The recognition come to pass in the year 2019 because President Muhammadu Buhari whose pillars of support are the Abiola adherents.
In Nigeria's political diary, the June 12 is synonymous with the presidential election of 1993 which was to usher in the much anticipated the third republic after ten years of military reign having sacked the democratic government of Shehu Shagari on 31 December, 1983.
The June 12 saga can also be likened to those Nollywood melodramas that always come in complex, prolonged, never-ending story lines that quiver into many parts, trying the patience of the audience.
I am sure that majority of Nigerians, particularly those under the age of 30, would be found wondering what the heck it is about. Even those of us who were innocent eyewitness at that time and had a good view of events can hardly piece together a complete narrative.
Nobody can tell the whole story what we all know is that a presidential election took place on that date.
At the point of announcing the result, the military regime headed by General Ibrahim Babangida decided to annul the election. I am not sure till date, whether General Babangida gives cogent reasons why he annulled the election.
The country was thrown into chaos.
For years after, there were recurrent strikes, riots, demonstrations and a general civilian insurgency. There was even a successful hijack of a Nigerian Airways flight that ended up in Niger Republic, with perhaps only the hapless passengers traumatized.
For the first time, the June 12, 1993 was when Nigerians unite to elect a person without considering the tribe, religion and other issues. In the process of reclaiming his mandate, Abiola was incarcerated by the military. What worsen the situation in the country was that Abiola, though, imprisoned by the military, yet he refuse to negotiate away what he believe to be his mandate.
The impasse was only broken when both Abiola and the head of state, General Sani Abatcha, tragically died within a month of each other in 1998.
Nigerians owed a lot of appreciations to the succeeding regime, headed by General Abdulsalami Abubakar for restoring all the institutions of democracy in the year 1999.
Thank God, we have succeeded in sending the military back to the barrack, no doubt, but this democracy is not what we fought for.
The type of Democracy that we are running is Karikachop, Caricature. Our roads has turn to a death traps, the educational system is dwindling every day, there is no adequate security, people cannot sleep with their two eye close. The economy is nothing to write about, the nations debt both internationally and locally kept on increasing yet, we have nothing to justify the debt.
How can we explain this, the nations future leaders goes to school without chair to seat on except those chairs at the formation?
No fund for research, some of our schools have no functional libraries and laboratories. Little wonder, our children cannot compete with their contemporaries at the international level.
There is no adequate security; we have cases of kidnapping, raping, armed robbery, banditry and boko haram attack. Our security agencies are not well equipped. The welfare of the officers is not important to us, so, how can we expect better performances from them.
The health sector, which supposes to be a haven for the citizens, has turned to a mortuary. Most of our hospitals are less equipped with modern hospital equipments. Yet, our leaders travel out of the country on health tourism while they put our health sector in shambles.
Many lives have been lost on our roads due to the bad roads. On daily basis the road safety officers record death. What a pity. We dont have values for live again. Many of our future leaders have been sent to their early grave on this road. Oh! What a sorrowful state of our nation.
Rather for citizens to enjoy the dividends of democracy, it is only set of people that enjoy it. The medical personnel, teachers and those that can build the nation were left to suffer while the legislators were raking millions of money on monthly basis.
Is it not funny enough or insanity in the highest order when Sen. Ali Ndume was calling for the reduction in the salary of workers at this lockdown when he and his cronies were enjoying our common wealth?
Countless times I have said that we dont need bicameral legislative in Nigeria. Most of our schools are in dilapidating conditions, yet the National Assembly earmarked billions of naira to renovate their complex.
Should we continue to renovate the National Assembly Complex yearly? We cannot sponsor our students abroad to go and study and make more research that can benefit our nation but we can sponsor legislators wife to abroad just to go and catch fun. What a wasteful nation is ours.
As we mark another 21years of uninterrupted civil rule today, it is very germane that we go back to drawing board, think and map out how we can make our nation great. We should all have a sincere heart to serve. Corruption should be shun by all and sundry. With this, we can all be proud of our democracy.
Comrade Omojuwa wrote from Ojo, Lagos State
Comrade OMOJUWA OLUFEMI aka (COO) a Young dynamic political gladiator, The COO Omorubeth project investment limited (OPIL), The president COO Foundation and a co-founder FOLRODOM foundation. from Ojo local government of Lagos State
No comments:
Post a Comment