By MIDE BENEDICT
Now if I ask you what democracy is, you would define it, like everybody else, which is most likely to be the rhymes you have learnt in secondary school or perhaps read in a textbook or in a newspaper page, particularly the historical section, that according to Abraham Lincoln, the man who fought for the freedom of black slaves and also in turn was shot and eliminated while serving as president of the United States, that democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people. You will certainly be correct and would even receive an applause for it, save you, if you are not in the mist of the 'non-oppressed' citizens, who will swiftly give you their own definition: the government for the few, by the few and of the few, only then will you not receive a send-me-to-hell swinging blow.
Yes, Yes, they know, It's oligarchy, in fact most of them are currently teaching that to their students or children or even neighbors, but they have refused to sit at the same table with that definition of democracy, which is definitely not for those who each day cry for food when they have plenty, who shed pain from their tree of labour or those who stood in the sun for hours, sweating and holding back the tears that tirelessly wanted to escape the doors of their eyes just to press their left thumbs against a purple-coloured stamp pad, press it against the stipulated box for the most popular party, or the party with the best manifesto and then drop into the box, which, if care is not taken will end up in the refuse dump and at the end the power's choice will take the rule. And after all these, one would expect their definition to be like that of Abraham Lincoln, definitely not.
Not when they still idolize god M.K.O Abiola, who, contrary to his name Majekodunmi (let it not hurt me), was seriously made to weep for a denied wealth-making office, as the most credible, freest and fairest election in the country, an election that was done over fifteen years ago and is still their godfather to a perfect election. Not those who are scared of talking to their leaders because they still have families who want them alive and surely not those who would shout day and night, with their voices begging for a permanent leave of work, just because they want to tell their minds to those they 'voted' in, certainly not them.
Then if we say we still live in a Democratic nation then the people should not be those who beg to eat the scrap falling down from the tables of the electeds. They should be people who are given the opportunity to vote, without leaders being imposed on them, to be voted for, without being chased with guns from shore to shore and from border to border. They should be people who have leaders that have the minds of the people.
Am not saying we don't have good leaders, but without an iota of doubt peeping from the pot of reality, that not all dark clouds tell of a pregnant sky and not all eyes have eyes to see. There are good ones, Yes, But in the city of abnormals, the sensible ones are called outcasts and anomalies. So I do not blame those ones for the inability of their stars to shine. The beautiful ones have actually been born but the ugly ones masquerade them.
This issue of a true democracy is not only a cloth left for the leaders to wear But for every citizen of this country and the world at large. For so many of us citizens only hide under The-leaders-no-do-well canopy to perpetrate evil. If you are in the market place and you cheat another citizen, by given an 'Ah!' price, that price is for you alone, not for others, that's oligarchy and not democracy, hence, you are guilty. If you are in the office and all you do is sleep, leaving piles of works undone, you are guilty, for that snoring adventure is for you alone and not for others. Democracy doesn't only think of oneself, since one is a member of the country and one must exercise one's right, but democrasy thinks about all, who share the same citizen right with one, because under the law, I see no place where it's written all citizens are equal but some are more superior than the others, except in Oliver Twist which is in fact an allegorical satire of bad democracy and that was for animals, which I know we are not.
We celebrate democracy today, but in our rooms and bed corners, we should ask ourselves are we truly Democratic or we are just obedient citizens of what Fela Anikulapo, the one who has death in his pouch called, The demo of craziness.
MIDE BENEDICT
Comments
Post a Comment