Culture-based respect ❌ Governance

The incident that sparked the conversation

Earlier today, I was talking with my sister and a friend about a case in Nigeria where a judge reportedly asked a lawyer to kneel down. Maybe it was meant as punishment. Maybe it was something else. Either way, it raised a bigger question.

Respect culture and the problem with democracy

The conversation quickly moved to a familiar issue: how deeply culture-based respect has shaped our systems, and how much damage that may have done.

My view is simple: a lot of the respect norms we inherit as a black nation, especially in Nigeria, do not sit well with democracy.

Democracy is supposed to invite scrutiny. It gives people room to question leaders, challenge decisions, and demand accountability.

Culture-based respect often does the opposite. It teaches deference first and questioning later, if at all.

Why this clashes with leadership

If you come from a system where kings make final decisions and their word is law, it becomes harder to challenge authority later on.

That mindset does not disappear just because the title changes from king to governor.

It shows up in how people treat public officials. It shows up in how leaders expect to be handled. And it shows up in how quickly criticism gets treated like disrespect.

Public servants are not royalty

A public servant should be reachable. They should be questioned. They should be accountable.

I should be able to reach my local government chairman. I may not be able to call my governor directly every time, but I should at least be able to question what is happening in my state without being treated like a nuisance.

That is the part many leaders seem to forget.

They are not above the people. They work for the people.

When leaders demand reverence instead of accountability

We have reached a point where some leaders feel entitled to respect by default.

And when they do not get it, they react like offended parents punishing children.

That is not governance. That is ego.

It is also one reason public life in many places feels stuck on autopilot. People stop asking questions. Leaders stop answering them. Everyone just performs the ritual of authority and obedience.

Democracy still matters, but culture has to be addressed

I still believe democracy is the right system to use.

But we also need to be honest: pure democracy does not always fit neatly into African cultural traditions, especially where hierarchy and reverence are deeply embedded.

That does not mean we abandon democracy. It means we stop pretending culture has no effect on how democracy works in practice.

If we want better governance, we have to make room for questioning, accountability, and plain old common sense.

Respect is fine.

Blind reverence is the problem.