THE DEBATE ON ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY
BY NWOKEDI NWORISARA
Since Nigerian youths came out with their position on the Rotational Presidency, reactionary forces were aflame with rage. However, the issue is not for sentiments, very much is at stake here; much bigger than we may see it now. It is the biggest reason for our ravaging corruption because Rotational Presidency is so amorphous that it cannot be written down nor can it be explained consistently. It is akin to mixing light with darkness; Democracy and autocracy. The foll0owing dialogue is the beginning you too can make your input.
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Comment by Chudy Obadike
Delete CommentWhile I commend the effort of the Nigerian youth, espercially the burden to have a genuine Nation where absolute sanity in governance prevails, It will be very important not to overlook the fact that we have a perculiar multi-ethnic society. Not to have a rotational presidency in this evolving Nation will end up giving the most advantaged unlimited power to overide the rest as the case have been in the past. I believe that we are not yet ripe for non rotational presidency. We must patiently pursue good governance carefully the way we have followed it in the past two decades otherwise we may run into flames. The truth is that the system is gradually positioning for a positive change. The light is getting brighter by the day and the force that comes along with time has a way of changing seasons. However, we must keep talking .
REPLY BY NWORISARA
Thanks Chudy for your input, it takes a patriot to offer a solution to problem such as we have. A lot of people lose the point entirely. Do you think we are not already in flames? Let's get this right here. We are not fighting the government or any body. We don't need to do that because they depend on the power we give them to exist. We are only concerned because the future belongs mostly to the youths and we cannot blight that future by our steps today. Presidency and rotation cannot mix in one word. A President is an elected leader through democratic means under a consistent value system. Rotational arrangement is not democratic because it cannot be subsumed under a consistent value system. In fact that is why rotation cannot be written down in a constitution because it is corruption of all that a consistent democratic system stands for. It is likened to your impunity arrangements that place some people above the law in society. You remember some people going on top speed through a hold up with blackened number plates, some people flying abroad for medical check up while the hospitals rot; some people collecting huge amount as security votes which cannot be accounted for because there are no headings. And yet you spend so much fighting corruption and bribery yet you encourage it with merit defeating clauses in the constitution and in those unwritten arrangements by hoodlum whose inadequacy will not allow them to compete for votes in a democratic setting. Did our founding fathers consider rotation? The answer is no. Are web founding another Nigeria by via-ring away from their tested values? Yes it amounts to that. But can a nation be found midstream? No. Will such arrangements endure? No. We can only breed confusion. We would increase the misery index of Nigerians. We would increase unemployment and create a no hope for the young and their children's children because you are telling them already they do not have to work hard at all- just marry into a happening family and you belong for a span. But that is not how life is willed from above. We would be living against life itself and we invite extinction. The creator of the world has positioned merit as the noblest of all values for hard work and progress of society. The Lord wants people to be free and that is seen from his decision to give everyone his own head, mouth, hand legs etc
There is no dependence on any body. In His wisdom he has created solutions for every generation and epochs and man must not look on to his own foolishness as wisdom. The truth is that Nigeria is moving deeper into hell as long as it wants to wipe away people and merit by deciding for them in advance as your rotational Presidency wants to do. You said that Nigeria has progressed since two decades of the introduction of rotational presidency if I got it right and you see this progress continuing. I don't know where you got your facts but I can assure you that Nigeria has deteriorated ever since. Look at the statistics. Now life expectancy is 40year down from 60years when Nigeria gained independence in 1960.Government cannot run a railway, a refinery telecommunication, a farm settlement, and an electric power authority, all these are more than passing evidence. My friend I am sorry for you that you did not live in the sixties and you would have known the difference because what we are going through is more than hell. If you doubt it go to Ghana or the next country and see how steady is light .You know why, nothing hidden like rotational presidency comes near their system. They cannot harbor what is dark and expect light. These things cannot mix up spiritually. How can any one say that Nigeria is getting better because you brought in an acting President? That is not enough reason for optimism at all. What will bring hope is that the old system is dismantled and you cannot do that by adopting the same style and tactics. In fact you cannot destroy the vehicle you are ridding inside except you stop and change vehicle. Until that is done be assured that the Nigeria youths will not allow such things as Rotational Presidency, and henceforth any one who supports it is against the progress of Nigeria. We shall not allow business as usual. This is not the time to appeal to any one but we have bodies that can give us alternative government and help the next generation realize their dreams. You have your free will to come along or you can stay with them as long as it makes you happy but please don't stop this dialogue.
Mr. Nworisara is spokesman of the New Nigeria Youth movement