The report on Election Violence
The Sun Publishing
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The Sun Publishing
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
 |
The report of the Federal Government Investigation Panel on 2011 Election Violence submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja recently has been generating controversy, especially over the suggestion that it indicted the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Muhammadu Buhari. Media reports on the document indicated that it said Buhari’s statement urging his supporters to protect their votes led to the post-presidential poll violence that claimed more than 10 lives in the Northern part of the country.
The chairman of the panel, Sheik Ahmed Lemu, has however denied any reference to Buhari in the report. He said the body could not have singled out Buhari for indictment because many other candidates in the elections uttered similar statements.
There is no doubt that Gen. Buhari and some of his notable supporters made numerous volatile statements in the run-up to the presidential election. But, as the investigation panel chairman has said, many other politicians expressed similar sentiments. Under the circumstances, therefore, it will be more expedient for Nigerians to focus on the more explicit submissions of the Lemu Panel, such as the alert on the possibility of a social revolution if the government does not address the current social, economic and security situation in the country.
This alarm is, indeed, a timely warning, because the rising wave of insecurity in the country is fast becoming a threat to national stability. The panel chairman rightly charged the president to do all that is needful to stop spiraling violence, even though it would entail stepping on toes of powerful persons and institutions. The panel also recommended that the constitution be amended to allow for impeachable offences to be subjected to judicial interpretation with the final verdict determined through a referendum to allay fear of undemocratic impeachment of the president by politicians who might be opposed to steps he may take to effect positive changes in the society.
We note the panel’s submissions and the president’s pledge to implement its recommendations. One of the major causes of recurring violence across the country is the failure of the Federal Government to implement recommendations of panels it set up to investigate them. There are over ten of such panels whose recommendations over the years were never implemented. A number of these are on the incessant Jos crises.
This contemptuous neglect of these panel recommendations has bred a culture of impunity, as perpetrators of violence know that nothing ever comes out of investigative reports and recommendations submitted to Nigerian presidents. It is good that President Jonathan has vowed to break this tradition by implementing the Lemu panel recommendations.
We urge him to do just as he has said. Punishing persons responsible for wilful murder and arson in the country will not make the heavens fall as the president himself has acknowledged. What can make the heavens fall is if the nation implodes on account of growing impunity by perpetrators of violence because of government failure to hold them accountable for their crimes. Let Nigerians for once see the recommendations of a panel implemented. Let panel investigations go beyond submission of voluminous documents to actual release of white paper and implementation of their recommendations.
One lesson from the post-election violence, however, is the need for politicians to choose their words carefully. Politics is about service. They should, therefore, avoid inciting statements and desperation for public office. The government should also take the warning on a possible social revolution seriously. The distressing socio-economic conditions in the country and the widening gap between the rich and the poor could precipitate a revolution as the Lemu panel has warned.
The challenge before Jonathan is to provide good governance. Let the government fulfill the aspirations of the people for a decent living. If this is done, resort to violence and threats of a people’s revolt will be nipped in the bud.
The chairman of the panel, Sheik Ahmed Lemu, has however denied any reference to Buhari in the report. He said the body could not have singled out Buhari for indictment because many other candidates in the elections uttered similar statements.
There is no doubt that Gen. Buhari and some of his notable supporters made numerous volatile statements in the run-up to the presidential election. But, as the investigation panel chairman has said, many other politicians expressed similar sentiments. Under the circumstances, therefore, it will be more expedient for Nigerians to focus on the more explicit submissions of the Lemu Panel, such as the alert on the possibility of a social revolution if the government does not address the current social, economic and security situation in the country.
This alarm is, indeed, a timely warning, because the rising wave of insecurity in the country is fast becoming a threat to national stability. The panel chairman rightly charged the president to do all that is needful to stop spiraling violence, even though it would entail stepping on toes of powerful persons and institutions. The panel also recommended that the constitution be amended to allow for impeachable offences to be subjected to judicial interpretation with the final verdict determined through a referendum to allay fear of undemocratic impeachment of the president by politicians who might be opposed to steps he may take to effect positive changes in the society.
We note the panel’s submissions and the president’s pledge to implement its recommendations. One of the major causes of recurring violence across the country is the failure of the Federal Government to implement recommendations of panels it set up to investigate them. There are over ten of such panels whose recommendations over the years were never implemented. A number of these are on the incessant Jos crises.
This contemptuous neglect of these panel recommendations has bred a culture of impunity, as perpetrators of violence know that nothing ever comes out of investigative reports and recommendations submitted to Nigerian presidents. It is good that President Jonathan has vowed to break this tradition by implementing the Lemu panel recommendations.
We urge him to do just as he has said. Punishing persons responsible for wilful murder and arson in the country will not make the heavens fall as the president himself has acknowledged. What can make the heavens fall is if the nation implodes on account of growing impunity by perpetrators of violence because of government failure to hold them accountable for their crimes. Let Nigerians for once see the recommendations of a panel implemented. Let panel investigations go beyond submission of voluminous documents to actual release of white paper and implementation of their recommendations.
One lesson from the post-election violence, however, is the need for politicians to choose their words carefully. Politics is about service. They should, therefore, avoid inciting statements and desperation for public office. The government should also take the warning on a possible social revolution seriously. The distressing socio-economic conditions in the country and the widening gap between the rich and the poor could precipitate a revolution as the Lemu panel has warned.
The challenge before Jonathan is to provide good governance. Let the government fulfill the aspirations of the people for a decent living. If this is done, resort to violence and threats of a people’s revolt will be nipped in the bud.
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