ASKING MR.PRESIDENT TO RESIGN: His Might Or Our Right? | Nigerian Muse

Username:
Password: Forget Your Password?

Main home

Home
Archives
About This Site
Advertise Here
Guestbook
Contact Us

Media

Media Links
Soc-Pol Videos

Sections

NigeriaWatch
Projects
Elections 2007
Spotlight
Special Links
Interviews
ChemEng

ASKING MR.PRESIDENT TO RESIGN: His Might Or Our Right?
September 24, 2008 | Arizona-Ogwu L.Chinedu (Archives)

ASKING MR.PRESIDENT TO RESIGN: His Might Or Our Right?

It is somewhat difficult for me to give a proper interpretation of the constitutional position for irritating and controversial political office holders to resign, as the constitution was not before me. Despite the difficulty of answering a question involving interpretation of the constitution without consulting the constitution, from my faint memory, I answered in the negative and advised the caller to consult the constitution before taking any final decision.

Nonetheless, Government office holders and or officials tend to resign if a situation becomes hypothetical; boredom and seemingly hopeless. Most times, the position may turn irritating, with tyrant colleagues and pay-suck environment. Unfortunately, the Nigerian people only know what we are told. We are tired of being misled, we are tired of being lied to and we are tired of all the politically motivated conflicts. We are a nation divided into two entities, the ruling class and the ordinary citizens. The system that was originally created to unite our country now has "hidden" agendas, secret motives and divides and conquers mentally.

These politicians make loads of monies, always under the guise of giving services to the people, they create advertisements, newsprint, etc in order to attract voters and gain new supporters. With this in mind, it is no surprise that there are many subliminal advertisements and news in our media, they also embedded various messages into our media in a shockingly large variety of ways. The mass media and entertainment industry are always the best tools to control the population mind. Probably one of the most well-known methods is quickly flashing an image onto a screen. I believe, many people have heard of the theater incident in which moviegoers were flashed phrases urging them to eat (more) popcorn, and buy coca-cola. Subliminal messages are there to do what they do best: to influence and manipulate the people. Subliminally embedding something that attracts consumers/voters/supporters is a great way to help the tyrants reach their goals.

Consciously, however, Nigerians like to be in control of their own thoughts, because they hate (d) incumbent's way of politicking. People should know how the corrupt politicians and their cohorts were manipulating our brains. The fear of aging reminds me of that silent animation scene in which "agama lizard" hangs precariously from the hand of an iroko tree, literally pulling time from its offshoot. Despite the age-phobia zealous attempts to stop time - with fitness and anti-aging products, with cosmetic enhancements by needle, laser and knife - time has caught up. The deaths of iconic figures and the noisy debate over assisted suicide have brought the "age-phobia" face to face with their nemesis. For "nigeria4betterrule" forum, we are all speculating about the feeding tubes in our future.

As if they have visited the future, most top government officials refuse to agree that they have caught up with time. In fact, they keep updating their birth certificate, applying hair-dye and artificial make-up to appear under-age, probably pose a stop-gap for their up coming relatives and children whom they see as the "qualified" replacement for such political position. Experience at several countries has proved that nepotism is re -branding itself.

I have written on this one before. The issue of corruption in government needs to be tackled head on. Just paying lip service to the slogan of "zero tolerance" fools no one. Many Nigerians are of belief that the perception of corruption in government and corruption that comes to the open is just a tip of the ice berg. Why were Babangida and Obasanjo still walking free and making arrogant statements daring the Attorney General and everyone to put him before court? What does this tell about the government they belonged to and the party in power? Unless we tackle governance and accountability we are not addressing the real issues.

To tackle corruption adequately, I recommend the setting up of a government accountability project, a private watch dog group to ensure accountability on the part of the government. The current accountability office in the presidency is a mere window dressing designed to hide and protect corrupt officials and their deeds. The EFCC Office and ICPC, however well intentioned they may be, have been rendered powerless and useless entities. That is why a private watch dog group is preferred. The current maintenance of law and order and prevention of corruption is systematically flawed. There is also a need to install Inspector Generals in every ministry reporting to Code Of Conduct Bureau (a post created by the national assembly) who will have the power to refer corrupt officials for prosecution. The installation of Inspector Generals, and the creation of a Code Of Conduct are important steps to fight corruption and cronyism which in turn will help strengthen democratic institutions.

Again, government needs to downsize. The current size of the government is too big and costly, in fact over bloated. Japan runs the World's second largest economy with just 17 ministers. How come a country like Nigeria has over 34 ministers and ministers-of-state not counting the nephews and nieces who double as special assistants, What for? We need fiscal discipline. The people are overburdened with taxes while government displays a great deal of fiscal indiscipline. The government needs to create the right business atmosphere for industries and businesses to thrive so that they can compliment government efforts at creating jobs. Elsewhere taxes are cut to spur growth, but in Nigeria, an economic team that lacks fresh ideas always look up to increased taxation as a way of generating revenue. Government needs to simplify taxes, lower tariffs on imports and clear away red tape to encourage entrepreneurial skills. Too much taxes stifle growth. You don't need to be a Nobel economist to know this.

