Nigerians from different spheres of life in some parts of the South-East have expressed mixed feelings about how the country has fared in the 25 years of uninterrupted democratic governance.
While some spoke glowingly about the positives recorded within the period, others opined that the deliverables from the nation’s democracy so far were still a far cry from the yearnings of a larger majority of the citizenry.
They spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), while X-raying the performance of the country’s democracy in the last 25 years.
In Abia, some respondents argued that Nigeria’s democracy was yet to deliver the dividend of democracy to citizens in its 25 years of uninterrupted dispensation.
Mr Geoffrey Uzoagba, the President, Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA), said that democracy had failed to meet the expectations of many Nigerians.
“Where do we start from? Is it the troubled economy or the pervading insecurity or the lack of consideration for the citizens by their government?
“In Nigeria, I take it that we have not started the democratic journey.
“But for Abia, and some other states around, we are seeing some changes.
“For Abia, it was not this good the last couple of years but in the last 13 months so much appears to be happening and these are visible things no one can deny.
“For me, the way out of our doldrums is for a leader to be sincere and listen to advise and correct himself when adjudged not to be doing well. No one knows it all,” Uzoagba said.
According to him, a nation where presidential and governors’ media aides attack critics, instead of taking peoples’ feedback to their principals for needed changes, is not a democracy.
He said that Nigeria’s democracy was suffering “because self-interest overrides public interest, which is unhealthy for a democracy”.
Former Abia Commissioner for Finance, Mr Obinna Oriaku, said although Nigerians could jubilate because of 25 years uninterrupted democratic change of government, the country’s democracy is still frail.
“Our expectations have not been met but one major thing is that gradually Nigerians now look forward to a change of government every four years.
“That is the one good thing about our democracy but there are concerns that the wishes of the people do not reflect the outcome of the elections.
“We need to improve on those processes that would ensure that the wishes of Nigerians are reflected on our elections,” Oriaku said.
Referencing the historic loss of the majority seat in the Parliament by the South Africa’s ANC, he said it was not surprising because the process was clear.
“Nigerians expect that where political office holders have not done well, they will be voted out.
“The pace of development in this direction does not correspond with our expectations.
“For example, Constitutional Amendments should have by now been settled to make our elections smooth but unfortunately it appears the military fiat is better than what we are seeing,” he said.
He said that Nigerians expected to have smooth democratic processes activated through Constitutional amendments that could not be faulted in a law court.
Oriaku further said that the country had failed woefully to secure its territory, citizens and their property with insurgency, banditry, terrorism and general insecurity getting worse everyday.
He said that arresting insurgents and subjecting them through long trial processes would not discourage prospective insurgents.
“The unwarranted excesses of insurgents should be curtailed through making investigations and court processes smooth so that it does not take years to punish offenders,” he added.
An Aba-based journalist, Mr Ifeanyi Emmanuel, said that the country’s democracy failed in two key areas necessary for democratic progress.
He said: “For me, our democracy has failed in the area of electoral processes and transitions to the extent that till now, elections are openly manipulated and rigged and no one is punished.
“For anybody to still go against the electoral wishes of the people is not just a failure but a crime against the citizenry.
“Without a smooth transition process, marked by free, fair and credible elections, I don’t know what kind of democracy one would say we are practicing,” he said.
Emmanuel said that another area Nigeria’s democracy has failed is in the malfunctioning judicial system.
He said that “an incorruptible judicial system is expected to correct a frail electoral system where the electoral system is faulty.
“But when both are faulty, you discover that the country is completely finished.
“This is the reason a politician, who failed woefully in an election, would rig and get declared winner and now tells his opponent to go to court and when you do, you see why,” Emmanuel said.
On the flipside, an academic, Dr Stephen Unegbu, said that the present administration of President Bola Tinubu has done considerably well in promoting youth inclusiveness in governance.
Unegbu said that the Tinubu-led administration had evolved programmes and policies focused on empowering the youths to contribute to the growth of the nation.
He said that the gesture was an indication that the present administration was committed to promoting youth inclusiveness and participatory democracy.
He also said that he was delighted that the nation had enjoyed uninterrupted democratic governance for the past 25 years.
Unegbu said that it was necessary for the government to make the provision of infrastructure in major sectors, such as education and health, a top priority.
He urged the government to uphold the principle of credible and accountable democratic processes by strengthening the independence of the various arms of government.
According to him, this will help immensely to strengthen our democracy by promoting the principle of checks and balances, which is the fulcrum of every democracy.
Unegbu also urged the government to promote free, fair and credible elections.
“To enhance the practice of democracy in Nigeria, government must institute measures that discourage electoral malpractices and ensure that the votes of the citizens count.
