Aside from the traditional
definition of democracy
as government of the
people, by the people
and for the people, great
scholars, commentators and political
analysts, had at different times and
places shared their thoughts about this
form of government- it meaning, con-
cepts, survival, merits and demerits.
Part of such conversations in the past
gave birth to the global believe that the
best defense of democracy is to stress
the values that are essential to good
governance, especially transparency
and accountability, and to support civil
society, independent media, and free
flow of information. Together, these
steps could lower the risks of demo-
cratic backsliding and improve lives in
the practicing country.
Comparatively, regardless of nation-
ality, countries that adhered strictly to
these democratic ethos, today, display
a number of common characteris-
tics-internal development of the peo-
ple, tackle unemployment through
creation of tenure-based and, endless
employment to its people, they con-
sider and understand the critical im-
portance of socioeconomic well being
of the nation, create opportunities for
participation in government, regard
citizens as co-soldiers in the nation’s
development army with equal ranks,
display real commitment to the busi-
ness of governance and promotes a
common value system, and most im-
portantly, instead of pursuing strictly
financial objective when managing the
affairs of their nation, they formulate
and implement policies that improve
the live chances of their people.
Unfortunately, not so could be said of
nations that flagrantly ignores demo-
cratic ethos.
In fact, the practice of democracy
in such countries is often always not
only challenging and costly. This claim
is evident in two major areas- over
blotted costs of governance by elected
officials and burden of harsh/poor pol-
icies placed on shoulders of citizens by
elected and appointed public officials
Nigeria and of course the vast ma-
jority of Africa countries provide good
examples of nations with such virtues
and attributes.
Separate from other feeble policies
in the past, the most obvious of such
in Nigeria is the recent directive by
the Ministry of Interior to the effect
that henceforth intending married
couples, worship centres and church-
es shall be made to pay a whopping
sum of N 51, 000. The breakdown of
this new fees going by the report is as
follows; while marriage certificate goes
for N21, 000, licencing of place of wor-
ship is required to pay N30, 000 before
performing statutory marriages in Ni-
geria.
Expectedly, aside from the directive
coming at a time when the list of action
not taken by the government to better
the lives of Nigerians remains lengthy
and worrisome, Nigerians with critical
interest have expressed fears that such
directive similar to the kind we used
to see in China and Cuba have finally
found its way on our political geogra-
phy. And could come as strategic im-
plication, capped with the capacity to
set the stage for further abridgment of
citizen’s fundamental and prevent re-
ligious groups from performing their
statutory responsibilities.
This fears expressed by Nigerians
cannot be described as unfounded as
they are not alone in this line of think-
ing.
Recently, the Coalition of Civil Socie-
ty Organizations (CSOs) under the ae-
gis of the Foundation for African Cul-
tural Heritage (FACH), during a press
conference in Lagos, expressed similar
displeasure about government deci-
sion. And queried why worship centres
should be made to pay the sum N51,
000 in order to perform their statutory
marriages function.
Going by their explanation, not only
is the directive so arbitrarily and capri-
ciously imposed without consultation
with veritable Nigerian stakeholders,
the licences, they added, are in gross
violation of section 7(5) of the 1999
constitution of Nigerian and section
6 (1) (2), 21, 24, 30, 36, 37, 38, of the
marriage act. And submitted that
there are other ways the Ministry of
Interior could generate revenue other
than placing unnecessary and extra fi-
nancial burden on couples, churches,
Mosque and places of worship in Ni-
geria.
Interpretatively, Nigerians and the
Civil Society groups, in my views are
not sad that the Federal Government
is thinking of creative and innovative
ways of boosting its revenue base as
it is not only necessary but eminently
desirable. For without such levies, the
government may not have the required
resources to bridge the infrastructural
gaps in the country as well as attend to
the day to day demands of the state.
However, there are so many inherent
ills associated with this particular di-
rective by the Ministry.
Very fundamental is the stunning er-
ror of procedure that characterized the
Ministry of Interior’s decision. As it is
done in civilized clime, what Nigerians
with critical interest expects from the
Ministry is not a directive but to have
a bill submitted before the National
Assembly- such process would make
the process not only transparent but
participatory as it paves way for stake-
holders to make inputs at public hear-
ing stage.
Another observation that further
plagues the directive, and did so well
to qualify the Ministry’s action as an
ouster of the local Government Are-
as, is the conviction by Nigerians of
goodwill that Section 7 (5) of the 1999
constitution vests the “registration of
all births, death and marriages solely
rests on the local Governments area in
Nigeria and not on the federal Govern-
ment.
Again, aside from the illegality inher-
ent in the ministry’s decision to sin-
gle-handed exercise the right to grant
licences to couples, churches, and
mosque and public places of worship,
the consequence of the emerging strat-
egy that places such responsibility on
the ministry can only be described as
cumbersome.
There is also a related factor.
It could be recalled that the linger-
ing legal battles between the Ministry
of Interior and the Local Government
Areas over the right to conduct, cel-
ebrate, register marriages and issues
marriage certificates is all based on the
current policy of the Ministry of In-
terior. Most Local Government Areas
have rightly insisted that the statutory
powers to register marriage are being
usurped by the Federal Government
through this new policy of the Minis-
try of Interior.
This, in my opinion is a clear indi-
cation that the current policy by the
ministry is very unpopular and will
continue to cause disaffection, mu-
tual mistrust between the Ministry
of Interior and the people of Nigeria.
And if allowed to stand, it can only but
amount to an unjust code that is out of
harmony with moral laws.
Like every other well meaning Ni-
gerian, I believe and still believe that
Nigeria is practicing a presidential de-
mocracy that promotes justice for the
common good of Nigeria. Hence, it
will be rewarding if the Federal Gov-
ernment unlearn the attitude of mak-
ing decisions for pecuniary reasons
that places extra financial burden on
couples, Churches and places of wor-
ship in Nigeria and imbibe habits that
will enhance the life chances of the
people.
Jerome-Mario Utomi (jeromeu-
tomi@yahoo.com), writes from
Lagos, Nigeria
