Piercing the veil: In a country where citizens are dying from hunger, abject poverty, lack of healthcare, lack of access to education, unpaid wages, insurgency, insecurity, ethnic tensions, banditry, kidnapping and killing is rife, and millions of children are out of school, NASS wants to convince us that DNA testing bill should take precedence. It is simply mind boggling… I hope Nigerians will think beyond the present, and remember that this battle for the soul of our homeland goes beyond now. If we have learnt nothing from the spiral down, it is that the battle transcends time, space, ethnicity, religion and yes, generations.
By Elsie-Bernadette Onubogu
In a country with 46% unemployment rate, 53% living below the poverty line, how can a bill to mandate DNA testing for new born children be a priority for the National Assembly (NASS)? This is not to diminish the importance or determination of true paternity for families. However, it is to probe (within Nigeria’s current socio-economic ecosystem) what is, or should be the priority of those ‘elected’ to represent the people of Nigeria in its so-called hallowed chamber.
In a country where ‘already born’ humans cannot afford a meal to survive through the day, DNA testing is uppermost in the minds of the representatives. In a country where virtually all teaching hospitals (public hospitals) have literally become ‘mortuaries’, where hospitals lack basic infrastructure and amenities, hospital beds, drugs, etc., medical personnel are often not paid salaries, even in its dysfunctional state, and the average Nigerian cannot afford the hospitals. Yet, NASS’ priority (supported by a few lone voices including those who claim to be fighting for human rights) is a bill to mandate DNA testing.
What will this DNA bill accomplish if the paternity is determined but the baby has no food to eat; cannot afford to go to school; does not have access to good health care? To answer this question, I suggest we pierce the veil beyond 10th NASS, engage and probe the real reason behind this proposed bill.
Like the doctrine of corporate personality as established by the House of Lords in that famous case Salomon Vs Salomon, it is apparent that the DNA bill is more of a ‘concealment, a façade and a cover-up by the 10th NASS. Let the judicial reasoning therefore assist us in “piercing the veil.” Better still, in Lord Denning’s words in the case of IRC vs Littlewoods Mail Order Stores v IRC (1969), the corporate personality (10th NASS) “has to be watched very carefully” and (Nigerians) and the courts MUST “pull off the mask” to see what lies behind this proposed DNA Test bill. Nigerians must expose this bill as the misguided priority that it is, reject and nip it in the bud. It is our civic duty to demand accountability. The NASS should focus on what is real priority for Nigerians at the moment.
Speechless, I thought about how ludicrous and puerile the reason for the prioritization of this bill sounded, i.e., to preserve paternity and peace in the family. Nevertheless, as a concerned citizen with a civic duty, I set out to propose some solutions for what is seen as an epidemic by NASS.
A dear brother – Mr. Tee, came to my rescue. He proposed that in the absence of serious challenges confronting Nigeria at this time (by NASS’ estimation) besides repairing the family, NASS should proceed with the DNA Testing Bill, and in fact, make it retroactive. Such that, in furtherance of their excellent representation, NASS should commence testing the Bill with their own families. A brilliant idea I thought!
Alternatively, with the scheduled census, and the suggestion for retroactivity of the bill, the esteemed 10th NASS members in preparation of receipt of the ‘Medium Term Expenditure Framework’ (MTEF) upon resumption on September 23, should find a way to budget and pad additional trillions of Naira to cover DNA testing for the over two hundred million Nigerians to rectify family parenthood for all of us.
In order not to diminish the opinions of those who claim this is an epidemic, I implore them to weigh and juxtapose the epidemic of: hunger, diseases, unemployment, insecurity, banditry, school drop-out, university closures, unpaid workers’ salaries, teachers paltry salaries, unpaid pension, lack of potable drinking water, bad roads, kidnappings, etc., with this epidemic.
Undoubtedly, this is a case of misplaced priority. But, upon deeper reflection, I saw through this action. It is beyond misplaced priority. It is a diversionary tactic to cover up the rudderless leadership, insensitivity, out-of-touch bunch of some persons who have perfected the art of greed, debauchery and avarice, to a level beyond human comprehension.
Initially, I thought to call it incompetence. But no, these senators exhibit ‘masterful efficiency’ when it’s time to pad and appropriate millions of Naira for frivolous personal gains (in the face of national hunger – post covid 19), therefore, to refer to them as incompetent will be undeserved insult. So, let’s classify them as selective incompetents.
