Last week, after the principal officials of the National Assembly were installed or sworn in, a certain pattern which has become a common denominator in our life as a nation took place: it was the visitation of the tribesmen of the public officials to express support and ‘solidarity’ with these officials.
Now, nothing is wrong or untoward about this. Democracy encourages the freedom of association and peaceful assembly.
But if these visitations to public officials are taken on public fora, and given the widest publicity possible, then these visits begin to negate the secularity of our corporate existence and relegate governance to the sub-culture of ethnic considerations.
There are a thousand and one instances to cite from in the past, but the most reprehensible is that that encourages a people to gloss over the crime of ‘our son’ and hold solidarity rallies and protest marches in favor of that personage.
We should not encourage these, and hope that that wind of change upon which this administration was ushered in so power would blow fast and furious against the tide of ethnicism and tribalism in Nigeria.
Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku
Africa Network for Environment & Economic Justice,
ANEEJ,
Benin City.
www.aneej.org
