- If you were a member of a particular ethnic group in
- How have the frequent shifts from civilian to military rule and back again exacerbated the country’s many social and economic problems?
- Are political parties the best option for divided societies such as
Friday, April 8, 2016
Blog Discussion Group Nine
Blog post due at 11:55pm on April 12 and comment due at 11:55pm on April 15.
Nigeria
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How have the frequent shifts from civilian to military rule and back again exacerbated the country’s many social and economic problems?
ReplyDeleteGovernment is an elaborate system that you must know inside and out like the back of your hand. You need to be able to build up a country by adapting to more modern economic confrontations/necessities, while also being able to tear down threats that can drastically alter the system overall and be a constant and dangerous threat. Nigeria has alternated between civilian and military rule for god knows how long. Within doing so they are slowly destroying the foundation for an appropriate social and economic system. Social and economic systems are a large part of contributing to a strong government, without it there is no government, well a very weak system that can be easily punctured at the slightest turn of hand. The shift between the civilian and military rule has indeed made the country weaker than ever for its central government can barely provide for its citizen right now at this moment. Which is upsetting because Nigeria has one of the largest populations in the world and contains some of the richest oil on the land, however the constant shift is like a never ending plague amongst the social and foreign interest. Political rules have used their power for personal gain and public funds for private use, thus establishing a much corrupt government. Due to such drastic military ruling, this has also led to the giant gap between the wealthy and the poor, because of this corrupting is has suggested little trust amongst Nigeria and receives little to no assistance/relief from neighboring countries or allies.
How have the frequent shifts from civilian to military rule and back again exacerbated the country's many social and economic problems?
ReplyDeleteNigeria has had the potential to be one of the most powerful and progressive countries in the region of West Africa. It is the largest country in West Africa and was very rich in natural resources from the likes of oil and gas. Unfortunately, this potential has not been able to happen due to Nigeria's unsteady shifting between elected governments and military rule's. Nigeria has experienced six military rule's, a presidential assasination, and a terrible civil war. What is particularly sad and dissapointing in all of this is that the military rule's took place in order to save the country from corrupt civilian rule. Ulitimately the military rule's have always stunted Nigeria's attempts in moving towards a democracy. In order to conclude, Nigeria's constant shifting and search for a stable and constitutional goverment has confused the nation socially and weakened its national identity.
It seems to me that Nigeria could use some military rule and some civilian rule to improve the economy. I feel that civilians will know the problems of the people and will know exactly how to fight the problems. However, since the corruption seems to happen most with civilian rule, it seems that a bit of military rule would be good to keep the elected in line.
DeleteI have to say Tanesha I kind of disagree with you. Military rule has always had a long miserable history of leading a nation into distraught. Take a look after Nazi Germany, it left their economy crush and the social aspect deteriorated. Nigeria alone in current trapped in a never ended circle of political rotation between the North and the South. One believes their right, while the other thinks their power shift is far from what it should be. Military rule is a corrupt process of government that is particularly favored for personal use. The intention of course is to make a nation and their people great, yes, but don't forget the world is motivated by the control of power no matter what it takes.
DeleteIf you were a member of a particular ethnic group in Nigeria, what would be your attitudes towards democracy?
ReplyDeleteIf I were a member of a particular ethnic group in Nigeria, I would push for democracy. For instance, the most politically influential groups are the Hausa and Fulani. If I were a member of either group, I would try to get my group to push for democracy to fight the poverty and corruption in Nigeria. I feel that if the most influential groups fight for democracy, it will lead the government from military rule to civilian rule. Though the change may not be easy, if the economy begins to change for the better, more people should want to get involved with politics. Civilians understand the problems of the people better than anyone. If a person living in poverty and without energy decides to get into politics, its a good chance that the will try to fight the things causing these problems.
