I congratulate His Excellency, Da Jonah Jang, on his electoral victory in the just concluded gubernatorial polls in Plateau State. A cursory look at those who are celebrating this victory on the streets and commenting favorably on social websites confirms that it is only those who have benefited or are benefiting or hope to benefit directly from this victory that are happy. This is so because the caricature which we practice and call democracy is a zero sum game which is not true democracy. Here, the winner takes all, and I mean ALL. The opposition is totally neglected and even persecuted. This is not true democracy because it is not representative as we find in places like France and Britain. PDP opponents in Plateau State have been and are going to be vilified for another 4 years. They are therefore very sad at the moment and find it very difficult to congratulate him. We saw Jang form and ran a very exclusive government in the last four years. Employment, appointment, educational bursaries, pilgrimage sponsorships, etc, were denied those perceived to be non-supportive of his 2007 election. Even former Gov. Bot Mang was not spared the invectives. Please note that PDP and LP shared bout 1.32 million votes with PDP taking 63% and LP 37%. LP support, which is conversely an indication of PDP rejection in the State, is a third of the population. This unfortunate third will be neglected and hated - no contracts, not appointments to government agencies, kept out like lepers and criminals and laughed at as they suffer economically. In a true representative democracy this one third would have one third of the seats in parliament in a just recognition of their views. All the rhetoric of "come and join hands with us" by the winners has been very insincere. When the winning party in Plateau State appoints a Commissioner or two from the other parties then their sincerity would have been demonstrated. Some of us are therefore agitating for a review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The post-presidential election violence of last week tells us that we need to review the type of entity Nigeria should be - a federation with true representative democracy OR a loose confederation of several independent units OR separate independent countries. Dr. Leonard Shilgba, Associate Professor of Mathematics, American University, Yola, is calling on legal minds in the Middle Belt to join him before 29 May 2011 to brainstorm on this and other issues in order to draft a petition for the Courts of this country to consider. We are making very slow economic and social advancement because of a poor Constitution (two different versions of which are in circulation according Rev. Chris Okotie who is a lawyer), non-representative democracy, endemic corruption, etc. A change from this scenario is necessary. The rich ruling class is digging in and increasing in affluence and influence while the majority poor are further being ostracized and denied a voice, a share of the huge national cake, basic rights to a means of livelihood of choice, roads, education, health facilities, etc. Some estimate that the top 18,000 Govt. staffers in Nigeria earn one quarter (about N1 Trillion). Visit the Middle Belt Coalition website or email Dr. Shigba on shilgba@yahoo.com if you would like to team up with him on this project. Edmund Burke, a 19th century intelligent British parliamentarian said that evil only prevails because good people keep quite. Let's speak up.
