IPN News

"Stakeholders" is a perfectly cromulent word in many areas, just not in politics.

Every citizen is a "stakeholder".

“Stakeholders” replaces “interested parties”. Why is it so cloying? It’s the pernicious idea that those with interest in something own a piece of it. That’s not what “interest” means in any non-business context like politics.

We like beating terms to death in Nigeria and turn them into meaningless cliché or we overuse words in Nigeria until their meaning are hollowed out.

I have search for its use in politics elsewhere and came up empty.

Next ultramodern.

Roman Citizenship and Plateau Killings
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Wishing everyone a joyous Christmas!

Today, a tragic massacre occurred in the NTV community near Bokkos Local Government Area in Plateau, claiming numerous lives. The question arises - what action will Nigeria take? Likely none, as the notion of citizenship appears to hold little value in the country.

The concept of citizenship as we understand it today originated in Athens. Rome adopted and expanded this idea by introducing naturalization, allowing anyone who met certain criteria to become a Roman citizen, regardless of their birthplace - a practice not observed in Athens, Greece. In other ancient Greek states like Corinth, Sparta, Macedonia, Thebes, and nearly all other ancient kingdoms, empires, and villages, with possible exceptions of the Igbo, and to some extent, the Idoma and Tiv, citizenship was a foreign concept. Instead, these societies were structured around a ruling monarch and their subjects, with rights granted at the monarch's discretion. In Rome, however, it was the state, not the Consul (the equivalent of a President), that conferred citizenship, complete with its rights and obligations. This allowed for theoretical equality in Rome, enabling anyone, even the plebeians, to ascend military ranks and join the ruling class.

A biblical story involving Saul of Tarsus, also known as Paul, illustrates the Roman view of citizenship. When Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and faced a hostile crowd, he questioned their authority to whip a Roman citizen. Recognizing the severity of their actions, the crowd immediately released him (Acts 22).

This incident underscores the understanding that any mistreatment of a Roman citizen could serve as a reason for war for Rome and that Rome takes citizenship seriously. Irrespective of whether a Roman citizen was a thief, a tyrant, or a commoner, any foreign entity - be it a prince, king, or priest - who dared to harm them would face severe consequences.

If a Roman citizen had to be punished, it was the Romans who would administer justice. All others were expected to refrain from intervening.

In contemporary times, the US has sought to replicate this practice, albeit with less success than Rome. In stark contrast, Nigeria appears to neglect its citizens, which is why the massacre in Plateau could occur without eliciting a significant response.

May Nigeria never happens to us.

Still, I'm tipsy.