Immediate past Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Mr. Anthony Sani has said the instruments of governance in a military setting are world apart from what obtain in a democracy and as such, comparing the two systems of government becomes untenable.
Sani stated this in a chat with Saturday Vanguard while reacting to a remark by former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd) that actors in the national stage during his time could pass for saints compared to what obtains today particularly as it concerns corruption.
The “Maradona” while fielding questions in an interview aired by Arise Television yesterday took a subtle dig at the current set of leaders, noting that actors in the nation’s politicaI stage during his time were less corrupt.
Reacting to the development, the ACF chieftain said, “It is difficult to compare what happened under military and democratic regimes precisely because they operate under different circumstances.For examples, appointments and disciplining of public officers under military are done without due recourse to obstacles posed by legal and legislative processes while in democracy, the processes can encounter lot of challenges.
“Even removal of underperforming public officers is easier done under military than in multi-party democracy where those they represent cry foul over such removal. Again, the cost of governance during military is less than in democracy.”
According to him, “even though power under President Babangida may be regarded by most Nigerians as more humane in spirit and wise in its uses, I am not sure the same can be said that the power was moral in its purpose, considering IBB’s regime did not have programs to fight corruption.
