Utomi: Callously Calling For A Crisis

By Bala Ibrahim.

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.” ― Wayne W. Dyer.
Also, Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher said, “The only constant in life is change, and no man ever steps in the same river twice”.

On the motivation of the above quotes, and gingered by the saying of something similar, by the former Governor of the former Kaduna state, late Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, that:

“We are living today in times of great changes. The old order is crumbling fast and new systems of life are emerging. Our task is to understand these changes, and use them for Human progress”, I want to juxtapose the political position of Nigeria today, alongside the things that have happened, in the past, politically, with a view to seeing whether the pundits are being politically objective, or simply computing the course callously, for reasons of mischief.

The closest case to illustrate my argument is the proposal of Prof. Pat Utomi, on the concept of a Shadow Government in Nigeria. Political dictionary describes shadow government, sometimes called Crypto racy, as a secret or invisible government. The concept is based on the notion that real and actual political power resides not only with publicly elected representatives but with private individuals, who are exercising power behind the scenes. It is the shadow cabinet’s responsibility to scrutinize the policies and actions of the government, as well as to offer alternative policies. In simple English, shadow cabinet members are nothing but a collection of opposition frontbenchers in the parliament.

In the United Kingdom, where the Parliamentary system of Government is practiced, and Prof. Utomi knows better than me, that, the parliament is the highest legislative body, consisting of the crowned head or sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. Yes, under the Parliamentary system, there is room for a shadow cabinet or shadow Government, but not in a Presidential system of Government that is practiced by Nigeria. Under the Presidential system, the executive arm is separate from the legislative arm, which in turn, is separate from the judicial arm. This is done as a way of creating a clear separation of powers.

Is he proposing a shadow legislative arm and judicial arm also, in the planned shadow government? The President is elected by the people to serve a fixed term, and no one can appear from the blues, to announce a parallel Government under the guise of a Shadow Government in a Presidential system. No way, except for those who are callously calling for a crisis in the country. And Prof. Pat must not put himself on that politically precarious path.

In calling for this type of government, the argument of the critics is that, under President Tinubu, Nigeria is tilting towards a one party state. This is so, they say, because of the daily defections of the opposition into the ruling party, making the ruling APC to be in control of about 23 states, out of the 36 states in Nigeria. This is true, but where were they, when the PDP of yester years, was in control of nearly 32 states in Nigeria? With the exception of Borno, Yobe and Nasarwa states, the entire northern region was in the hands of the PDP. The entire south west, except Lagos state, was at one time in the hands of the PDP. Ditto for the south east and the south south. Why didn’t they shout the theory of one party state?

As a renowned academic, Prof. Pat Utomi knows the difference between confusionism, and Confucianism. And how a ‘confusionist’ can cause confusion in the system, if he applies the two theories wrongly. The dictionary describes a “confusionist” as someone who intentionally causes confusion or promotes confusionism. It also describes confusionism as a concept that is often associated with intentionally misleading or confusing information or doctrines. Followers of the philosophy intentionally use confusion to mislead or deceive. On the other hand, the dictionary also describes confucianism as a philosophy and way of life, rooted in the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, emphasizing social harmony, ethical conduct, and the importance of relationships.

When the story of Utomi’s shadow government first broke out, my initial reaction was that the Professor is trying to introduce Confucianism as an additional religion to Nigeria, a civil religion. It was only after reading through, and listening to him lately, that I saw the sign of a Professor on the cant of confusion. Listening to him yesterday Friday, during an interview on Politics Today, on Channels Television, the Professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, said he will no longer contest for any political office in Nigeria. Also, he made it clear that he will not accept any appointment or government contract.

If the dictionary meaning of a government is a group of people with the authority to govern a country or state, and the constitution says that, government can only come democratically through a public vote, and Utomi wants Nigerians to understand unequivocally, that, he will not run for public office, where on earth is he going to derive the authority to govern the country or the state, under the proposed shadow government? The only plausible answer is via confusion, a confusion that is capable of creating a crisis in the country, politically.

By definition, his planned shadow government is called cryptocracy- where the people in power operate in secrecy, often leveraging behind-the-scenes connections or manipulating public figures to exert their influence. Shadow government of that nature lacks transparency. The public is often unaware of who truly controls the government or major institutions. This lack of transparency can breed mistrust and undermine public confidence. Is that what the learned Professor is trying to operate in Nigeria? By its hidden nature, cryptocracy can create an environment where individuals or groups manipulate events to further their own agenda.

Nigeria had long gone past this threshold and the hands of the clock can not be reversed, by those with sinister interest, or those wishing to serve a larger agenda, that is hidden from the general public.