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To think that the same country where individuals like Tafawa Balewa, Jaja Wachukwu, Obafemi Awolowo, Dennis Osadebay, Ibrahim Waziri, Akanu Ibiam, Michael Okpara, Oyibo Odinammadu, etc., served in Parliament, is now brimming with the calibre of senators that make up 10th NASS, unearths that inglorious question, how did we get here? The answer can be found in the piece on ‘How Did We Get Here.’
Make no mistake, there are a few critical thinking minds within 10th NASS. But, they seem drowned out by the selective incompetents whose diversionary tactics is influenced by nothing but ‘stomach infrastructure’, greed, and poverty of the mind.
To remain silent in the face of such manipulation, diversion and utter show of insensitivity is dangerous. It is not only complicit, it is betrayal beyond redemption at its peak. It is a determined and complicit effort to cover up the rudderless leadership, and insensitivity that has turned the chamber into a sycophantic place of impunity and recklessness.
Nigerians cannot afford to be silent anymore. It is time for the voice of courage to speak up. It is time to pierce the veil over the ‘proposed DNA testing bill’ and expose it for what it is – nothing but diversionary tactics.
For many reasons, I refuse to be hoodwinked, and have chosen not to be silent anymore. For far too long, our collective inaction, silence, cynicism, aiding, etc., which I consider a betrayal got us into this mess. For those who say, why should we get in involved, please consider the point below.
It is antithetical and contrary to development efforts for us – citizens not to be involved or concerned about leadership and governance in Nigeria, whether you are in the Diaspora or at home.
As Joan Kirner stated, “there is no such thing as being non-political. Just by making a decision to stay out of politics, you are making the decision to allow others to shape politics and exert power over you. And if you are alienated from the current political (and leadership) system, then just by staying out of it you do nothing to change it – you simply entrench it.” In other words, you entrench the status quo.
Against this background, I urge Nigerians to speak out against this outrage and insensitivity. If not for yourself, speak up for the next generation.
In a country where citizens are dying from hunger, abject poverty, lack of health care, lack of access to education, unpaid wages, insurgency, insecurity, ethnic tensions, banditry, kidnapping and killing is rife, and millions of children are out of school, NASS wants to convince us that DNA testing bill should take precedence. It is simply mind boggling!
This call to pierce the veil is about investigating this misguided priority, and what some have naively referred to as a ‘silent epidemic’ festering in homes over and above the real epidemics.
Unmasking the veil will reveal that the proposed DNA testing is:
a. A calculated diversionary tactic from a rudderless senate that lacks leadership, vision, integrity who must be challenged.
b. It is misguided priority from representatives who seem clueless and ore insensitive to the suffering confronting their constituents.
c. It is determined tactics of selective incompetent persons who found themselves in positions they either don’t deserve or ought not to be in.
d. It is a manifestation of a group of misogynists, patriarchal minds that represent over 99% of the Senate, who refused to investigate a fellow senator’s allegation of a sexual harassment. For a moment (in speculation), I wondered if this bill would have been considered if that female senator had given birth with the claim of paternity by the accused leader?
e. It is a clear example of the double standards and hypocrisy that has taken over interpretation and implementation of laws, policies, the judiciary and even the courts. A senate that refuses to uphold court judgment – thus allowing impunity.
f. It is justifiable reason to jolt citizens to engage in demanding accountability from representatives; engage in civic duties and vote for competence; engage in what US Congress man John Lewis refers to as “good trouble”; engage in policy reform such as the ‘INEC’s electoral laws on transmission of voting results; engage in real election by casting your vote and not selling it. For in selling your vote, you end up with what Professor Chidi Odinkalu rightly termed “selectorates” i.e., benefactors of the shady system.
To digress briefly, this writer is aware that a few lone voices spoke for this bill in the guise that it will help to reduce family quarrels and crisis. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, both anecdotal and empirical evidence has shown that the major factors that fuel family crisis is financial stress – inadequacy of finances, followed by poor communication.
In the final analysis, I hope Nigerians will think beyond the present, and remember that this battle for the soul of our homeland goes beyond now. If we have learnt nothing from the spiral down, it is that the battle transcends time, space, ethnicity, religion and yes, generations.
We must do ourselves and the next generation some good with the words of John Lewis, “Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us (Nigerian) in every generation must do our part.” One such struggle requires probing misguided priorities like this DNA bill.
