*Seeks More Democracy Dividends At Democracy Day Lecture
In order to allow the dividends of democracy to fully materialize in Nigeria, the former two-term Katsina State Governor, Alh. Aminu Bello Masari, on Tuesday called on Nigerians to be more patient with democracy.
He made the call while delivering keynote address at the 2024 Democracy Day Anniversary Lecture, Held at the State House Conference Centre Abuja.
While the Theme of the lecturer was “25 Years of Enduring Democracy: The Prospects for The Future”, June 12 has been declared democracy day in Nigeria.
Masari, who was the Speaker of the House of Representatives before becoming State governor, also noted that most developed countries Nigeria is mostly compared with had similar challenges in the past.
He said "On their part, our people also need to be more patient with the country. While 25 years of civil rule or 64 years of independence is a long time, it is just a speck in the life of a nation. Most of the countries that we are eager to compare Nigeria to today went through their challenging moments too.
"They were totally different from the countries that we know 200 years ago. Nation-building takes time. We also need to be more patient with democracy, which by its nature is slow and complex. Democracy is about process, which may make it difficult for issues to be addressed or resolved with immediate effect. It is not without challenges, but democracy is still the best form of government. We need to stay faithful to it."
Hon Masari also called for concrete measures that will make Nigerians have real dividends of democracy.
"We need to put more effort in delivering the benefits of democracy to the vast majority of our people. Democracy as an idea is great. But people cannot eat it. Scholars such as Amartya Sen, the Economics Nobel Laureate, talk about the instrumental value of democracy, which is about how democracy should serve as an instrument for or a bridge to a better life for the people.
"Our people call it the Dividends of Democracy. People do not want democracy for its sake. They want democracy to translate to materials benefits for them. They want concrete dividends from democracy. We thus need to redouble our efforts to eliminate poverty, reduce inequality, deepen human capacities and expand opportunities in our society." he stated
He also harped on the need to pay special attention to the needs and mindsets of Nigerian youths.
Stressing that the youths constitute an overwhelming majority of Nigeria's population today, he said that it is projected that by 2050, Nigeria will be the third most populous country in the world, with a preponderance of young people.
Masari added "Nigeria can become a global economic powerhouse if we harness the full potential of our youths. To realise this benefit, the so-called demographic dividend, we need to create the enabling environment for our youths, and by extension our country, to thrive.
"Most of our youths are not satisfied with the system today, and they are checking out of the country in large numbers, mostly because of lack of opportunities for them to actualise their dreams. Let’s create the opportunities for them to stay back at home and contribute their quota to the development of our country."
Continuing, he said "On a related note, more than half of our population today are under the age of 25. This means that most of our citizens were born after 1999. This group includes a significant number of people of voting age today. I call them critical voters.
"It is important to pay close attention to this group of citizens. On one hand, they can be called the children of democracy. They should be natural defenders of democracy. But on the other hand, they have no memory of how bad the alternative to democracy could be, and they may not be keen about defending democracy. Our task as leaders and elders is to sustain the faith of our youth in our country and our democracy."
The former Governor also urged politicians and other Nigerians to continue to play their roles to strengthen democracy in the country.
"My last point is a passionate appeal to my fellow politicians and the populace. We all need to continue to do our parts in strengthening and deepening our democracy.
"Politicians need to be more sensitive to the needs and the feelings of the people. We need to continue to remember that democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people. It is not just the government of the politicians by the politicians and for the politicians.
"In representative democracy, elected politicians merely hold power in trust for the people. We therefore need to prioritise the needs of the populace ahead of our own needs. We also need to become better democrats. We need to fully imbibe the culture of democracy. We need good winners and good losers." he said
He also called for urgent steps to redefine the concept of local governance in Nigeria.
"We need to ensure that there is adequate and effective governance where it matters the most: at the local level, which is where most of our people live. One of the reasons why local government areas are not functioning effectively is because of the constitutional confusion about their status.
"On one hand, the local government areas are supposed to be autonomous of the states and are all listed in the constitution. But the same constitution creates joint accounts for states and LGAs, puts the LGAs under the supervision of the states, and mandates the state parliaments to make laws for the LGAs.
"My considered opinion is that we should redefine the functions and structure of local Governments and remove the confusion enshrined in the constitution on their status. This doesn’t mean that we are going to abolish the local government areas. But we should allow each state to decide how many administrative units it wants to have based on its resources and needs. We should also allow local governance to be adapted to local realities, rather than aim for uniformity across the country." the Ex-Gov said
Stressing that Nigeria's democracy can be said to be maturing in both age and temperament, he said that the First Republic didn’t survive the rancour and violence that followed the 1965 general election, as the Second Republic didn't survive the turmoil that followed the 1983 elections.
He added "But we successfully broke the jinx in 2003, and here we are marking 25 years of continuous civil rule.
"We have broken other records in this journey. We have conducted consecutive seven cycles of elections. Recall that we had only two cycles of elections each in the first and second republics, and only one election cycle in the Third Republic, which was even annulled.
"In this republic, we have had transition of power from one president to another three times: in 2007, from President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua; in 2015, from President Goodluck Jonathan to President Muhammadu Buhari; and in 2023, from President Muhammadu Buhari to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
"We didn’t have such a privilege in the three previous republics. We have also had two presidents who served out two terms of eight years and we have also had the transfer of power from one party to another. We didn’t have any of such in earlier republics. Overtime too, our elections have become more competitive, as we all can see from the results of the 2023 elections." he said
He also recalled how the third term agenda was defeated in the National Assembly and its coming up with the doctrine of necessity to save the nation from constitutional crisis.
Hon Masari prayed for democracy to continues to grow in Nigeria, not just in years but also in quality, and for the overall benefit of the mass of our people.
In his welcome address earlier, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, noted that the celebration affords Nigerians the opportunity to reflect on the contributions and sacrifices of national heroes and heroines who fought for the entrenchment of democratic rule in Nigeria.
He said "Many of them paid supreme sacrifices while others were forced into exile or detained for years. Some of those who survived the onslaught have continued to play key roles in our democracy.
"Today’s event provides us with opportunities as a nation and as a government to salute the courage and commitment of Nigerians for remaining steadfast and for believing in the values of democracy despite numerous challenges facing our nation and the West African sub-region as a whole.
"Most significantly, this celebration provides the window of opportunity for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to reiterate his unwavering commitment to democracy, rule of law and good governance.
"He has demonstrated this commitment by approving the 2024 Democracy Day program. Our democratic journey is one of optimism as reversal is never contemplated."
According to him, the choice of the theme for the 2024 Democracy Day Lecture, “25 Years of Enduring Democracy: Prospects for the Future” underscored the importance of democracy and the role it plays in engendering sustainable socio-economic development for the good of the people.
The SGF disclosed that the choice of Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, as the keynote speaker was premised on the sacrifices he made for democracy along with his colleagues in the Senate for saving the nation, particularly when the dark clouds capable of derailing Nigeria's democratic experiment lingered ominously overhead.
"We have assembled for this Public Lecture, a formidable panel of statesmen, public commentators and Analysts with rich pedigree, as discussants, to add value to the topic. Our team of rapporteurs are also on hand to record the key recommendations that would help in developing policies, legislations, systems and practices." he stated
Among dignitaries that attended the lecture included former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan GCFR, who was the Chairman of the occasion, Vice President Shettima Kashim , who was the Special Guest of Honour.