And then they came for Natasha, Ushie and Fubara, by Sani Bello Hamza
Nigeria often keeps its writers, journalists and bloggers busy with a wide range of topics to report, debate, or even write on. Our public space is mostly filled with “free” attractive stories for bloggers and essayists to effortlessly write compelling articles or public commentaries. For the investigative journos, there’s always one accountability, transparency story or another. At the same time our solution Journalists are pitching their solution-based stories all because of a third person neglected responsibilities leading to a dilapidated and contaminated public space. Perhaps, maybe, it’s because of its dynamic nature and prevalent conflict in the country. Or better still, because of the presence of so many “actors” in the public space.
These free stories do not however come without a price, the other side of the coin and ultimate price is; that sometimes a writer will painstakingly devote a week long to produce a single piece on a trending national issue and then boom, in a blink of an eye, the country’s direction will shift to an entirely new topic which automatically render the previous one obsolete. Here, the writer is left with no option but to dish out the prepared article and risk the chance of being snoozed or not taken seriously by his readers, or if he so wishes, discard the initial idea and take the pain to produce a fresh article ab initio.
For the past few weeks, I was also dumbfounded and caught several times gathering my thoughts on whether to write a “beautiful” tribute/farewell to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan; look into El-Rufai’s political miscalculation and his dead-on-arrival SDP; comment on Rivers state lingering political crisis or perhaps, dish out a piece on the threatened NYSC corper who asserts “The President is Terrible”
This is innocent me trapped in the shoes of writers in my quest to choose a timely and yet impactful topic to write on. However, after the recent happenings earlier this week, I felt like writing an article is not the best idea, an elegy or ode would fit in better to commiserate with the families, friends and constituents of Natasha and Fubara in these sad and sorrowful grief days. Or maybe, as Oma the Great aptly put it, we should observe a three-day national mourning, a minute of silence and wear black clothes to depict our mood, dissatisfaction and unquenchable anger toward the outer world. Yes, maybe that may suffice.
Well, the two characters (Natasha and Fubara) are now likened to two sides of an equation– Natasha X and Fubara Y. They’ve suddenly become victims of an immature and not-so-good Democratic government.
It’s a pity how they’ve turned out to be the victims of a system they worked hard for– a dream they spent several years nurturing is being shattered in a few hours.
You see, even though It’s true we joke too much in this country, I suggest there should always be a red line and the extent to which we crack jokes. We should bear in mind there are very expensive jokes. For in a sane democratic country, the constitution is akin to a holy religious book, it is sacred and deemed to be above everyone. Its provisions are, In fact, binding on all persons and authorities throughout the federation. Why then should we joke with our scared book?
It all started with Ushie…
We grew up from primary to tertiary institutions reciting and repeating the definition of democracy. Not only the definition, including its indispensable features. Yet, the freedom of expression and press that tend to be at the forefront is now a luxury. Ushie Rita was confronted by the NYSC senior officials in Lagos and threatened because she spoke on behalf of all of us. Yes! She spoke on behalf of each and every one of us. Because we all can attest to the continuous hyperinflation and stagnated income.
She lamented how the continuous and unchecked increase in the price of commodities coupled with a peanut income is milking her dry. For NYSC corpers living far away from home, how do we expect 33K to sufficiently cater to their transport, accommodation, and living expenses? That alone, they said, warrants a capital punishment to be inflicted on her.
Capital punishment for expressing herself in a democratic regime? If that’s the case, we should simply abolish the system and go back in time to the military government when freedom of expression was a luxury.
Then they came for Natasha…
When the senate unanimously passed a resolution of six months suspension for Senator Natasha, I had every reason to believe the bourgeoisie were coming for the pro-masses activists with all their might. From what started like an in-house quarrel between the senate president and the “beautiful” senator, it later transformed to a full blown blame game and now, it is nothing short of a national embarrassment.
Whether true or not, the sexual allegations tabled before the Senate against their leader would, in a sane country, warrant a suspension or at least a step down by the Senate President. Instead, he was given the leverage to preside and approve the resolution of the senate committee that confirmed the suspension. It is very sad and unbecoming how our senators have deviated from their primary assignments.
Apart from being a rubber stamp, sharing our common patrimony, what other relevant matter of urgent national importance did the Senate debate in the past few Weeks? Approving the Suspension of duly elected Governor and his deputy? Oh, we now know who they are coming for. Don’t you?
They are all out for Fubara and the masses…
The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and subsequent suspension of the duly elected governor, his deputy and all lawmakers should send a dangerous signal to our spine. In no time, the president intervened by suspending the governor forthrightly, what happens to mediation and reconciliation?
As the father of the land, he ought to have exhausted all possible measures before resorting to this punitive one. There is nowhere in the spirit of section 305 that empowers the president to suspend an elected government official. The process of impeachment of governors is encapsulated in section 188 of the 1999 constitution and other relevant laws.
What then empowers the president to act in this manner? This suspension poses a great danger to all opposition governors and parties to thread with utmost caution. For they are not immune to the president’s “emergency power”.
At this juncture, we must, as the NBA did, call on the president to act in the spirit of the law to restore democratic rule in Rivers. We can’t afford a compromise in the democracy we fought for.
Sani Bello Hamza writes from Zaria.
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