Last week, I did an x-ray of the strange suggestion for military takeover of the affairs of Nigeria, on account of the failure of the present government to deliver on its promises to the people. Presently in Nigeria, it would seem there is a general confusion on the way to go, for the ultimate decision to move the nation forward, especially as we approach another election season. People have come up with different suggestions in respect of this, particularly at the various centres where discussions are ongoing about areas of the Constitution to be amended by the National Assembly, if ever there is a genuine desire to so do. I had the opportunity of going through the comments of many who read last week’s piece and it is abundantly clear that most Nigerians are dissatisfied with the status quo. Let me share some of their thoughts with you.

Olaniyi Adeosun:

So we are not deceived, the way we are going, a coup d'etat might just be a better option. So many of us now want the military to come back. This is rubbish democracy. Did you see how the top echelon of the military were treated at the death of the COAS and his team and crew? Just keep your mind open, anything can happen. Civilians have mismanaged democracy. It's that simple. It's not working.

Suleiman Abdulaziz:

Olaniyi Adeosun, but democracy includes the military. Is it sincerely proper for anyone to blame any wrongly regimented military affairs on the civilian? Things may not be working very well does not mean they have to be taken upside down to get them corrected. The standard is that the military serves under democracy, not the other way around.

Olaniyi Adeosun:

Suleiman Abdulaziz my brother, democracy is not designed for Africa and Africans. It has not worked in this region and it will never work. We are only making a few civilians wealthy and the expense of others.

Adewale Aribatise:

My Learned Silk, if this abhorrent politics of exclusion of a large segment of Stakeholders in Nigeria continues and this country is pushed to that threshold of distingeration, nothing can stop the Military from taking over!!!

Emmanuel Olali:

Adewale Aribatise which military, the one in the hands of a mono tribe of No. 1 & his handlers otherwise known as the Presidency? In fact this present millitary will be resisted if they try any stupid take over as they will be seen as a deliberate back door continuation of this clueless regime.

Adewale Aribatise:

Unfortunately, the other alternative to the military is pure People's Revolution which is far fetched from the consciousness of Nigerians. Take the West away from Nigeria, most of the rest, with few exceptions will make do with the rubbish being served ad infinitum. True, the Military in Government is an aberration but there's no other cohesive institution that can rescue Nigeria from distingeration except the political elites who wake up to acknowledge their self enlightened interests.

Olu Aluko:

Period what thought? With what we are seeing today? If these people continue like this not only will the military come back Nigerians will not lift a finger to defend this elite class.

Chris Ikenna:

Sir, it’s unfortunate you are still thinking we are in a democratic dispensation. With lopsided appointments, rubber- stamped legislature and judiciary, tribalism, bigotry, extra judicial killings and injustice that have bedeviled this government, I wonder why anybody in Nigeria will wake up from sleep and tell us we are practicing democracy. All the evils we are witnessing in this government are the evils that characterize a military regime. This government is worse than any military regime. I know you want to be politically correct so that they don’t witch-hunt you because that's the so-called government trademark. I perfectly understand that. Any government that hates criticism no matter how logical can never be labeled a democratic government.

John Walker Adetunji-Adeoye:

Chris Ikenna your opinion/comment “this government is worst blahblahblahblah” is what we’ve been hearing since birth. A typical Nigerian hasn’t aired his grievance without the use of exaggerations. The fact you can even type this today is testament to the power of democracy. You have NO IDEA what you're talking about. Go and read about Abacha and Babangida and you'd be grateful to be in a democratic dispensation. Hate Buhari all you like but 75% of the nonsense going on today would never have occurred if it was Buhari 83. As for all you wrote, I wonder if they just started today or it was you who just woke up today. It is well.

Chris Ikenna:

John Walker Adetunji-Adeoye, Buhari is the best thing that has happened to Nigeria. Hope you are happy now? You can now have a good night’s sleep.

George Oladapo:

You are all saying is wrong with the line of thought of Mr Clarke (SAN) his something is not wrong with the whole of us. Soyinka wrote in the book, The man in you died the day you keep quiet over the issue we should go to the street for: close our working place and let them know that we have rights too like them.

