One is struck, when visiting the United States of America, by the number of places where notices are posted reading: “Federal Law prohibits…” such and such. In every compartment of New York City’s underground rail is displayed a notice informing or reminding passengers that “Federal Law prohibits assaulting an MTA (Metropolitan Transport Authority) official”. One would have thought that to be given, that is, taken for granted; however, the relevant authorities obviously choose not to assume that American citizens or visitors to the country would instinctively conform. Over and over again one finds that specific legislation is made regarding matters of common interest and public order, and notices are placed appropriately to inform the public about the existence of such legislation, so that pleading ignorance in case of any infraction would simply not be acceptable.
It is clear that Nigeria needs a great deal more legislation than we currently have, especially with respect to public conduct, both for the general populace as well as for those in positions of governance. We cannot assume that people would instinctively know what type of behaviour is appropriate at any given instance – for example, as dictated by common sense – neither can we be sure that even when they do know the appropriate conduct people would actually conform to such without some form of external prodding. To start with, common sense seems to have lost a great deal of ground and therefore can no longer be trusted as a guide for proper conduct. It is amazing how so uncommon common sense has become! Furthermore, the lure of personal gain or advantage has proven to be a formidable challenge to the rule of common sense, such that more explicit ways of ensuring proper conduct have to be found.
Greater legislation is required to moderate the excesses and guide the behaviour of our public officials in particular, because they are the custodians of the resources which belong to the entire populace. Most of these resources have simply been squandered over the years and this trend continues unabated up until now. Every day brings fresh revelations of public officials wantonly betraying the trust of the people whose interest and well-being they swore to serve. Unfortunately, not everything can be properly legislated. One would have wished, for instance, that the arrogance with which government officials frequently address citizens would become a punishable offence! We are constantly told that it is our duty to appreciate government’s largesse and reciprocate their “kind gesture” in providing a borehole or constructing of a one-kilometre road – often at costs which would easily have provided ten boreholes or a 20-kilometer road!
It is time to devise means of assisting those who act on our behalf to be better custodians of our collective wealth by providing in greater abundance laws which will guide their actions in a definite and specific manner. Of course, ensuring fiscal propriety by officials is partly the responsibility of the anti-graft agencies. However, we also need to focus attention on other areas which are equally important, not only for blocking avenues of wastage, but which would help to create a better culture of propriety and decency in public life. A few examples of instances where laws are needed to prohibit wasteful spending and inappropriate behaviour in public life are indicated below.
Serving officials must no longer be allowed to name projects after themselves, neither should any property purchased with public funds bear their name. For example, vehicles purchased with public funds may not have the names of governors or local government chairpersons inscribed on them. Only what belongs to a person privately may rightly bear that person’s name – as dictated by common sense!
Congratulatory messages to a public official (for example, on the occasion of their 100th day in office) by another public official should become illegal. Public officers hold their positions in trust for the people, and it is not their place to congratulate one another. Only the people for whom such positions are held in trust can judge their performance.
The funding of political parties’ activities with public funds must be brought under greater scrutiny. Mandatory contributions by governors and local government chairmen for campaigns and party celebrations must be unacceptable and prohibited by law. One is bound to wonder, for instance, what the source is for all the money currently being spent by the APC and PDP for their nationwide campaigns.
We have reached a point in Nigeria where every citizen must realise that they have a part to play in the manner in which the nation is run. Far too much is at stake now for the general populace to keep holding its peace; we can no longer leave the matter of our governance solely to the whims and caprices of our public officials. At every local government level, in every state, and even at the national level, voices must be raised. We, the people of Nigeria, must begin to demand that we be rightly, decently and properly governed. All of us must start to recognise what our responsibilities are to our society even as we equally demand that our rights be respected. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that those we have elected to manage our affairs do so in a manner which ensures fairness to all, and which enhances our standing among other nations, both at the regional and global levels.