I totally agree with you in your statement that you make here Tanesha. I believe democracy would be the way to go for Nigeria. Civilian rule would be better because the people of Nigeria and the ethnic groups would have more of a say in whats going to happen. People usually never listen to the poor people and hear what they have to say about changes that should be made or things that should be done to better the country. I think if they go to democracy the economy would start to get better as a whole.
DeleteIf you were a member of a particular ethnic group in Nigeria, what would be your attitudes towards democracy?
ReplyDeleteI probably would be against it purely out of mistrust. Many ethnic groups have suffered discrimination and the effects of corruption along with corrupted elections. They haven't been given a reason to trust the process. I would probably feel like my ethnic identity wouldn't be represented or acknowledged. I would also begin to have the attitude that my people could take care of themselves and disassociate with the other communities. This is probably how many feels which contributes to tensions between groups. That being said, democracy is set up for failure if so many mistrust it. It is up to the larger ethnic groups to show democracy can work and to show that everyone's interests matter. Otherwise, the smaller groups will not buy in to the process. Without democracy, the corruption only multiplies and worsens. If the ethnic groups band together for common interests they could have a great start in unifying the beginning of a productive democracy that instills trust back into the smaller ethnic groups.
I am going to have to disagree with you here Heather simply due to the fact that if you simply reject "non-democratic" value, you are rejecting the proposition that the military has the right to come in and govern the country. Clearly Nigeria has seen how problematic it has been when this has happened. Although it is probably apparent to Nigerians that corrutption has occurred in their so called "democratic goverment", it would still be the right direction to follow.
DeleteHow have the frequent shifts from civilian to military rule and back again exacerbated the country’s many social and economic problems?
ReplyDeleteThroughout each rule, there has been significant corruption that has gone unchecked. This has also allowed certain branches of the govt. to overdevelop yet remain ineffective due to this corruption. The constant civil wars and military actions use money that should be invested into the country to progress it's natural resources but this remains an untapped treasure chest. Each rule has its own agenda and its own political "favors" to repay, rendering each rule inefficient. Due to all this unsettlement and strife, the next rule gets into position to take over, put its agenda forth and undermine the previous laws, causing more contention which splits the people even more. There has been no chance of unity with the continuous uprising of political figures which disallows for any unified progression as a state.
How have the frequent shifts from civilian to military rule and back again exacerbated the country’s many social and economic problems?
ReplyDeleteFrequents shifts from civilian to military rule have been bad for the country. The country has a lot to hang there hat on as far as having a lot of oil and being a pretty wealthy nation at the top. At times the rule has been led by civilians and at other times it has been led by the military which is an on going switch and is really hurting the country in my opinion. The government in turn has become a lot worsened and is in a bad state right now. There are very rich and very poor people in Nigeria which is pretty disturbing. The gap in which they are is a lot more than other countries. The social welfare has declined a lot. Health care is in a bad position right now as well. So things are very unstable in this country with many people.
How have the frequent shifts from civilian to military rule and back again exacerbated the country's many social and economic problems?
ReplyDeleteFrequent shifts from civilian to military rule have inbred corruption to Nigeria’s society. Ineffective governments have allowed corruption to destroy Nigeria’s natural resources without contributing to social issues. Education and healthcare systems have suffered tremendously from greedy governments which continually contributes to social unrest. Since Nigeria freed itself from colonial rule in 1960s power struggles between ethnic and religious groups have brought constant social instability.
I agree, and I think this will only continue until some level of coherent national identity (separate from past religious or tribal ties), comes to surface. Otherwise, the problems you have outlined will continue to perpetuate forward with Nigeria in these often divisive groups.
DeleteIf I were a member of a particular ethnic group in Nigeria I honestly do not know what my attitudes would be towards democracy. My personal experience has only ever exposed me to American democracy. The textbook states that: “[Nigeria’s] many cultural divisions have been continually exacerbated by the triple threats of clientelism, corruption, and unstable authoritarian governing structures, which together stir up ethnic group competition and hinder economic potential.” From my American perspective, I would be very much for democracy so that ethnic groups throughout Nigeria could be treated equal, corruption could be reduced, and so that everyone could be heard and represented equally in government. Democracy could reduce or eliminate the corruption so that the economy could finally thrive. On the other hand, my limited exposure has taught me that capitalism and greed largely shape American democracy and our economy. So if I were part of an ethnic group in Nigeria I might be afraid that democracy would not work there because the oil is too tempting for greedy, corrupt politicians.
