Emperor Politics

By Osondu Ahirika

The Federal House of Representatives is set on a warpath with the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, having berated the latter, for opposing moves to grant autonomy to Local Government Councils and State Houses of Assembly. Reps insist on the autonomy canvassing that, the opposite is what drives the absolutism and high handedness demonstrated by Governor’s in their various States, as well as nurture the cesspool of corruption and pilfering in high places.

In a terse statement which was signed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Media, Hon. Zakari Mohammned, the Reps dismissed the governors as well as their wives as living like demigods, in reaction to Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso of Kano State’s disclosure of the opposition of the powerful Governors Forum to that advocacy. Kwakwanso who himself is a former Rep accused the National Assembly of allowing its hallowed portals to be turned into breeding ground for rebellion, from State legislators in particular and Council officials at the third tier to the state governors

Osondu Ahirika, Columnist.

Reps in the statement say governors have frontally eroded democratic ideals, turning themselves into demigods in the name of joint accounts, and hear this; “IF THE STATE LEGISLATURE IS INDEPENDENT AS ITS BEING PROPOSED, IT WOULD GIVE OUR TEEMING ELECTORATE A VOICE, NOT THE SITUATION THAT KEEPS THE GOVERNORS AS EMPERORS OF THEIR VARIOUS ENCLAVES”, the Statement read. Reps even allege that: “… Just recently, a governors’ wife who has no constitutional powers via a memo from her office, sacked an elected councilor although, this has since been reversed. It shows how Mr Kwakwanso and his cohorts (Read fellow Governors) play with our Collective commonwealth”.

Folks’, as engaging and interesting as this face-off is and in eager anticipation of how it will be resolved, I am enticed to comment on the part of the statement I lifted in caps, for it defines our political culture as a whole. In Nigeria, our democracy, styled as they purport, like the U.S Presidential system is in reality, “EMPEROR POLITICS”. So what is Emperor Politics?

We can go back in time to 44 BCE when Julius Caesar was murdered for trying to play the Emperor. His successor and sisters grandson, Gaius Octovian emerged the undisputed ruler of Rome after Mark Anthony committed suicide. Octavian subdued Egypt and transformed Rome into the world super power. In fecund political trickery, Octavian who became a dictator, disguised his totalitarian rule with a republican face-tone, declining the title of King in other not to offend Romans and go the way of Julius Ceaser. His Greek gift of ceding control of the Provinces to the Senate, worked as the flattered Senate voted that he retain all his powers. The Senate went a step further to honour Octavian with a title, “Augustus” meaning, Exalted or Sacred One on January 16, 27 BC.E.

Thus induced, Octavian renamed a month to himself and borrowing a day from February made August to have as many days as July, the Month used to deify Julius Caeser. This way, Octavian became the First Roman Emperor and became known as Ceaser Augustus.

As all emperors lust after titles, Octavian declared himself “Pontifex Maximus” translated as High Priest and in the year Jesus Christ was born, 2 B.C.E., The Senate again named him, Pater Patriae, - meaning, Father of His Country. Folks, does this sound like our state governors and the various titles we use to adore and garnish them from State to State?

Then wait for this, you know what the alias for Chief Theodore Orji of Abia State is? They call him Ochendu – The Protector of life”, his counterpart in Ebonyi is known as Onwa – The moon. 

That’s part one, so lets hear season two. Tiberius was named emperor by the Roman Senate after Augustus died on August 19, 14, C.E., the very month he named after himself. Tiberius was the Emperor throughout the life and times of Jesus Christ. He borrowed a leaf from the conceitedness of his Predecessor. He was frugal will public finance and generally declined several honourary titles extended to him. But these positives were immensely obliterated by his hypersensitivity and hypocrisy. He floated killer squads and sponsored state terrorism. Suspicious and insecure, he passed a Decree of Lese – Majeste (Injured Majesty) much like General Muhammadu Buhari’s Decree 4, and 2 to hound and incarcerate people on charges of sedition, libel and speaking insolently about the emperor. Some historians credit this law for one of the false charges preferred against Jesus to have him crucified in John 19:12 -16. Tiberius went ahead to create the Praetorian Guard, (read State Police), which he used to intimidate and censure the otherwise powerful Senate checkmating their oversight functions. He became a tin-god and courted no disagreement whatsoever. Modern day fascist rulers and emperors like Jean Bedel Bokassa, Idi Dada Amin, Adolf Hitler, Haile Selassie, Baby Doc Duvalier, Maumar Gaddafi and Mobutu Sese Seko, among others in the long list of the Hall of emperonic infamy all adopted the Tiberian style to stifle opposition and subjugate their people to years of brutal dictatorship.

What’s your opinion, is it fair for Hon. Zakari Mohammed and the Federal House of Representatives to lump our Governors and put them up as the similitude of Emperors over their various enclaves? Folks, have you say. Howbeit, let me say this. Today’s Reps are crying Wolf because, let’s face it, 98.9% of the honourable members are at the mercy of their governors who go as far as muscling them out of return tickets or future political ambitions, since they (governors) are the Lords of the manor in their states if they were to swap roles, do you think the Reps would complain or will sing a new tune? It goes back to what U.S President, Barrack Obama counseled; Nigeria must grow her democratic culture to build strong institutions, not strong men.