Also, a civil servant, who identified himself simply as Kalu, said that it was unfortunate that many Nigerians had not seen tangible benefits from the 25 years of democracy.
According to Kalu, this underscores the importance of addressing the issues that have bedevilled the nation’s democracy to ensure that it translates into meaningful improvements in people’s lives.
He said that the impact of democracy could only be felt when crucial things, such as leadership, morality, judicial independence and security are given adequate and priority attention.
He urged the Federal Government to tackle these issues to pave the way for a more robust democratic system and practice in the country.
He said: “The practice of democracy can be best enhanced through the election of competent, visionary and patriotic leaders into power.
“There is need for moral rearmament and regeneration. For instance, an incorruptible electoral officer is a force for enhancing our democracy.
“The relevant agencies should make concerted efforts to encourage judicial independence,” Kalu said.
He further advocated a constitutional review that makes it mandatory for all the post-election cases to be trashed out before duly elected officials are inaugurated.
He called for conscious efforts by government to provide adequate security of lives and property, promote gender equality and respect for the rule of law.
Dr Uchenna Onyeizu, the Abia Project Coordinator, Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise, Niger Delta, said that the country’s democracy had recorded some improvements and setbacks in the last 25 years.
Onyeizu said: “There have been some level of improvements and there have been a lot of mistakes and we have improved on some of them.
“However, democracy hasn’t addressed our major issue, which is corruption.
“People get elected and the first thing they think of is how to recoup the money they spent in the election.
“So, there has been a lot of improvements but it hasn’t been significant enough for the masses to benefit from it.
“The level of practice to cheat the system has increased tremendously.”
Also, an Umuahia-based businessman, Chief Johnson Nwakire, said that the country’s democracy was no longer nascent at 25 years, but has failed to grow as expected.
Nwakire blamed the country’s woes on leadership, saying that political leaders at various levels had not shown enough commitment to liberate the country from its quagmire.
“We are still practising autocracy, instead of democracy, because a few people still decide the fate of the masses.
“Today, one dollar is about N1481 and this has negatively affected businesses in the country.
“I advise the government to find solution to the astronomical rise in exchange rate, electricity tariff as well as fix our refineries,” Nwakire said.
A media practitioner, Mr David Maduako, said that there was little or nothing to celebrate.
According to Maduako, our refineries are gone, people are hungry and the unemployment level is very high, compounded by general insecurity.
In Imo, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) called for greater youth inclusion in governance as Nigeria marks its 25th Democracy Day anniversary.
The state Chairman of NYCN, Mr Humphrey Osuji, decried the “low level of youth inclusion in governance” and called for a radical change in the narrative.
“We want to take the inclusion of youths in decision-making process in governance very seriously.
“The dividend of democracy elude the youths as a result of their non inclusion in governance.
“Government should also see the welfare and empowerment of the youths as their right rather than a privilege,” Osuji said.
He added that the negligence of issues concerning the youths did not signal a bright future for them and wondered if the country’s youths could realistically celebrate the Democracy Day.
He urged government at all levels to step up efforts to provide basic needs and employment for the youths to enable them to properly key into the system.
“Youths must also be disciplined and responsible in their conduct both in their families and larger society.
“They should strive to be the change agent for the change they want to see,” Osuji said.
The Head of Department, Religion and Conflict Resolution, Imo State University, Prof. Sunday Iherue, said that democratic institutions and practices in the country had yet to deliver on transparent, free, fair and credible elections, 25 years after.
Iherue asked, “When people we did not vote for assume office and behave as they like, where is the democracy?
“Our leaders take decisions without reference to the people. They don’t care how we feel. People are frustrated daily.
“The celebration of Democracy Day is a mockery of what it stands for,” he added.
He lamented that, in spite of the abundant resources in the country, many Nigerians have taken to recklessness as a means to survive due to frustration.
He blamed the prevailing insecurity, conflicts and religious crisis in the country on “the mismanagement of the country’s resources.
“We will continue to ask for peace but our leaders must help us by doing that which is right.
“We should be conscious of those we give our mandates and when we don’t give you our mandate do not force yourself on us,” he emphasised.
Also contributing, the Imo state Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, Dr Chidi Obiesi, said that Nigeria was not where it should be, especially in the health sector, to celebrate Democracy Day.
Obiesi argued that during the military era, under the then Minister of Health, Prof. Ransome Kuti, there were functional health centers across the country.
“Today, you can barely see a functional health centre as people in the rural villages are suffering.
“The focus has been more on the General Hospitals, teaching hospitals or Federal Medical Centers, which is not good for the country’s health system.
“Government’s apathy towards the health sector is generally poor and must be reviewed to cater for infrastructure, incentives, security and welfare of the health workers to to deal with brain drain,” he added. (NAN)
