One, those who made the nominations did not understand what the hell this "Open, Democratic and Accountable Nation" we are purportedly trying to develop is about. Two, they just didn't care. Three, our credentials as Africa's longest running multiparty democracy have been severely compromised. Four, none of the above. You can take your pick. But whatever the case may be, we should ask ourselves very hard questions about our democracy and Vision 2016. The fact that nobody was nominated as an ambassador for the democracy pillar is a serious indictment on our politicians - particularly those in the opposition.
In the natural order of things, opposition politicians should be the champions of democracy while ruling party operatives are derided as quislings who nurture patronage and authoritarianism. But on the surface, the nominations for the vision ambassadors paint a different picture. Besides the failure in the democratic ideal, one thing is obvious about our national vision; with only five years to go, living up to its pillars is becoming increasingly hard. So bad is the situation that some garrulous and cantankerous youth leader in a neighbouring country has loudly maligned our political system.