The priority should be to do everything possible to wage a battle against poverty, raise living standards, and encourage businesses to thrive. Some 110 million Nigerians live on less than one dollar a day, this is unacceptable. Nigeria's poor are less inclined to vote than the middle class because they have kind of resigned themselves to fate, that no politician nor political party can make a difference in their lives, thus virtually guaranteeing that their discontent may not prevail.

Few officials refuse to resign because they never want to leave on bad terms -- if possible. Courtesy, etiquette, and professionalism go a long way. So, as much as you may want to tell off seat, you should never burn any bridges. And don't spend time bragging to patriotic citizens about your great new opportunity. Witch-hunting is a funny process, and you never know when you'll run smack right into your former situation through a merger or other circumstance. So, once you are ready to announce your resignation, how can you make as smooth a transition from your current position to your new one? You'll again want to act professionally -- and follow the constitution’s guidelines. Specifically, you need to consider. As if moral boosters for those who are struggling for democracy, they demonstrate that the nascent democracy is not alone in its fight for freedom and human rights, serving as a strong deterrent in preventing large-scale human rights violations and in protecting some vulnerable, most importantly, depriving resources to the regime which is currently allocating more budgets to defense and the internal security apparatus.

The recent suspension of the license of Channels TV (though later reversed), the molestation of its workers and the arrest and detention of its journalists remind us of… tyranny of late General Sani Abacha’s days. During such “heyday”, it was hell to be a journalist in Nigeria. Honestly, it was not a cup of tea. Reporters were regularly hounded by security agencies. Routine arrest and detention of our editors was a prominent item on the agenda. Offices were habitually occupied by state agents. Journalists had to device “guerrilla” means to survive.

After all, in 1795 , John Jay, resigned from being Chief Justice of the United States, in 1800 Oliver Ellsworth resigned from being the Chief Justice of the United States in 1817 , Daniel D. Tompkins resign from being the Governor of New York, in 1829 , Martin Van Buren, resigned from being the Governor of New York, in 1832 John C. Calhoun, resigned from being the Vice President of the United States,1848 - Francis R. Shunk, resigned from being the Governor of Pennsylvania in 1851 ,Peter Hardeman Burnett, resigned from being the Governor of California, in 1885 ,Grover Cleveland, resigned from being the Governor of New York, in 1898,John W. Griggs, resigned from being the Governor of New Jersey, in 1910 ,Charles Evans Hughes, resigned from being the Governor of New York, in 1912 ,Sun Yatsen, resigned from being the Provisional President of China, in favour of Yuan Shikai, in 1913 - Woodrow Wilson, resigned from being the Governor of New Jersey, in 1942 Herbert H. Lehman, resigned from being the Governor of New York, in 1947 , Edward Martin, resigned from being the Governor of Pennsylvania, in 1947 ,Walter E. Edge, resigned from being the Governor of New Jersey

In 1960 ,John F. Kennedy, United States Senator, resigned to take office as President of the United States, in 1963 , John Profumo, resigned from being the British Secretary of State for War, after misleading the British House of Commons in relation to his controversial personal life, in 1969 , Charles de Gaulle, resigned from being the President of France, following defeat in a constitutional referendum, in 1973 Spiro T. Agnew, resigned from being the Vice President of the United States, over allegations of financial irregularities, Gerald R. Ford, United States Congressman, resigned to take office as Vice President of the United States, Nelson A. Rockefeller, resigned from being the Governor of New York,1974, Richard Nixon, resigned from being the President of the United States, after becoming mired in the Watergate scandal, Willy Brandt, resigned from being the Chancellor of West Germany,1976, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, resigned from being the President of Ireland, after a falling out with the Irish Government, in 1984 ,Pierre Trudeau, resigned from being the Prime Minister of Canada, in 1986 , Ferdinand Marcos, resigned from being the President of the Philippines,1990 , Geoffrey Howe, resigned from being the British Deputy Prime Minister, over differences with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher over government policy on the European single currency, Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister, after narrowly failing to win the first round of a leadership contest, in 1991 , Albert Reynolds, resigned from being the Irish Minister for Finance.