ReplyDeletemy attitude would be, I would be very mad because first of all . I would have gotten a good education and couldnt use it properly because of the way the government treats me, and steals the money that I would have worked for. It also seems that the government could care less about the welfare of the children, because they should be getting relief for the children of the nation. As I was reading and talking to those who actually have lived through these governments officials and they have been gone away from Nigeria for years and theyre still upset with whats going and the police is no better, because they seem like they have learned from the government. They look away from crime and other things going on in Nigeria. Democratization in Nigeria nearly a decade after the exit of the military from power has yet to produce good governance. At 90 % of Nigerians struggle to survive, which is crazy to me.The public has begun to demand a greater share of the nations wealth and a greater say in political decisions. Nigeria was a British colony from 1914 to 1960, but I would have still been mad after all the hard work I put in. But you really cant beat the government overall.
ReplyDeleteI agree. There would definitely be anger directed towards the government due to their repeated corruption. As a parent there is little hope for your child. If they suffer childhood, adulthood offers continue poverty with little opportunity to get out of the situation you are in. The government continues to pad their pockets while the average person struggles to survive each day.
DeleteIf you were a member of a particular ethnic group in Nigeria, what would be your attitudes towards democracy?
ReplyDeleteIt would depend on the ethnic group I belonged to in Nigeria. As a whole, most Nigerians probably have positive, yet somewhat skeptic, views of democracy, as it has been uprooted by power-mongers on more than one occasion, but still promises a government more for the people. However, in many different ethnic groups, if a particular ethnic leader is in power (especially in a democracy), it must feel that the power of the government favors that particular ethnic group. As well, if you are a part of an ethnic minority (such as Kanuris or Tivs [see page 527 Kesselman]) then you might be under-represented in a democracy, and possibly resentful of the fact.
I agree with your point of skepticism in Nigerian society towards government. Years of corruption and social instability left Nigerian people abended. Ethnic groups do not trust each other due to lack of education and positive exposure to one another, which is the main result of poverty. In order for democracy to take place, Nigeria needs to have stable economic growth from which people can rise out of poverty, get educated, and provide for themselves and their society. Only then can democracy gain a foothold in Nigeria. But in order for honest government and positive economic growth corruption needs to be rooted out.
DeleteIf you were a member of a particular ethnic group in Nigeria, what would be your attitudes towards democracy?
ReplyDeleteI would probably be skeptical because of the country's history but I would welcome democracy as long as the government finds a fair way of making sure that all of their citizens have a voice in the government. I would also be weary of any push to strengthen the military due to the country's history of military rule. I believe that I would appreciate the fact that the government has more of an American style democracy than the parliamentary style of England. This style of democracy in my opinion is more suited to countries that have an ethnically diverse population because it allows for more direct representation.
Adam, I agree with your skeptical attitude. If I were a Nigerian I would fear that democracy would be just another corrupt form of government that promised equality and fair elections but never allowed citizens to participate. I also agree that a stronger military would not be in the best interest of democracy because it could ultimately take over and put Nigeria back under military rule. You make a good argument for American style democracy allowing representation for all in ethnically diverse countries. As an American looking in to Nigeria from the outside, this style of democracy makes logical sense, but for Nigerians I think the hostility and competition between different ethnic groups may still leave them fearful that one group will have more power than another.
DeleteAre political parties the best option for divided societies such as Nigeria, or are there more efficient channels through which citizens can express themselves and be governed.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, political parties are not the best option for any society, especially ones which are divided. Political parties tend to divide citizens into different factions that have similar world views. Although this has it's advantages, the result all too often is that decisions are made based on the politics of the party and not on what's best for the country.
