Our Stand: Clarke’s call for military intervention, so absurd!

Recently, a call came from an unusual quarter seeking military intervention in Nigeria’s political affairs.

Mooted by one of Nigeria’s supposed legal icons, Robert Clarke (SAN), the call was most unexpected, to say the least. Adduced by him as reasons for military intervention were crass corruption among the ruling elites, visionless leadership and unacceptable poverty level among the populace.

Plausible as his excuses may seem, Ripples Nigeria condemns without reservations Clarke’s call for a derailment of Nigeria’s progressive march towards institutionalized democracy.

While Clarke is entitled to his views as a free citizen, we are, indeed, appalled at the thought of jettisoning Nigeria’s constitution for a second, even with all its warts. We are even more amazed that a recommendation for a return to draconian military system is coming from a gate-keeper of our popular will, the constitution.

How could Clarke have forgotten so soon that military rule is an unacceptable aberration globally. The Nigerian experience is not only replete with horrible tales of misrule and governance but mindless looting of the nation’s treasures.

Worse still are records of serious descent into reprehensible human rights abuses and extra judicial killings under the Nigerian military. From General Aguyi Ironsi in the 60s to Abdusalami Abubakar in the 80s, all spanning a period of nearly four decades, the nation never witnessed any quantum leap but shameless underdevelopment when measured against its enormous deposits of human and material resources.

We appreciate Clarke’s frustrations and agree with him, though, that Nigeria has, almost in the course of its historical journey, been bogged down by a set of gangsters dressed in the garb of national leaders.

Not even a brief spell of civilian rule will persuade a different conclusion. If anything, the last 17 years have been ruinous with both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) jointly guilty of deepening Nigeria’s woes in terms of responsible leadership and qualitative development.

Read also: Nigeria is in ruins, let the military intervene -Robert Clarke (SAN)

While we strongly detest ineffectual leadership, we note regrettably that the call for military intervention as a solution is already defeated by the fact that the nation’s power matrix already has a sufficient dose of retired soldiers in the mix. We make haste to add that they need not return to the barracks to shoot their way back to power. Democracy already offers a door for such quest for power.

Ripples Nigeria says NO to military intervention. We urge very strong support for our democratic institutions and advise our soldiers to continue to deliver on their constitutional mandate of securing Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We also call on President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to read the mood and frustration of Nigerians and steer the nation on the path of progressivism as promised.

The anger is palpable and Robert Clarke may not just be alone in the call for a radical overthrow of government. However, we warn that anyone desirous of change in leadership must seek constitutional means to do so.

 

 

 

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