we have in Nigeria: all valuable infrastructures, all structures of state, name them. All from the military. Have you seen the list of what IBB achieved? All civilian administrations put together did not achieve 10% of IBB’s records. Yes, he is adjudged to have also instituted corruption; I know but yet he left unimaginable footprints on the ground.”
He tasked Nigerians to seek the kind of leadership that suits ‘our complexities’.
He said, “Our last attempt with democratic governance started since 1989. This is whooping 34 years. If regionalism benefited us (which definitely is the true case), why are the various governments since 1989 unable to return us to that glorious path? There is even an attempt and an official document on that, a product of a National Conference called by government. Yet there is no talk to implement it.”
