Going by their recent disingenuous and self-serving deeds, Governors Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State and Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State have offered up themselves as guinea pigs for the validation of this age-old maxim in the Nigerian environment – power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. For those who may be wondering about its origin, Lord Acton, an English Catholic historian, moralist, politician, and writer once remarked, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Even before Lord Acton made his historical assertion in a letter opposing the infallibility of Pope, Lamartine and his anonymous English translator had coined already the notorious phrase, ‘absolute power corrupts' and liberally used it.
Writers and thinkers on power have always alluded to this assertion and it comes handy here again, as one reflects on the duo of Chibuike Amaechi and Godswill Akpabio, who have, without qualms, hoodwinked their fickle State Assemblies to legislate an annual N100 to N200 million for them in medicals, pensions and so on. One wonders what medical treatment Akpabio or Amaechi envisages that would take as much as an annual N100 million or more to treat. Even if both men are suffering from cancer, which is known to be beyond the pale, if not terminal, the annual treatment will never be this outrageous.
The sum of N200 million can easily establish a hospital to take care of a whole community. Yet, both men believe it was just enough for mere annual medical checkup, excluding separate provisions for their wives and other categories of aides. This may become a trend, which is totally new as other Governors are likely to follow the example. They have really rubbed it in the faces of the masses that they have no place in the current civil dispensation and raises further the urgent need for the people to take their destinies in their own hands. Come to think of it, Amaechi and Akpabio have been touted as progressive governors and if indeed their idea of progressivism is mortgaging the future of their States to themselves after office, even after running these rich States singlehandedly for 8 years each, then, their people do not need oppressors, as they too have, by the action, joined the enemies of the peoples.
It is more of greed than anything else as a Nigerian Governor will more likely leave office a billionaire. The reason for this reasoning is simple. First, the Abacha/Yadudu contrived 1999 Constitution does not allow democracy at State level. Both the State Legislative Assemblies and States' Judiciary are tied to the apron strings of the Governors, as their funds are not on first line charge. What this means is, unlike what obtains in the center, the Governors release the funds for the State Legislative Assemblies and States' Judiciary when they please. This piper syndrome has been enough to silence the two arms to do the bidding of the Governor and thus effectively buried the quintessence of the principle of separation of powers in the States. Pictures of State legislators kneeling before a Governor of a South Eastern State flooded the social media recently as proof of the near nonexistence of democracy and rule of law at State level and more importantly, what despots State Governors have become.
Another reason the Governors are Billionaires is the so-called security votes. Each State Governor is said to receive from the federation account over N200 million monthly as Security Vote, which he does not have to account for. This whooping sum is supposed to be used by the Governor to keep the State secured, but because the State Governors are not accountable to anybody, security votes and similar special funds are treated by these Governors as their personal allowances. The 1999 Constitution has also provided for a Joint State and Local Government Account, superintended by the Governors. This obnoxious Constitutional provision has also given the Governors direct access to LG funds, which they have dispensed with as they please since 1999. In most cases, the Governors have even refused to hold Local Government Election.
To say nothing about special grants and partnerships with development partners and floating funds from international donor agencies. The Governors are therefore like absolute monarchs, running their empires without any control or checks and balances, and this is a constitutionally guaranteed executive rascality. They handpick their successors, Local Government Council members, etc. with nobody being in a position to raise any objection unless perhaps the President. What this means is that such obnoxious laws cannot even be repealed after them with their lackeys in helm of affairs.
The Governors are also immune to arrest and prosecution while in office and when out office, they are also above the law and keep their financial indiscretions unquestionable, with their capacity to rent supporters, buy judgments and injunctions if possible and hire all the SANs to keep their corruption cases running until they become statute-barred. Each time the EFCC and ICPC attempt to prosecute any thieving former Governor, the efforts are usually frustrated by those accused, and there are such cases in the Nigerian courts lingering for upward of 10 years and more. Despite these privileges and largesse, which Nigerian Governors enjoy from a 1999 Constitution that was designed to fail and keep the people poor and Government unaccountable, Amaechi and Akpabio insist on their States still paying them royalties in excess of N100 to N200 million, till death do them part.
This is inconceivable; and coming from Amaechi and Akpabio, the so-called progressives, makes it even more scandalizing. Nigerian States are now run like absolute Monarchies. Absolute monarchies are those in which all power is given to or, as is more often the case, taken by, the monarch. Examples of absolute power corrupting are Roman emperors (who declared themselves gods) and Napoleon Bonaparte (who declared himself an emperor). Today, as an excellent examples of absolute power, our Governors are like such Monarchs, Emperors and Czars that were corrupted by power.
As said, the Governors are absolutely immune from law while in office and acquire so much to remain above the law while out of office. But question is: who do we really blame for this terrible power equation in Nigeria that has given absolute powers to the Governors , which has corrupted them absolutely? In true life, unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it. The 1999 Constitution, which allows the State Governors to roam around like Emperors, is the main culprit to blame. For everyman allowed such unfettered powers will enjoy and keep it so. Nigerians need a new Constitution that will set the nation free from these legally created despots.
A thinker once observed that it is not only the slave or serf who is ameliorated in becoming free. The master himself did not gain less in every point of view, for absolute power corrupts the best natures, as seen in the case of most of Nigerian Governors some of who are hitherto perceived as progressives. Nigerians do not have to fold their hands and expect change to come on its own. Change comes from the citizens’ agitations for good government and the foundation of good government is the grund norm (our basic norms - the Constitution) which provides for freedom and ultimately accountability in governance.
Nigerians must discuss this point until they are agreed upon it. From the examples of Nigerian governors, we can also see no man is good enough to be handed absolute powers. Citizens should reject the notion that the leaders do no wrong or are put their by God; or would change or bring about change without prompting. If there is any presumption, it is the other way, against the holders of power, increasing as the power increases the chances of abusing it where checks and balances are clearly not put in place. Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal responsibility.
That is why power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Some thinkers also have cause to believe that the so-called great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority, still more when you add the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority and power. In fact there is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it. Even the best of men can be corrupted by absolute powers and this is what has happened to the Nigerian State Governors. Let us therefore work out a Constitution that will set the country on a true path of freedom, democracy and development. What is more, those waiting for this to happen without collective effort may have to wait for eternity.
Law Mefor, Forensic Psychologist and Journalist, is National
Coordinator, Transform Nigeria Movement, TNM, Abuja; email: lawmefor@gmail.com; tel.: +234-803-787-2893
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