The former military head of state, General Abdulsalam Abubakar(rtd) has said democracy is a testament to the will of the people, stressing that it is a testament, which represents the collective voice, shared values and common aspirations of citizens.
Abubakar stated this in his remarks at the annual lecture and gold prize award organized by This Nigeria Newspaper with the theme: “25 years of unbroken democracy, challenges, prospects and possibilities.”
Abubakar who was represented by Gen. Adamu Jidda(rtd), said, “25 years ago in 1999, our nation embarked on the part of democratic governance, a part marked by aspirations, challenges and unwavering commitment to the placement of freedom, justice and equality.”
Abubakar who was the chairman of the occasion also said, that democracy has always been merely a system of government, it is a testament to the will of the people, it represents our collective voice, our shared values and common aspirations.
“For Nigeria, the past 25 years have been a testament of the resilience and strength of our democratic institutions despite the myriads of challenges that have come our way, we have remained steadfast in our democratic ideals.”
Also, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and human rights activist, Mike Ozekhome admonished President Tinubu to go out and feel the impulse of Nigerians.
Ozekhome also noted that Nigeria is not fully practising what democracy is all about, adding that the country only has civilian democracy.
He lamented that unlike before when Nigeria was producing almost all the essential goods, when the naira was higher than the dollar, companies are now leaving the country in drove, adding that the nation is losing about N94 trillion to this exodus of companies.
Ozekhome said: “What manner of democracy are we practising? Have we gained or lost something? Democratic is the government of the people, by the people and for the people, is it the same government we are practising?
“We have not quite gotten the tenet of democracy, we only have a civilian government. It is when votes are allowed to count is when you will say there’s democracy.
“One of the best qualities of a leader is to know when you are wrong. Companies are leaving the country, Nigeria is losing about N94 trillion because of the exit of these companies. Most of them are leaving because of insecurity and other issues. We can arrest the drift like what the Asian Tiger did. They invested in education and others.”
“We need our leaders to galvanize our people. We should leave out tribalism, favouritism, ethnicism and others that are not doing us good.
“We need a new Constitution, like what America did then. Not only do we need to decentralize, but we need a new constitution. We need legal reform and electoral reform amongst others.
“We should do away with political corruption, where people in government take the largest chunk of what belongs to the people.
“Mr. President, there’s hunger and anger in the land. Disguise yourself one night and go out there and see what Nigerians are facing. Block all loopholes and cut the size of governance. The size of the government is too large. We should stop the buying of aircraft and cars, the people are hungry.
“Mr. President, you have an opportunity to write your name in gold. In times of crisis, we know great leaders. Come out and empathize with the people you lead. You can do it, it’s not impossible.”
In his remarks, the Publisher of This Nigeria, Eric Osagie narrated how the newspaper came into being during the COVID in 2020.
He said: “Our award is earned. We have five awardees. If Nigeria will work, it is Nigerians that will make it work and if Nigeria won’t work, it is Nigerians that will make it so.”
He, however, disclosed, who and who is getting the awards, adding the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike is getting the Gold award on infrastructure development and exceptional leadership.
Akwa-Ibom state governor, Umo Eno got an award on peace building and innovative leadership, maintaining decent relations with predecessors and inclusive leadership.
Kano state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf was given the award for courage in leadership. Jim Obaze and Isa Aremu were also given awards.
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