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7 fruitions that could have spurred Nigerians to celebrate on Democracy Day

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MASS KILLINGS: Buhari visits Plateau

By Benjamin Ugbana…

On Tuesday, May 29, 2018, Nigeria marked 19 years of uninterrupted Civilian rule – something worth celebrating – after the nation had endured military dictatorship and autocratic rule for many years.

‘Government of the people, by the people, for the people’ was like a victory chant ahead of 1999 when this journey of freedom began with the installation of the Olusegun Obasanjo-led government. But until this day, against expectations, opinions are still divided on whether Nigerians are enjoying the full benefits of democracy.

That controversy is currently on the high side especially as the present administration and its supporters seem to abhor losing any form of argument.

The past one year has been very eventful in Nigeria. We’ve had good, bad and pretty ugly incidents across the country. Due to perceived negligence by the government over some of these events, the masses have been forced to embark on various campaigns and protests over diverse issues, providing viable opportunities for the government to prove that democracy is truly the prevailing form of government. But the people are yet to record good success.

With our understanding of Democracy as a form of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives, Tuesday’s #DemocracyDay, in my opinion, could have been one worth celebrating if at least five of the following had made the headlines in the past year:

1. FG scraps SARS, begins Police reforms

The #EndSARS campaign deserved some serious attention, but didn’t get it. A good number of evidence in multimedia formats was made available as to why the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police should be scrapped, but the government acted unbothered all through the period of both online and on-the-street protests by concerned Nigerians. It’s amazing how a people would call for the review of a policy that affects their safety and freedom and the leaders would stay mute. As a result, the officers, who often brag of their ‘license to kill’, have upped their game, parading the streets and harassing Nigerians.

2. Buhari signs ‘Not too young to run’ bill

Well, the president has promised to sign this bill during his speech on Democracy Day, but if the bill had been signed long before now, it could have been one good reason for Nigerians (especially young people) to celebrate our democracy. For the records, the bill was passed by the National Assembly almost a year ago! The relentless efforts by a coalition of more than 40 youth-based initiatives across the country should have been given the required attention by the presidency.

Read also: Prof. Yemi osibanjo: A delicate walk on the south side

3. El Zakzaky released!

Shi’a Muslim cleric and head of Nigeria’s Islamic Movement, Ibrahim Yaqoub El Zakzaky, has been in detention without charges since 2015. Except there is something the rest of the world does not know, I think the several calls and protests for his release by both his followers and true democrats are enough to force our civilian leadership to reconsider its stance.

4. Killer herdsmen tagged terrorists, to be treated as such by military

Herdsmen attacks in villages in Benue, Taraba et al is something Nigerians have been worried about. A group of people would raze down an entire community, killing hundreds yet go scot free. Security of lives and properties is government’s primary duty. But despite several protests against the incessant killings across the country and with a military as dedicated as ours, these killers are still having a field day.

5. Power ministry investigates crazy PHCN billing, orders prepaid metre distribution

A government that is concerned about the wellbeing of its people will listen to their every cry and do something about it, no matter how little. With PHCN’s estimated billing system, customers are made to cough up huge sums every month in payment for unstable power. The lamentation over the corruption in this sector has long been in the air. But with the bill of May having crazy figures in spite of street agitations and consistent letters of complaint, someone wants us to celebrate Democracy Day?

6. Buhari transfers personal medical routines to Abuja hospital, embarks on mission to end JOHESU strike

Nigerians have repeatedly called for the use of local hospitals by government officials. When will this happen? The argument is that if public officials use medical facilities in the country, much more would be set aside for their maintenance. Since May 7, JOHESU, an association of health workers, has been on strike for a number of good reasons, but President Buhari has within the period travelled to the UK twice to receive treatment. An opportunity avails itself for the president to heed to the voice of the people for once and become an example to other public officers, but he isn’t taking it.

7. Jubilations at NLC secretariat as Govt increases minimum wage

A Twitter user recently wrote: “In a country where minimum wage is N18,000, the original Super Eagles World Cup jersey sells for N40,000.” Isn’t it funny? The average Nigerian worker is actually due for an increase in minimum pay. Yes.

Nevertheless, Nigeria couldn’t have been better in the hands of military rulers. It’s a good thing that we now have the freedom to speak out, the power to vote our leaders and also reserve equal rights as it were to various leadership positions; these and more are reasons we can be proud of our democracy at this point. We’ve only gone 19 years in this journey; surely in few years to come, all of these bottlenecks will have become part of our success story.

God bless Nigeria.

 

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