DEMOCRACY UPSIDE DOWN: Case Study of the Nigerian 18 Years of Democratic Rule

By Dankishiya Mustapha Saleh

Democracy Day is held annually on May 29 in Nigeria in commemoration of the restoration of democracy in Nigeria during the time which the former head of state Olusegun Obasanjo was democratically elected as the president of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria in May 1999 to end the simultaneous years of military rule that began in 1966.

Democracy is worth celebrating but only when been justifiably practiced rather not when in the hands of the power-mongers.

I understand merriment to be of joy and happiness, but only when it's worth it, so what are Nigerians thinking, I mean what can we say we are celebrating in the midst of a frustrated democracy?
Could there be a celebration of failure?

We have been in a mess since Nigerian independent, the issue is we couldn't read and understand our problems in other to create solutions but rather very good at putting up unnecessary activities in other to create diversion which won't happen again, Nigerians are wise, we had just woken up from our slumber.

The little period we were able to enjoy democracy but not totally with its dividends was only between 1979-1983 which until now have not been met again.

The celebration of a democracy day in Nigeria means celebration of a total failure, it means a total mockery of the bourgeoisie over the proletariat, it means another way of trying to mismanage our wealths in the name of celebrating a non existing happiness, a ghost happiness.

What do we have to celebrate, that after 56 years of independence, we are still in a psychological and economical bondage?
That exactly 18 years of democracy, we still couldn't understand the difference between Authority and been an Authoritarian?

That after 56 years of political independence, we still couldn't produce an outstanding and excellent result to give Nigeria a stand of dignity in the international community?
That corruption in Nigeria becomes a norm that has eaten deep into every individual's bloods and bones?

That despite our richness in wealth and natural resources, we are still on the scale of importation to the least item of a tooth pick?
That at this level of the Nigerian society, the youths still don't have a certain future for themselves?
Are we celebrating the rise of poverty level from 54% in 1999 to 67.1% in 2016?

Are we celebrating the death of 45,000 innocent children dying of diarrhea every year?
Are we celebrating the rising of graduate unemployment in Nigeria?

We have drop out of school children that has not been catered for with a majority of them in the north. 57 million Nigerians lack access to safe water.

The rise of the national debt requires a proper and urgent attention. Ethnic and religious divisibility looms.  Lack of basic educational amenities. No security.

Democracy as it was known from the onset is an all inclusive government, a government where the masses retain the authority to consent to bills before been passed, to policies before been executed.

According to proponents and contributors of democracy as a form of government, it is not the perfect form of government but rather the form of government where justice should be totally practiced.

The Nigerian three arms of government were created to serve as checks and balances to themselves, this has made the citizens over relaxed putting their responsibilities on especially the legislatures while the judiciary who are now been aggressively protective to the legislatures and executives.

The Nigerian constitution had now been turned into a spiderweb, strong for the weak, and weak for the strong depicting the ruling class as oppressors(Subair, 2017).

I won't blame the ruling class much on this but rather the commoners, we had given our dinner to the dog for merriments and it left to us to look for ways to get it back.

Let us all stand up and strive for a better Nigeria, the United Kingdom has about 800 year old parliament and the people still strive to ask questions, the Koreans, the United States, even the Romanians of yesterday democracy, they all stage rallies and protests against their government to make them sit right.

Why have Nigerians refused to stand up to get what is theirs back from their looters?
Do we prefer to remain preys till the end of time?
Why do we prefer to be a protector of our corrupted rulers?

Where are the student bodies, the Labour unions, human rights activists, the market women who are always at the fore front of protects during the Nigerian encounter with the military intervention into our politics despite the challenges of authoritarian rules and decrees.

It's a shame on us the giants of Africa, Nigeria is at the verge of collapse, our democracy is in shambles yet we give excuses of celebrating it.

We need to all stand up for the survival of our great nation, and we shall have a course to celebrate our independence and democracy.

Dankishiya Mustapha Saleh
SSA (Communications and Strategy)
to the Chairman NYCN, Taraba State Chapter.