BY REV FR GERALD NWAFOR
Social contract theory states that individuals voluntarily agree to give up some (all) freedoms to an authority in exchange for protection, order, and security. Although I grew up thinking about the government and the governed, I have concluded that the social contract runs across our lives and relationships as human beings. The government may be at the pinnacle of the discussion, but families and institutions (churches, schools, unions, et al) hold a lot in that space of social contract. My friend took me to his house, and the father was a titled man (A local chief). On arrival, the friend told me to greet his father with full prostration on the floor. I told him that I cannot do that because in our culture, we just bend slightly to greet the elders and the chiefs. He did not go into explanation but told me to wait for him outside. I did not listen to his warning to wait outside. I was allowed by the security guards to join him in the palace. When we got into the palace, I was intimidated by the aesthetic and grandeur of the palace. The father was sitting on a big red chair that could seat six people. The backrest was so tall that you could not see a giant hiding behind it. The palace was adorned with pictures of past chiefs and ornaments. After looking around, I took a bow and went to a seat beside my friend. I had not even congratulated my friend when someone whispered to my ear, “Can I talk to you, please?” I turned around, and it was one of the palace guards. He said, “Please follow me.” I stood up and followed him. Outside, he said I disrespected the chief by not prostrating, but since I was a visitor, I should reenter the palace from the front door again a pay the proper homage. He gave me a physical example of how to do the greeting. He pointed to the door and walked back into the palace. I stood for a while and decided to go to the car and wait for my friend. When my friend came out, he asked me what the guard said to me. I did not want to narrate the experience since I did not like it. When I came back home and narrated my experiences to a senior brother, he quickly retorted, “That is the social contract.” Obey your friends and what they hold precious. Our friends should be respected. Know what your friends abhor and avoid it. If you do not treat your friends with respect, it says a lot about how you will treat your family members. There is always a social contract in our day-to-day life. It is not written down anywhere, but it is seen everywhere. Therefore, know what is expected of you whenever you go into this contract. Since the government occupies the pinnacle, we expect it to lead the way.
It suggests that governments are legitimate because they are formed by the consent of the people to protect their rights, with the government’s power being conditional on its ability to fulfill these duties. The population came together to submit their rights to the government so that, in return, the government will build roads, schools, amenities, and security. Although the government cannot be a person, someone is in charge in the seat of government. The same way life would be brutish, nasty, and short without government, if there is no leadership within government, the corridors of power will be nasty, brutish, and short too. There will be coups, bloodshed, overthrows, and power shows. Therefore, in the circle of government, someone should be answerable to the common public, be it the president, governor, senator, or local government chairperson. The government cannot be telling us that they have given our money to the governors and the senators. We did not enter into this contract to start listening to excuses. If you do not like the heat, please do not get close to the kitchen. I heard from Buhari that we should hold the subnational accountable for our problems, and I asked him what his job is then. He did not respond anyway because he had no clue. Today, we have gone into another contract with the new government of Bola Tinubu, who said that I am the man for the job and that I know the job. He even boasted during the campaign that if he did not do well, we should not elect him. He promised to fix the electricity in one year. I hope he will not do like Buhari, who said that he will make one dollar to be exchanged for one Naira. When confronted with what he said, he denied it and said it’s AI (Artificial Intelligence).
Tinubu, this is more than two years in your government already, and the electricity problem is now worse than when you came on board. If the social contract means nothing to you, we can agree gentlemanly and cancel it immediately. No contract should be a death warrant. The people who signed a legal contract can always come together and say it’s not working as planned and exit from it. We can also exit from this one if it is not working as planned. We can see your effort, but your effort is not enough. Everything is enshrined in this contract to protect natural rights to life, liberty, and property. Are we getting that today?
Finally, our life is all about contracts. Our parents work hard to send us to school. Our bishops always want to enhance our lives by sending dedicated pastors to the parishes, encouraging them to build schools and hospitals where it is possible, and bring Jesus closer to the community. There are challenges, but the pastor has a spiritual assignment and a social contract with the community. The pastor should not be “EZE ONYE AGWANAM” (Nobody should advise me). When the Bishop is sending you to a parish, the bishop is aware that people are living there who will help you to build the community; it is not a one-man show. On arrival, the priest should study the community and know the dos and don’ts. I do not mean to say that liturgy or doctrines will be watered down in the name of the social contract, but common sense should prevail. We should not condemn the secular government because of corruption and inability to manage the resources of our state, while the parishes will be held hostage by one pastor or parish priest, as the case may be. Let us remember that we are in a contract of love when we represent Christ in society. It is not the time to lord it over anyone when it comes to the social contract; it is a time of mutual benefit. We give you our freedom, and you give us a good life
