There is no doubt that the investigative report published on The Republic has shaken the country. It has shown what a united front can do when it comes to democracy. It has brought the importance of accountability and transparency to light and has shown that these should be the cornerstones of any good governance.
Following the publication of the report, young people concerned about the way and manner the assets of the former president were disposed of sought a permit from the police to protest and show the government how displeased they were with the issues raised. This permit was denied.
Defiant, the young people went out and many of them were arrested by the police. However, instead of intimidating the youth, this action of the police just incensed them and they came out in large numbers vowing to continue to protest until their colleagues were released unconditionally and the list of buyers made public.
The government initially refused to comply with these demands but when it became clear that the young people were resolute, they capitulated and released the youth and published the list of buyers of the former president’s assets. The list however raised more questions than answers.
One of the things that have come out from all these incidents is the fact that the government cannot ignore the calls of the people indefinitely. The National Assembly had to call for an emergency session to discuss the issues at hand and the president summoned a quick cabinet meeting to find solutions.
The president addressed the nation on the outcome of the cabinet meeting and set out plans to review the manner in which the assets of the former president were disposed of. This is a huge victory for democracy and; with continued effort in this direction, the government will be compelled to be more mindful of its actions.
It is important to note that all these problems could have been avoided if there had been timely and accurate communication between the governors and the governed. The Constitution has mandated the president to have a whole ministry of Information and Communication and there is even a Government Spokesperson.
Had the government used these outlets to relay the relevant information to the public at the right time, these problems could have been avoided. Now, they are forced to do all they were supposed to do earlier and it is hoped that this will serve as a lesson so that there won’t be a repeat of last week ever again!