Taiwo Orisabuyi:

Thank you for letting him know he is wrong. Tunde Bakare would be asked to come govern Nigeria like Joseph.

Mark Mobolaji Amidu:

When the learned and princes of the land become fools or refuse to speak up..... this becomes the reason God raises men from the backside of the deserts like Sunday Igogho, Nnamdi Kanu etc to take up the cause of the common man.

Odubiyi Busayo:

Law enforcement does not make noise or a call for struggle to amend or go wrong at this juncture in our nation. What we need now presently is to address the administration of the present government and show how confused they are in managing the country. Anyone can say whatever they like but one thing is the TRUTH. We are going to be divided now is the only God solution now, if the president of Nigeria didn’t see anything wrong in the state of security and following a standard of operations of the nation at the era. There is a constitution of Nigeria that was formerly since 1999 whatever wrong amendments that has been done on it should be noted which is not by the Nation bodies agreements should be but aside or NOTED. Nigeria is not an Islamic country and anyone cannot use enforcement to impose implementation of wrong doing to NIGERIA. When we divide, let us help ourselves if there is a need. The prayer of the righteous shall be answered.

Adebayo D Olanrewaju:

I did not blame the old man, the politician has failed us in a big way as you stated sir. They are not different from the military when it comes with corruption, obedience to rule of law (To an extent). They lack ideas and capacity on how to govern, tackling insecurity and deep analysis of economic issues and providing solutions in a manner that makes sense. I feel people should rise against the bad leadership by creating awareness necessary to shake the table like during the past military leadership. Again, the civil societies that Mr Ebun belongs to have also been compromised a long time ago. Some of them are now politicians or work for politicians. If Nigeria has to survive, the citizens should rise to the occasion and demand good government.

Ezekiel Godwin:

Dear sir,

Your last statement, life without Christ is crisis, I strongly disagree, we shouldn't be overly religious in every issue, these following countries are not religious yet there is no crises ... Percentage of those that are non-religious is higher than the religious people yet they are doing well.

China 90.00%

Sweden 73.00%

Czech Republic 72.00%

United Kingdom 69.00%

Netherlands 66.00%

Without any doubt whatsoever, the voices have spoken out against the rot prevailing in all spheres of authority, to the extent that some Nigerians now canvass for military rule as a demonstration of their anger at the mis-governance in Nigeria. Our leaders cannot claim not to listen to these loud voices, crying for a change, everyday; the challenge is their unwillingness (or inability) to respond to the challenges of governance in order to give happiness to a greater majority of our people. The democratic experience is a form of a social contract, whereby leaders seek the mandate of the people to occupy various offices through the ballot, in exchange for good governance. Nigerians have not failed to discharge their civic duties to choose leaders but it would seem that the leaders do not see themselves as accountable to the people in return, in order to deliver what we now refer to as the dividends of democracy, since 1999. Notwithstanding these challenges however, I am part of the school of thought that the worst civilian government is better than the best military regime. May that experience be far from us and our generations, permanently. I just keep wondering what Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Dr. Herbert Macaulay and other nationalists would be thinking, looking at Nigeria in the year 2021.

Having said all that, it is important to appeal to our leaders, especially the President on whose table the buck stops, to rise up to the challenges of the times, as it can never be too late to do the right thing. What Nigerians desire is not to be outlandish or utopian; basic infrastructure, good education, affordable and effective health care, protection of lives and property, durable power supply, a transparent electoral system, etc. These are not matters requiring rocket science to accomplish, as other nations with lesser resources deliver them and even more, to their citizens. This is why our citizens who go to other climes do normally excel, given facilities that they are exposed to, which we all battle with here in Nigeria, daily. Whatever makes a people who elected a leader at a time to turn around to ask him to hand over democratic rule to the military, should at least be an urgent message for revival and meaningful action, from such a leader. Let our leaders wake up. In 2015, the slogan of ‘Change’ then was anything other than PDP, but it has now turned around to “Buhari Must Go!” As it is said, voice populi voice dei.

•Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN) writes from Lekki Lagos.

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