Occupy Nigeria: The Fourth Arm of Government

Occupy Nigeria started trending again this morning on social network Twitter. The reason for this is partly because there are suspicions the present administration plots to increase the pump price of PMS in a few weeks. The response and reaction from hundreds of thousands of Nigerians on the social network has been astounding.

It felt like January 1 2012 all over again. Yours truly had to quickly leave the office to ask a fuel station attendant the current pump price of fuel. After being reassured by the attendant that it was still N97, there was no need to panic. The argument that will be offered for a new increase in the pump price of PMS is not new, it is a stale argument that has been waged over and over again with many people who oppose such a hike.

While there might not be any formal announcement by the regime to confirm the speculation or any statement made thus far by the president’s spokesman who is also on the social network to douse the already rising feeling of anger, certain issues must be pointed out. Occupy Nigeria did not achieve what it sought out to achieve for a number of reasons. The strikes were called by the NLC and TUC while the Occupy Nigeria movement had no formal leader or convener. There were many disjointed and dysfunctional clamouring at various places. This singular lack of cohesion by the many occupants of Nigeria resulted in a cacophony. No one ever deciphered the words from a cacophony.

There has to be a voice and co-ordinator of the Occupy Nigeria movement for it to be successful. It must speak one and the same thing everywhere at all times. Occupy Nigeria is necessary because, Nigeria under this regime is headed very quickly for a crash into a block of flats. Loss of confidence in a regime they lined up to elect only months ago is high. Do you need reasons for that loss of confidence: inability to act on a single issue without having to raise committees, the rise in governmental spending and untoward corruption, are the reasons behind this level of dissatisfaction. The Labour movement can be bought and thrown aside, Nigerians need a different platform that will among other things defend the bulk of Nigerian interests on issues as these.

The National Assembly under the leadership of the president’s party has been a patronising partnership. Their oversight functions have always ended in celebrated charade. Swallowing a huge gulp of national revenue by way of emoluments, it is they who must be visited when issues like these come up because we have been blessed with lucky presidents who do not give a damn. Occupy Nigeria must tell them at the right time, whether in a few weeks or in the distant future that Nigerians have no faith in any regime. Where such a proclamation is made, impeachment proceedings must begin.

But in fairness, Occupy Nigeria must not rush to the National Assembly at every turn to pass a vote of no confidence on an executive whether at state level or federal level. There must be some form of procedure for ensuring that only incompetent regimes with symptoms of cluelessness at national leadership are given such a vote. Such a procedure cannot emerge unless there is a formal leadership. It will be wise to suggest that an umbrella body of Civil Societies in Nigeria form a coalition that will culminate into Organise Nigeria and these smaller bodies and or unions can from among its members listen decide when to pass such a vote.

We live in a different era today, an era in which people are more directly involved in their leadership. The social networks make it possible for the pulse of a people to be felt immediately on any issue. It is called the rise of popularism. That is democracy in its purest form. Government of a few for the majority is suspicious for its many manipulations especially in Nigeria, there is need to turn that popular will of the people into a machinery that can exert itself on the government on issues that affect the security and welfare of the majority. Government of a few for the majority does not address thoroughly the issues as felt by the majority but is predominantly self seeking. It is not hard to reach a consensus on social networks whereas it takes months to pass a bill that favours the majority and only a few days to pass an obnoxious legislation.

Occupy Nigeria needs focus, direction and leadership, it cannot continue to be a cacophony. Civil societies should be at the core of its formation. Occupy Nigeria must always go to the National Assembly to tell that arm of government it has no confidence on the executive. Should the National Assembly fail to listen, Occupy Nigeria will begin to recall those lawmakers while occupying the streets. In this era of popularism, governance is about doing the will of the majority and the like Machiavelli opined, “the people only want not to be oppressed.”

There is need for that fourth arm of government, the popular will of the majority. That is democracy.