The beauty of democracy lies in the choices we make and the voices we empower. Although it is defined as government of the people, by the people and for the people, I believe it simply means choices and voices.
In a democratic process of selecting leaders, the people make their choices and empower those voices to speak on their behalf. Those voices are supposed to represent the will and wishes of the people they represent. But once they get elected, it seems they represent themselves, their families or in some cases their ethnic groups.
Next they enact laws that would stop the people from questioning their excesses or even criticizing their gross under-performance. That alone begins to question their credibility ab initio.
But the people should have choices and voices in a democratic system, and the people should be the police. When elected officials fall short of representing the people, the people should recall the official and his position let another take.
And when a people refuse to participate in the democratic process, they allow those who don’t agree with them to make those important choices and empower those voices they don’t want to hear. When you refuse to vote, you actually voted for the candidate you don’t want. That is what happens and that is what also happens when you don’t insist that your vote counts.
African people, it is about time. When shall our slumbering state cease and when do we gain consciousness from this stupor of ours? When will our voices be heard about whose voices we want to hear and vice versa. When are we going to hold our politicians accountable? Why, for example, has the person that moved the ‘hate speech’ bill not yet recalled? Why do we encourage impunity in subtle ways?
Until we the people say no to excesses, we will have to live with excesses of politicians who represent their stomachs, their greed and their avarice. Until we speak up and speak out against looting in high places of governance, our collective resources will continue to circulate in the pockets of a few greedy monsters, and we the people will continue to wallow in the pit of poverty and unmet needs. Make your voices heard by speaking out. A voice suppressed is a voice killed.
Happy holidays every one. Be safe!
MezieOkolo is a leadership analyst and a voice from diaspora
12/20/2019