The British people voted in a referendum to leave the European Union. For English people who have voted in the belief that the vote would earn them a level of sovereignty and control over their own affairs which they fear the European Union alliance has crippled, especially with the uncontrolled influx of immigrants from Eastern parts of Europe.
There is a wide prophesy of doom now as to the future consequences of the British exit. Some have argued that the referendum was unnecessary, and uncalled for, since Britain has a Parliamentary system of government – a representative democracy – that is supposed to discuss ‘technical’ issues like exiting the European Union (EU).
Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, a former Foreign Affairs Minister in Nigeria, chided the decision of David Cameron to subject the debates over ‘Brexit’ to a referendum as reckless, and described the whole referendum as a ‘market democracy,’ rife with populism. In Akinyemi’s view, it would have been better off if the parliament had discussed such very technical issue, rather than being decided over by common people.
This country’s democracy is founded on an elitism that has continued to place itself above the hundreds of millions of poor masses that make up the population. This is why it is common place to witness brazen acts of corruption and ineptitude by typical politicians and so-called representatives in the country. And the Brexit referendum was one of the aspects of democracy that directly reflect the involvement of the masses in the polity.
Human beings at times make mistakes, and they at times learn from those mistakes to build monuments and new technologies. Readers of J. S. Mills, and many of his Liberalist disciples in Nigeria today believe that every individual should have freedom over his choice of life, and every action that brings the majority a sense of happiness is just. Happiness of the majority, liberty of the individual – these are what most liberal professors build democracy as a concept of government on.
In the concluded referendum, the British people only exercised those rights that democracy should basically preserve and guarantee. It is important to note that the decision of majority of Britons was not ill-informed or hastily reached, because years of intense discussions had preceded the Brexit referendum, with the chances that the masses would have reached an informed conclusion over those times. We should say that there are many things to emulate from the state of affairs in Britain, where the people seek a peaceful, democratic means to show their power over those representatives who are becoming so disgusting.
And we should respect the British people’s decision to leave the European Union as well. We should not forget so easily the attempt of the masses in Greece to leave the EU too, when it was crushing them with debts and cuts and bruises from austerity. The Greek leaders betrayed the masses, but if replicated in the United Kingdom, it would have been costlier for the ‘democracy-reputation’ of Britain even more.
There are lots of issues in Nigeria today that some believe are better settled through a referendum. Of course the idea of a referendum is superb. One thing we should not fight is the limitation of human knowledge. Every human has a limit to his personal genius. This is why it would be absurd and arrogant to force one’s way of reasoning over millions of people.
Several times, representatives of the people have mistaken the apathy of citizens for stupidity, and this is exactly what is happening in Nigeria.
Yes, intensive debates and discussions should be welcome in our country.
There are several mistakes that representatives of the people have made on behalf of Nigerians that the nation as a whole continues to pay for. Take for instance, the crisis in the power sector. Despite concerted efforts of government to resuscitate the sector – at least based on media reports – the sector has not been able to meet the demand of the masses.
In my opinion, the conduct of the Nigerian parliament – that is traditionally given the power to make laws for the overall running of the state – is scandalous, and its members have proven themselves uncommitted to the plight of the Nigerian masses. Then, I do not think there is anything to lose if we make the democratic system more direct and people-based
The Guardian has consistently strongly advised President Buhari to implement the report of the 2014 National Conference
The Brexit votes in the United Kingdom have brought up several posers. But the one that we should soberly ask as a nation is, or the extent of our democracy. Do the people truly own Nigeria? If they do, all government policies should be of benefit to them, before it to any magnate, consortium or others.Everywhere in the world, the people always attempt to assert their supremacy over their representatives – and that is what the Englishmen and women have done. It is high time Nigerians asserted their supremacy over their leaders.
Source:Guardian
