OUR GOVERNMENTS AND US

GOVERNMENT is a veritable vehicle for the attainment of the goals and aspirations of the State and the people in a civilized society under democratic principles. Governments exist for the people; the people do exist for the government. The people are natural beings created in the image and likeness of the Supreme Creator

THE PEOPLE are natural beings created in the image and likeness of the Supreme Creator and have rights which are fundamental to their existence and living on planet earth. These rights bestowed on them by God inhere in their being, hence their inalienability.

GOVERNMENTS, on the other hand, are artificial creations of the people for themselves and dissoluble at their instance. As tools for their well-being, governments have primary duty to protect, preserve and prosper the lives and property of citizens. Constitutions of nations, Nigeria inclusive, provide much. These are just claims of the people against the State personified by the governments.

INASMUCH AS no true citizen will encourage self-help approach in defence of one’s life and property, no one should provoke his neighbours to act or react unseemly or in manner abhorrent to reason and law. For sane man would stay at home, fold his arms and watch another burst his testicles.

IT IS INCONTROVERTIBLE that one’s right ends where his neighbour’s begins. Fundamental rights are sacrosanct but not unlimited. One’s right to movement and trade precludes his trespass to his neighbour’s estate. Likewise, the right to graze one’s cattle, sheep, and goats does not permit him to invade or forcefully occupy his neighbour’s land and destroy his farm crops. No man’s good should endanger someone else’s.

FOR THIS REASON, those who govern us should be always watchful over the actions of all to address excesses thereof. Both the leaders and the led should be guided by democratic principles and values. Anything incongruent to it will endanger the survival of both the individuals and the polity.

THE ECHO passionately prays our Governments at Local, State, and Federal levels to take necessary and urgent steps to ensure that Nigerians live and let others live and sleep every night with both eyes closed.