Citizens or commoners (2)

In an earlier article, I tried to point out the distinction between citizens of a country and commoners.  Citizens are owners of the land who have a right to exercise all the rights accruing to citens as dictated by the laws of the land. Commoners, on the other hand, are indigenes of a conquered land who are expected to be content with whatever the masters (conquerors) deem fit to give them. Commoners are a grateful lot, being daily reminded that they could have been killed if the masters had so desired. They do not demand any rights neither do they complain about denial of their rights. To them everything is a privilege.

I want to stretch this thought a little further by drawing attention to a few factors that determine whether we are citizens or commoners in all honesty. I know that in a democracy, the ordinary people are called citizens but how we are addressed or what we are called is immaterial. How we are treated is what defines who we are.

When a people are invaded and conquered, they become answerable to the conquerors. The new lords decide what food they must eat, what language they will speak thenceforth, what gods they must worship, what kinds of clothes they may wear and how their system will run.  Very importantly, the conquerors impose financial burdens on these conquered people, which they must pay religiously if they want to live.

This money is paid as fine. It can also be called a tribute. The commoner’s duty is to pay this fine however the master wants it. It is not his business to know what the money will be used for. He dares not even ask silly questions if he values his life. On the other hand, citizens are required to pay taxes for the purpose of nation building. The amount of money to be paid by every citizen is not arbitrary. Many factors are considered to determine how much an individual citizen is to pay into the general purse for the purpose of solving general problems in a transparent manner. A citizen is glad to pay his tax because it gives him the boldness to demand certain basic rights from the authorities.

These taxes are used to activate the laws of the land so that they are active and swift in bringing justice to bear on sundry issues affecting citizens. A police officer knows that he is answerable to the citizen, no matter how rich or poor such a citizen is. This consciousness in the police officer keeps him on his toes in dealing with citizens. He is afraid of crossing his bounds and being made to face the music.  These officers of the law actually go to the extreme in currying the  favour of ordinary people because indeed, power rests with the citizens. We hear of policemen babysitting children whose parents have one issue or the other, and are away from home. A visit to some countries will give one the feeling that indeed, the citizen is king.

When a citizen has paid his tax and other bills, he expects to have clean water in his house, office, parks  and other public places  regularly. If there will be any interruptions of the supply, he must be given prior notice with full reasons, apologies, etc.

The presence of a pot hole on the road is enough to sue the government or the contractor that built the road. That is in countries where the citizens count. A poorly constructed ramp, park, walkway, bridge, road or anything at all is a very serious issue that can cost someone’s job and life savings or even cost his freedom. The citizen’s right to the good life is sacrosanct and the government must respect it or cease to be.

When a citizen is stranded or lost, the government has a responsibility to provide every assistance to make sure such a person is well taken care of. In a country where people are treated as commoners, people think twice before approaching the police for help when they are in distress. This is because many times, such people end up in detention, accused of loitering or any such funny crimes manufactured and thrown on innocent people in a clime where security work is more punitive than corrective.

In places where people are treated as citizens, someone whose cat gets stuck on a tree takes his phone and calls the police and in minutes, a team of police men arrives with ambulances just to rescue the cat of a citizen. It is not charity. It is duty. Failure to do this attracts severe penalties.

A citizen who has missed his way or is stranded in any way is entitled to a quick rescue mission that may cost the state huge sums of money. After successfully rescuing this citizen, the officers keep checking on him for hours and days to make sure he is completely okay. They may not be so caring naturally, but it is their duty to treat their citizens with utmost care.

Old people who are citizens are entitled to some care from the authorities. There are homes built for them where all their needs are carefully met. The mentally retarded are also catered for. Even though they have suffered some mental impairment, that fact does not diminish their status as citizens. Homes and medical facilities are provided for their care and upkeep. They are not allowed to roam the streets naked, unkempt and hopeless.

Citizens are given education for a better life. They are not just herded through school like goats. They are exposed to life-changing knowledge, skills and practices that will ultimately strengthen and make their system better. In places where people are treated as commoners, students are treated as slaves who must obey the whims and caprices of lecturers (who are actually gods) or remain frustrated for decades.  In such places, a lecturer forces students into sexual intimacy, forces them to buy books at arbitrary prices, and sometimes, forces them to wage war on his enemies through cult activities. They dare not complain to the school administrators because they are always in sympathy with the lecturers and the fate of any student that dares report his teacher is sealed. This can only happen to commoners who have no rights and no say.

In nations that have citizens, students have a right to complain and to be given a fair hearing. The lecturers are aware that their jobs are on the line for messing with their students. A lecturer is conscious of the fact that the students can get him kicked out so he has no choice than to treat them with due respect in carrying out his legitimate duties.

Pensions and salaries are not privileges in societies where people are treated as citizens. These are normal things taken for granted. In the same vein, going to work and actually doing your duty everyday is not negotiable. The civil service rules are observed to the letter by the two parties: employers and employees.

When a citizen dies, it is a big deal. Investigations must be carried out to know why he died. Anyone responsible for his death, even remotely, must be brought to book. On the other hand, commoners can die or be killed like fowls and are buried in a mass grave. No one bothers about the cause of death and no one is held responsible. Their lives are worth next to nothing.

The Nigerian state is badly in need of restructuring. The political leaders should show enough will to undertake comprehensive reforms that will save this country from shipwreck. The way I see it now, Nigeria should be talking about rulers and commoners. We are not yet qualified to be talking about leaders and citizens.

NNENNA Ihebom