As calls for restructuring gets stronger, President, Center for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS), Comrade Chuka Okoye lambasted the Nigerian Governors for their roles in truncating democracy.
Okoye who said he is an ardent supporter of a restructured Nigeria, said that restructuring of Nigeria is long overdue, but frowned at the undemocratic attitudes of state Governors whom he accused of raping Nigeria’s democracy.
He said that it is unfortunate that governors who actually knew the benefits of a restructured Nigeria are too stubborn to allow Judicial autonomy, legislative autonomy and even Local Government autonomy because of their selfish benefits.
Okoye said that the accusations leveled against the Federal Government are seen vividly all over the states of Nigeria, as governors keep demonstrating their hunger for absolute power. He said that with a critical view on South east, the aforesaid anomalies in the system has succeeded in turning the state-actors, especially governors to enemies of democracy.
Okoye said that the manner in which South East Governors stoop so low to be interfering in every elective positions in groups and associations is worrisome. “They have raped and bastardised our democratic system to the extent of stooping so low to destabilize the existing democratic processes of electing heads of notable associations like Markets, Transport, NUJ, NUT, Town unions and more just to impose their stooges as leaders for future political reasons.
“It will amaze you to know that traders in most major markets of the south east are no longer allowed to exercise their civic rights by their various state governors towards electing their leaders which has now become a tradition.
“Majority of the imposed leaders on these associations are known political thugs, praise singers and sycophants who do not trade in the markets. These individuals who are imposed on traders by governors do not have any idea of the traders needs. All they do is to keep bringing multiple taxations on traders.” Okoye said that such undemocratic practices by South East Governors have succeeded in breaking lots of peaceful communities and also ignited cold war in many communities in Igboland.
“A vivid example is a recent problem in Enugwu-Agidi in Njikoka LGA of Anambra State. A community living in peace and harmony coupled with an aged long established democratic processes in running their affairs and town union, was in recent time thrown into crises by her state government in pursuit to compensate her political allies.
“The state government grossly undermined the town’s democratic process and imposed interim leadership on the people without considering the fact that the community has no issue to warrant such and also without the consent of the community leaders.”
He said that such act by Anambra State government has never allowed peace to rein in that community and the people have not been able to elect a President General for the town union like they used to since then without crisis, as sprinter groups have emerged over the matter in a town that was once very peaceful.
Okoye said that for democracy to be what it was meant to be, governors especially those in South East who presently joined in clamouring for restructuring have to rise up to the occasion by adhering strictly to all the democratic treaties they swore to uphold.
“Thus, encourage the populace to believe and support democratic ways of doing things and facilitate that by removing all the stooges they imposed on various associations, hence allowing the members of these associations to decide those to run their affairs.
“They should grant the local governments practical autonomy to entrench the grass-root governance, development and inclusion of the local populace in decision-making.”