I believe that a better system for Nigeria and other countries which are heavily divided is to have individuals who are seeking to hold office be forced to have a grassroots movement and the candidates who gain a certain percentage of support get to run for office.
I agree with your statement that the best representation will have to come from a grassroots movement. They need what Nelson Mandela did for South Africa. Someone who unites outside of political parties and stands for the citizens. A revolutionary who can find ways to bring all the different groups together in their common interests in fighting the corruption despite their differences in other matters. Political parties do divide people and the citizens of Nigeria are already divided as it stands now. They need unity, not a system that will just highlight their differences.
DeleteIf you were a member of a particular ethnic group in Nigeria, what would be your attitudes towards democracy?
ReplyDeleteAlthough democracy seems like the answer to meet the needs of the people, I believe it would only serve as a pacification for the people. There have been multiple issues with Nigeria's elections which include lack of distribution of voter card as well as questionable tallying of vote. These issues alone cause questions about the results of the election. There is so much corruption that has existed at the hands of the so called democratic government that it would be hard for the average citizen to put much faith and trust in the government. In addition I would like to know how the improvements to the democratic government would result in better supplies of fuel and electricity. How will the government increase the ability to produce more fuel which would inturn benefit the entire country.
Everything in life can lead to crruption. The saying "money is the root of all evil" pretty much sums up a lot of the corruption in Nigeria. Even though there would be a lot of mistrust from people when moving towards a democracy I believe it would be I'm the best interest for the people. I believe if they had oe person to step up and be able to make a difference and gain everyone's trust or a majority for that matter it would be a great change for Nigeria and help them unit as a country and build their economy again. Until they can have that one person who steps up and takes charge and isnt full of corruption then it's going to continue being a back and forth battle in Nigeria over who's in charge and the mistrust continously growing.
Delete
ReplyDeleteIf you were a member of a particular ethnic group in Nigeria, what would be your attitudes towards democracy?
If I were a member of a particular ethnic group in Nigeria then I would push for democracy. Decomcracy could help to bring the country to level ground like other country's. A new way of rule would be a positive influence for Nigeria. It could help Nigeria solve problems such as poverty and society problems in the country. The only issue is, Nigeria all ready has so many problems with political issues that it would be tough to make such a change.
But I think with good leadership I believe any country can be turned there must be some good teamwork. That is why I believe Nigeria can rebound from its financial and political but who is going to step up and stop the madness. Other countries should also follow suit, but then what would the media have to report. I think we are quick not judge especially when we dont live in that particular country.
DeleteHow have the frequent shifts from civilian to military rule and back again exacerbated the country’s many social and economic problems?
ReplyDeleteThe frequent shifts from civilian to military rule has caused issues with Nigeria’s economy, infrastructure, and government rule because there hasn’t been a set way in how the country is being run. Having a consistent government helps in many ways because countries are more likely to learn from their mistakes and can have a more consistent control. In January 1966 Igbo Officers took over the government. Then in July 1966 General Aguiyi Ironsi was killed and Yakubu Gowon took over. A lot of northern officials were killed in 1966 and a backlash of the Igbo people flared up. Many Igbos fled to their home land in the East due to the backlash from the northern officials being killed. Higher military officials were making a lot of money from oil while the people in their country were poor and starving. Nigeria is made up of 250 different ethnic groups and 2 major religious traditions which have also cause some of the issues within Nigeria. Corruption and mistrust has run rampant through Nigeria for a long time and political leaders didn’t really try to stop any of it. A recent example of mistrust that have cause issues was when former president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua collapsed and had to be hospitalized. Some government officials weren’t even allowed to see if he was ok and well enough to run the country. The government was pretty much at a standstill until the National Assembly came in and put vice president Goodluck Johnathon as president in February 2010. The higher government officials are still making money off of oil and while they were getting richer 90 percent of the population struggle with poverty to the extent that they are living on less than $2/day.