THE OTHER VIEW OF DEMOCRACY AND ITS EFFECTS IN NIGERIA
By : Awoniyi Olabode
Greetings to Nigerians on celebrating our 58th independence day. This will be a memorable day on every Nigerians mind every first of October.
In the realm of commemorating the lovely land, I am also in antipathy, and unhappy with the junction our glorious country is heading to. We have suffered a lot and have been cheated on most times since we claim to run a Democratic System. Well it was a nice target and a remarkable lay down to insist on; as said In the phrase of Abraham Lincoln, Democracy is a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” We all nodded in acceptance to this philosopher saying on Democracy.
We would have wished to have a prosperous and promising country if we had a good Government to seriously bring out the true colour of Democracy. Starting from the time when Nigeria returned to democratic rule in October 1, 1979, after almost 14 years of military rule. Shehu Shagari was the then president. We used to enjoy the real Democratic system of Government during this time though. Skipping down to May 29 1999(Olusegun Obasanjo took over) till date under the administration of PMB( President Mohammadu Buhari).
The state of how Democracy is being held in Nigeria is sickening and not conducted nicely, most especially during election and after elections lately. Before the period of election, campaign going on and on, propagandist every where, blackmail allegations against other party candidate to abstain people’s interest from voting them in so as to favour their vote, that is political game anyways. After the success of the campaign, do we witness/ experience the mouth coated and lies being disseminated to us during campaign? No. How is this a Democratic System of Government? It is barely oppression and means of captive.
Lately we are not new to this shenanigans way of manoeuvring means in achieving the end of the political goals which had turned into a family inheritance cycle, we already accepted our fate and we’ve moved on in hope of good governance after our PVC- Permanent Voters Card is indirectly turning to ATM- Automated Teller Machine which we just kept it at bay in the purse or wallet. The reason is because they have made us understood that our PVC does not tell, their money does; where there can be thousand and millions of PVCs accredited but not endorsed to the person we voted for.
This is ridiculous and illegal to exercise, we have being docile a long time ago to this negative act of disregarding Democracy because we are already used to falling for the party gullible sayings and forced to vote for them amid their sweet mouth utterance. For over 10years now, we are not bold of an uber president who is capable of making us the popular giant of Africa (i see that as a phraseology to uplift our country in the den) in the middle of others. Our population,culture, resources, can promote our true image , 186,000 million according to google ,it is a pity that the land with milk and honey is not controlled by the considerate appointees to lead these people’s to Nigeria we have always imagined. It is damning facts.
We all have friends or person who resides abroad for one or two things, when you ask them, when are you going to be back to the country, they never wish to come back due to the horrible and punch news being updated everyday, those news are not pleasing to make you even wants to stay here or even coming back to live here.
According to Isaac Newton’s third law of motion “actions and reactions are always equal and opposite” linking it to how we the citizens have been reacting to these wicked manipulated politicians, it is disheartening because there is no need to collect money before you can vote in your preferred candidates, money will be spent but Nation will be built for the sake of our future via our votes. Now, we have received the embarrassing ransom from the big men of politics, we have voted them in, done; Mr karma will operate silently by returning force maybe modified, changed or suspended, but most people will not be able to eradicate it due to the embarrassing act of voting for money and not future. The disadvantage is that they were voted in to do whatever they wish either good or bad and they end up exercising the bad ways and our country remains stagnant because they had use us to do business and surely that took the risk by paying you,they have to earn from their business of course and this time around they starts doing anyhow, even when we didn’t sell our vote we were treated like dapchi and chibok girls talk less of selling our votes, think of it.
There should be an end to this negative act of us, let’s make our country a reputable one which we had from the antiquity, we have all what it takes to move forward and bring the best out of her, let’s follow the lyrics of our anthem” To serve our fatherland
with love and strength and faith.
The labour of our heroes past
shall never be in vain,
to serve with heart and might
one nation bound in freedom
Peace and unity” .