By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka
Abuja
Venerable Chris Orajekwe, clergyman-politician and former State Deputy Chairman of the Labour Party in Anambra State, has said Nigeria no longer practices democracy, citing the collapse of separation of powers and the caging of independent institutions. He spoke in an interview over the weekend, through a telephone interview, where he assessed governance, insecurity, and the state of the nation.
Orajekwe dismissed the notion that he “moved from politics to ministry,” insisting that both politics and the clergy are callings. “While I was a practical and practising politician, God called me into the clergy,” he said. “Most people see politics as a dirty business that should not be practised by the clergy, but I think that is not right. There is politics in every aspect of life — in the home, church, workplace, and society.”
He argued that clergymen make good politicians when the fear of God guides public service. “When the fear of God comes into play, politics becomes service to the people and to God, whereas the clergy is service to God and the people. So it is cool being a clergyman-politician,” he stated.
On the present government’s performance, Orajekwe said citizens have seen “little or nothing” in terms of dividends of democracy. “Insecurity is now on the increase, the economy is continually degenerating badly, people are dying. Nigeria keeps borrowing with nothing to show for it. You can only say that a government is doing well when the citizens have food on the table and are secure,” he said.
The former LP chieftain allegedly declared that democracy no longer exists in Nigeria. “Democracy thrives where there is separation of powers. The judiciary and the legislature are nothing but rubber stamps of the government,” he said, contrasting today with “our early days in politics” when there was an upright judiciary and a legislature that could stand with the masses.”
Blaming both leaders and citizens, Orajekwe described the current administration as a “blame government where even the military is paralysed” and “government independent institutions are caged.” He added: “Nigerians are responsible for the present situation because when a Nigerian is shouting ‘bad government,’ give him the chance and you will see the worst government. Politics is gone because of the present actors.”
He said the opposition has been “liquidated” and is “not operational” in today’s Nigeria, with “no visible performance to be assessed.” On elections, he noted: “We have an electoral commission but we don’t have an independent electoral commission as at today,” pointing to what he called “serious government interference in almost every aspect.”
For Nigeria to improve, Orajekwe demanded full independence for key institutions. “Let the judiciary, legislature, the so-called INEC, EFCC, ICPC and others be free, with a responsible Police and Army, then the country will improve,” he said.
