Sometimes, just being able to speak, to be heard, to be believed, are crucial parts of membership in a society
Politics, like nature cannots, sustains a vacuum, therefore I am of the opinion that, the Voice of opposition must be heard loud and clear because, the presence of a strong and active opposition is an inevitable condition of a healthy democracy.
As for Kogi state, the space that needs to occupied has not, and must be filled. Opposition must not be a political party alone, a civil society group can function as an opposition, an individual can function as an opposition, a state without sound voice of opposition is dead, hyperbolically, that is why my friend, Onoja-Integrity Jonhson said if Usman Okai Austin stops to talk, Kogi ceases to exist.
Silence and powerlessness go hand in hand, being unable to tell your story is a living death. The right to speak is a form of wealth that is being redistributed. No wonder powerful men are furious.
A democratic congregation, nation or state must have more than one views on issues, which are effectively expressed and attentively heard, so as to enrich the entire spectrum of the political landscape, you can quote me, anywhere. A mature democratic society needs a political counter narrative, and that is the ingredient of counter opinion, it becomes necessary because non is an island of knowledge, therefore we must yield to the temptation of listening to the message mostly instead of the messenger.
The ruling class always have large majorities and majorities nurture a natural swagger, a tendency to dismiss any non-conforming viewpoint as against the manifest will of the people.
Mostly, to some extent, the opposition may be in disarray. But, in a democracy, dissent cannot wait indefinitely for the perfect opportunity. The mood of the people is not written in stone.
The world changes. Silence is what allows people to suffer without recourse, what allows hypocrisies and lies to grow and flourish, crimes to go unpunished. If our voices are essential aspects of our humanity, to be rendered voiceless is to be dehumanised or excluded from one’s humanity. That is why Ginette Sagan said, “Silence in the face of injustice is complicity with the oppressor.”
Having a voice is crucial……..
Usman Okai Austin
Written from Abuja.