TODAY, May 29, declared by the Federal Government as 'Democracy Day,' is yet another reason Nigerians should examine just how far the country has been democratised. Ordinarily, the nation should be celebrating the fact that it is running a representative government. Unfortunately, Nigeria's experience is a classical illustration that democracy may be no further than a rhetorical consolation. Surely, democracy must mean much more to Nigerians.One of the issues in contention today is whether it is an appropriate day to be named 'Democracy Day'. Many people think for instance that such a day should be on October 1, when Nigerian formally received her independence from the British colony. Yet others believe that June 12 should be Democracy Day, having regard to the historic election of June 12, 1993 adjudged, even now, to be the best ' the fairest and freest ' in the nation's history. Many states in the South-West actually observe June 12 as their Democracy Day.However, the Federal Government under President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 decided that May 29 being the date a civilian government was inaugurated after the post-June 12, 1993 political impasse in the country, should be Democracy Day.Beyond this disagreement, there has been unanimity of thought that a government of the people, for the people and by the people, depicted in a democracy, is ideal and indeed desired by all Nigerians; principally on the understanding that such a government will serve the political, economical and social interests of citizens. It is a government that should aim to improve the health, education and welfare of the greatest number of Nigerians at all times.Alas, 13 years on, this dream remains largely unfulfilled. While Nigerians now enjoy respite from authoritarian and dictatorial leaders who undermined their feelings to enforce personal and ill-motivated whims, too many things have gone awry for the populace.These flow from the flawed elections since 1999, which produced leaders who are far from being the true representatives of the people; many of whom have only succeeded in mismanaging the country and looting its treasury, thus further impoverishing the people. In 13 years, it is clear that Nigeria's problems have multiplied in the areas of poverty, disease, unemployment, insecurity, education crisis, corruption, lack of infrastructure, breakdown of the rule of law, abandoned projects, absence of electricity and a widening gap between the rich and the poor. In short, the country is seriously failing.These are not what Nigerians envisaged from their adoption of democracy as a form of government. And surely, things cannot continue the way they are without sparking further social upheaval.President Goodluck Jonathan has the responsibility to arrest this drift. He might not have created the problems of Nigeria, as he observed the other day; but the buck stops at his table and it is now his duty to find resolution to the problems, and not throw up his hands in helplessness, as most ordinary citizens.After spending two years as president, partly in an acting capacity and partly substantively, Dr. Jonathan should by now be charting a course of hope for the country. He may have succeeded in achieving a slight improvement in the conduct of the 2011 general election; but in real terms, that result is yet to deliver the desired dividends reflected in improved standard of living for the majority of the citizens.The President should resist the temptation to observe today merely to make promises; or to eulogize his sparse administration's achievement.He has already made more than enough promises since he came to office and what Nigerians want to see is the fulfillment of those promises.The nation is sitting on edge, against the backdrop of insecurity and poverty. There is despair in the land. And the President must contend with this reality as he seeks honest solutions and reassures Nigerians of his competence. There are real problems of nationhood arising from multiplicity of states; divergence of ethnic nationalities and natural resources; and sharing of revenue. In short, there are problems with the nation's practice of the ideal federalism.The skewed situation at the federal level is replicated in the states. Many governments at state and local levels are equally guilty of failing the electorate. They should urgently address how to improve the welfare of citizens beyond the present ad hoc approach to governance.Democracy, being a means to an end, will not succeed merely on the pretext that the country is running one. It can only deliver results when all tiers and levels of government work in unison to provide jobs, security, infrastructure, adequate housing and means of public transportation, power and other welfare-enhancing amenities for Nigerians. That is the only way to make democracy well worth its while for citizens who still harbour high hopes for the nation.
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