By Kayode Emola
The fundamental principle of democracy is allowing eligible voters choose their elected representatives. However, when we look critically at this method of electing present day politicians, it is not as simple as just putting this huge responsibility in the hands of the electorate who may not be privy into how matters of states are handled. If we look deep into the root of the word democracy in its original Greek form; “demos” means people and “kratos” means power of the people. In other word, democracy can be said to be a way of governance which depends on the will of the people.
For an elected official to be the will of the people, s/he must be duly elected by the people, except when defining those who have the power to choose, we mean, those who wield the machinery of the state. if democracy is truly the will of the people, then Britain needs to re-examine its democracy and see whether it conforms to this very principle. I am no fan of Liz Truss, neither am I against the nomination of Rishi Sunak as first British Asian to ascend to the high office of UK Prime Minister. However, if the definition of democracy were at play here, then it shows that democracy in itself is not a guarantee of good governance, therefore we must always apply the “Rule of Law”.
When Liz Truss secured the mandate of the Conservative members to govern the country, little did they know that her policies were going to crash the economy in such a short space of time. Despite repeated warnings, that her economic policies were bound to fail, she remained dogged and adamant insisting that she is prepared to be an unpopular Prime Minister. This no doubt led to her being the shortest serving UK Prime Minister of all time.
The people of Great Britain and Northern Ireland must now decide whether they acquiesce and give their will for Rishi to continue to be Prime Minister or demand a general election where the people can either give or decline him a fresh mandate. In not trying to ruminate over this forever, I believe our focus should rather be on the “Rule of Law” to ensure everyone is being treated fairly. Britain as a nation has no written constitution which means the country has been guided by precedents, statutes and the Rule of Law for a very long time. It shows why they have been able to transform their democracy to reflect the changing times to ensure that the country adapts as fast as possible to the challenging times they face.
Similarly, when our forefathers ruled Yorubaland before the advent of slavery and colonialisation, there were no written constitution and yet our fathers built several functioning towns and cities that were well governed. This we lost when we were merged with several other nations in the south and eventually amalgamated with northern Nigeria. In our more sophisticated Nigeria with a written constitution, most the land still looks like a war zone with no respect for the “Rule of Law”.
As Nigeria moves into electioneering period, many people who are unaware of the dangers that has befallen us and/or still lie ahead are believing elections of new quarter guard is what Nigeria need. We saw what happened in Britain, shortly after the party member elected Liz Truss, and how her policies spelt disaster for the country, and quickly and gently, the institutions of state were enacted to see that she left the position before more damage is done. Nigeria does not have these structures in place and electing new henchmen will not bring about the change we all desire.
If Nigeria today is not a progressive country, then I believe the best thing is to dissolve the country and let all ethnic nations go their own way. I don’t know why many Yoruba politicians are hellbent on dragging their compatriots into another general election. My simple answer is “greed”; this is the one singular element that has made so many people lost their conscience and think everything is all about them. Hopefully, soon they will come to realise that any material wealth gathered on earth, is nothing but dust when the maker comes calling.
I will therefore urge our Yoruba people both at home and abroad to remain resilient and fervent in their quest for a sovereign Yoruba nation. This new era of true change is upon us and we must grab it with both hands and not let it slip away. We must continue to look on the horizon and see beyond the thick cloud of darkness that has befallen Nigeria. A new dawn is about to open both for the Yoruba people and other indigenous nations that make up Nigeria.
I am pleased to let our people know that work is at the final stage for the liberation of our Yoruba nation out of Nigeria and the time has come for all of us to work collectively to achieve this great feat. I believe that when Yoruba nation comes, the “Rule of Law” will prevail as against the “Rule of Man” that Nigeria practised. It is the rule of man that destroyed Nigeria, where only the people who have connections to the “powers that be” survive.
In our sovereign Yoruba nation, people would not have to bribe government officials to get jobs they are qualified for. People would not need to bribe officials to get documents like international passports, ID cards, birth certificates and other documentations. They would be able to go online and make simple request which would be process according to laid down guidance and sent to their place of residence. This will greatly reduce the corruption that every successive government in Nigeria finds difficult to tackle.
My message to the betrayals “odales” among us who wear the cloak of self-determination when there is no election and switch to the cloak of politicking during election in Nigeria. Your days are numbered as soon, there will be no place to hide and you will not be allowed to ruin the lives of millions of people when Yoruba nation comes. We would make sure our people know those who truly are fighting to uphold the Rule of Law where everyone is treated equally and those fighting to uphold the “Rule of Men”.
Once again, I urge those of us who are true believers of freedom and see that the only way forward for the Yoruba people is complete exit from Nigeria. Nigeria as an amalgam has run more than its full cause and this is the time to extricate ourselves. I believe the recent flooding rampaging Nigeria is a proof that another round of elections is not the solution. Former President Goodluck Jonathan could not prevent his state from the current flooding as the many people employed in the Ministries, are incompetent people from the north, who only got their jobs because they knew one “oga at the top”. Only an independent Yoruba nation will ensure accountability of our sovereign wealth and the earlier we fight for it, the better it will be for everyone.