In 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev, resigned from being the President of the USSR, 1992 - Bill Clinton, Governor of Arkansas, resigned to take office as President of the United States, in 1993 Brian Mulroney, resigned from being the Prime Minister of Canada, retiring from politics, in 1994 , Morihiro Hosokawa, resigned from being the Prime Minister of Japan, Tsutomu Hata, resigned from being the Prime Minister of Japan, Joycelyn Elders, resigned from being the Surgeon General of the United States, in 1995 John Major, resigned from being the British Prime Minister (resigning as leader of the Conservative Party),1996 ,Albert Zafy, resigned from being the President of Madagascar, facing impeachment,in 1997, Fife Symington, resigned from being the Governor of Arizona, Sir Julius Chan, resigned from being the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, due to the Sandline affair ,Sali Berisha, resigned from being the President of Albania, after the collapse of the government's economic pyramid schemes, in 1998 ,Suharto, resigned from being the 2nd President of Indonesia, ending three decades of the New Order period, Levon Ter-Petrossian, resigned from being the President of Armenia ,in 1999 Raúl Cubas Grau, resigned from being the President of Paraguay, facing impeachment , Boris Yeltsin, resigned from being the President of the Russian Federation, retiring from politics .

In 2000,George W. Bush, resigned from being the Governor of Texas, resigned to take office as President of the United States, Alberto Fujimori, resigned from being the President of Peru, in a letter sent from Japan; the resignation was not accepted by Congress which instead declares the president "morally unfit" and removes him from office effective November 22, in 2001,Christine Todd Whitman, resigned from being the Governor of New Jersey, to take office as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Mikhail Saakashvili, resigned from being the Georgian Minister for Justice, Tom Ridge, resigned from being the Governor of Pennsylvania, to become the first Secretary of Homeland Security, Henry McLeish, resigned from being the First Minister of Scotland, over allegations of improper financial dealings, Hugo Banzer Suárez, resigned from being the President of Bolivia, due to ill health (August 7),Fernando de la Rúa, resigned from being the President of Argentina, during riots prompted by an economic crisis (December 20); and Adolfo Rodríguez Saá, resigned from being de la Rúa's interim successor (resignation declared December 30 and accepted January 1, 2002), in 2002,Cassam Uteem, resigned from being the President of Mauritius, declaring his refusal to sign controversial anti-terrorism legislation (February 15);

Again,Vice President Angidi Chettiar, who became acting president, also resigns for the same reason (February 18),in 2003,Robin Cook, resigned from being the British Leader of the House of Commons (formerly Foreign Secretary), over his opposition to the UK's involvement in the invasion of Iraq, Clare Short, British Secretary of State for International Development, resigned because of the Iraq war, Christine Todd Whitman, resigned from being the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Charles G. Taylor, resigned from being the President of Liberia, went to exile in Nigeria after being charged for war crimes, Eduard Shevardnadze, resigned from being the President of Georgia, after extensive public demonstrations against him.

Mahathir bin Mohamad, resigned from being the Prime Minister of Malaysia, retiring from politics,Freddy Matungulu, resigned from being the Minister of Finance of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on grounds of ethical divergence from the larger government, Peter Hollingworth, resigned from being the Governor-General of Australia, in response to an accusation of mishandling a sexual abuse case during his term as Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane (eff. May 28), Anneli Jäätteenmäki, resigned from being the Prime Minister of Finland (June 18), Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, resigned from being the President of Bolivia, during massive protests against the government's economic policy (October 17),Jean Chrétien, resigned from being the Prime Minister of Canada, retiring from politics. (December 12).

In 2004,George Tenet, Director of US Central Intelligence , officially for 'personal reasons', resigned after criticism of the CIA's approach to intelligence used to support the 2003 Iraq War, James McGreevey, resigned from being the Governor of New Jersey, after being mired in Pay to Play and extortion scandals, François Lonseny Fall, resigned from being the Prime Minister of Guinea, who went into exile after his resignation (April 30).In 2005, Tom DeLay, resigned from being the Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, from his leadership position while under investigation, Michael D. Brown, resigned from being the Director of Federal Emergency Management Agency, after heavy criticism of his handling of emergency management operations in the wake of hurricane Katrina, Greg Sorbara, resigned from being the Finance Minister of Ontario, resigned while under investigation, David Blunkett, resigned from being the British Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, resigning after breaking the ministerial code of conduct regarding private business appointments, becoming the second minister to resign twice from the Blair government, Faure Gnassingbé, resigned from being the President of Togo, after succeeding his late father Gnassingbé Eyadéma in a process deemed unconstitutional by the international community (February 25); National Assembly speaker Abass Bonfoh became acting president until Faure was legitimately elected to the presidency on April 24.

