In the last few days, a video in which the Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi threw decorum into the wind, daring protesting students of Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho (LAUTECH) to do their worst, went viral.
The outrage generated, so far, by the embarrassing conduct, even by the largely mediocre standard of public conduct of Nigerian politicians, represents a new low in leadership disdain for the governed in the political space. For his unpardonable indiscretion, there has been several calls on the governor to apologize, with some canvassing the far-fetched (at least by Nigerian standard) option of resignation.
While New Independence Group (NIG) shudders at the disgraceful conduct of the governor, and finds the attendant public anger justifiable, the socio-economic think tank is very worried that the matter seems to be following the usual pattern of expressing public discontent in the country. It is a pattern of action-outrage-reconciliation.
Ours is a populace that has made an art out of condemning despicable conduct vociferously in the immediate aftermath of its occurrence, only to reconcile ourselves to such behavior as a new normal and moving on, until a more outrageous conduct jars our nerves, only to become yet the new low. There is a demonstrable lack of will to insist that leaders account for their actions, to serve as deterrence to others and raise the bar of public conduct for those who swore to serve the people.
One important factor which in our view accounts for the supine acceptance by the populace, of excessive overreach on the part of leaders, is the abdication, ab initio, of the role of the conscientious electorate. In civilized climes, political leaders understand authority as a tool for discharging the responsibilities they bear on account of the covenant made with the electorate through the democratic process. There is a clear bar of expectation below which a leader can inexplicably fall at the risk of rebuke and rejection.
Sadly, in Nigeria, this situation does not obtain. The political process is such that is devoid of accountability and responsibility, to the extent that 'elected' leaders view the electorate with indifference and sometimes, outright contempt. In place of the revered employer whose goodwill and support are seen as critical to the success of the employee, the Nigerian voter has become a lowly valued commodity who, though, relevant to the capture of power in the procedural sense, is actually expendable in sustaining it. This commodification of the voter's power, and, by implication, the forfeiture of his rights, dignity, and vantage position in the democratic process, has led to a situation where characters most unfit for public leadership find their way to power through a demeaning transactional process. In recent times, 'stomach infrastructure', 'vote and cook', among other expressions have found their ways into prime places in our political lexicons.
Elections now go to the highest bidders, not necessarily those with the best ideas and proven competence to serve. And having mortgaged their future for a paltry fee, the Nigerian voter becomes morally enfeebled to demand responsible conduct from political leadership. Lost in the transaction is his right to hold leadership to account, as there seems to be the conscious appreciation of the political leader's need to recoup in whatever manner he/she deems fit, the dividends of democracy paid upfront.
It is within such a context that we must understand what fuels the type of contempt and arrogance exhibited by the governor of Oyo state a few days back. To regain his integrity, respect and return the political office holder to his/her place as a glorified employee that can be hired and fired in the Lockean sense, it is imperative that the Nigerian voter develops a high sense of self-appreciation which eschews commodification in place of delayed gratification.
Mandates for political offices should be given on account of competence and character, demonstrated as genuinely as possible through the long process of emergence: first, as an aspirant and then, a candidate. It is only by according the ballot the sacredness it deserves, as well as exercising the full powers it confers, by way of demanding effective leadership, that the Nigerian voter can earn respect of the political class which, for now, seems to have perfected the art of manipulation through inducement, to get into public offices.
NIG also warns the political class to be wary of hubris even in its largely correct low perception of the Nigerian voter. It is indeed very shameful that the states of Osun and Oyo are unable to manage an institution jointly owned by both. Curiously, an Osun State which has established its own full-fledged university is unwilling to relinquish LAUTECH to Oyo state, even as it continues to fail in its responsibilities to the institution. It is equally shameful that Oyo State which has no university of its own finds it difficult to sustain the institution it jointly owns with a supposedly progressive sister state.
It is indeed more baffling that Oyo State is reported to be contemplating a full-fledged university of its own, when it has not lived up to expectations as regards the one it shares ownership of with another state. It is sadly reminiscent of the attitude of Mr. Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun State governor, who, in spite of being unable to fund two existing universities, wants to create a new polytechnic while upgrading the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic to a full-fledged university. It is important that the political class stops investing borrowed resources which plunges our unborn children into debts they know not of, into white elephant projects that merely assist in warehousing funds either for future or immediate use, including massaging bloated ego .
Greatness consists of doing simple things that solve the problems of the people, rather than seeking to build gigantic structures with little or no relevance to the electorate. The millions of disenchanted citizens who have become disillusioned at the capacity of democratic leadership to meaningfully impact their lives constitute a potent threat to order, without which the authority of leaders become redundant.
Constituted authorities derive legitimacy mainly by keeping faith with the promises made to the electorate, and demonstrating its respect for them by decent, mannered conduct. They do not arrogate same to themselves or demand it from a handful number of the electorate expressing their displeasure at the indifference and wickedness of power
The governor of Oyo State owes an unreserved apology to his people for such a contemptuous and vile conduct as a first step towards putting right the university and helping the students complete their programmes under conditions most suitable
* This statement, issued by the NIG, a socio-economic think tank, is signed by its Convener, Professor Akinyemi Onigbinde