Stanislav Gross, resigned from being the   Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (April 9),The resignation of Kyrgyzstan President Askar Akayev, forced from office on March 24, was formally accepted by the nation's Parliament (April 11), Omar Karami, resigned from being the Prime Minister of Lebanon, after failing to form a new government (April 13); he previously resigned February 28,Ronald Gajraj, resigned from being the home minister of Guyana, accused of overseeing "phantom death squads" (April 30),Michael Howard, resigned from being the British Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the British Conservative Party after losing the general election (May 6),Jean-Pierre Raffarin, resigned from being the Prime Minister of France, after French voters rejected the government-supported referendum on the European Constitution (May 31), Carlos Mesa, President of Bolivia (resignation offered June 6 and accepted by Congress June 9),Abdul-Halim Khaddam, resigned from being the Vice President of Syria (June 6), Zokirjon Almatov, resigned from being the interior minister of Uzbekistan, after the government's crackdown in Andijan (December 22),Pierluigi Collina, resigned from being the   Italian FIFA football referee, from all refereeing, after being disbarred from officiating in top-flight matches in Italy following the signing of his unauthorised sponsorship deal with Opel vehicles (August).

In 2006,Charles Kennedy,resigned from being the   leader of the British Liberal Democrats, under pressure from his party after admitting an alcohol problem, Prince Lavaka Ata 'Ulukalala, resigned from being the Prime Minister of Tonga, after public demonstrations in favour of reducing royal influence in politics, Porter Goss,resigned from being the   Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. No explanation was given; Goss referred to his decision as "just one of those mysteries", Ayaan Hirsi Ali, resigned from being the member of the lower house of the Dutch parliament, Laila Freivalds,resigned from being the   Swedish foreign minister, in response to a number of scandals including her ministry's perceived inadequate response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (March 21),Snyder Rini, resigned from being the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, facing riots after only eight days in office (April 26),Mari Alkatiri, resigned from being the Prime Minister of East Timor, during the 2006 East Timorese crisis (June 26), United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, resigned after the opposition party took control of the US House of Representatives in midterm elections and was on course to secure control of the Senate (3 November),Michael Chong, resigned from being the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Resigned from cabinet in response to the government declaring the Québécois a nation within Canadian Confederation, Michael Grade, resigned from being the chairman of the BBC, to join the ITV network (28 November).

In 2007,Iajuddin Ahmed, resigned from being the President of Bangladesh, in his capacity as chief adviser during the 2006–2007 Bangladeshi political crisis (January 11),Borys Tarasyuk, resigned from being the Ukrainian foreign minister (January 30),Romano Prodi, resigned from being the Italian Prime Minister, after losing a vote of no confidence. His resignation was rejected by the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano (21 February),Tony Blair, resigned from being the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, stepped down as leader of the Labour Party on (27 June), during his third term, Deputy Leader John Prescott and Home Secretary John Reid, and several other Cabinet ministers, followed suit, including Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett and Justice Secretary Lord Falconer,Su Tseng-Chang, resigned from being the Taiwanese Prime Minister, after failing to secure election as his party's candidate for the 2008 presidential election (12 May),Hani al-Qawasmi,resigned from being the   Interior Minister of Palestine, after the security situation in Gaza worsened (14 May),Paul Wolfowitz, resigned from being the President of the World Bank, due to the Shaha Riza scandal (17 May), Alberto Gonzales, resigned from being the United States Attorney General,Shinzo Abe, resigned from being the Prime Minister of Japan announced September 2007,Mike Johanns, resigned from being the United States Secretary of Agriculture, resigned to run for the Senate, Peter Fincham, resigned from being the   BBC One controller, after a row about the portrayal of the Queen in a television series preview ,Sir Menzies Campbell, resigned from being the Leader of the British Liberal Democrats, citing questions about his leadership (15 October)

This year, Peter Hain, has resigned from being the British Work and Pensions and Wales Secretary, after the Electoral Commission referred investigations over political funding to the Police ,Romano Prodi, has resigned from being the Italian Prime Minister, after losing a motion of no confidence in the Senate ,Bob Irwin, father of Steve Irwin, resigned from Australia Zoo, Eliot Spitzer, resigned from being the Governor of New York, after claims of involvement in a prostitution ring , David Davis, resigned from being the Shadow Home Secretary and MP, in disagreement over the proposal to detain terror suspects in the UK for 42 days without trial, Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert has formally resigned and again, Thabo Mbeki resigned from being South African President and ANC leader, after party clashes.

We, the people, will no longer tolerate deception, deceit and corruption. We will stand tall and demand our rights as citizens to be told truths, to expect accountability and to demand justice. We need to stand and say, we would no longer support those who do not pay taxes; we would no longer support those who refuse to work and no longer tolerate the injustices of criminals living in better conditions than great percentages of Nigeria's working class. We, the people, need to re-claim our country's values, beliefs and moralities, if we are to survive as Nigeria.

More often than not, the political office-holders came from very wealthy aristocratic families. This means that they had been brought up with a real intersection the government and how it worked. Many of the tyrants of Ancient Greece took over the government because they recognized how unstable their existing was and wanted to change it. This occurred sometimes for the good of the people and sometimes for they personal gain of the tyrant.