As the nation marked another Democracy Day on Thursday Nigerians have expressed divergent views on the progress recorded in the last 15 years of the return to civilian rule.
However, majority of those who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria agreed that the nation had recorded tremendous progress in many sectors.
A university don, Dr. Felix Igwe, said democracy had enhanced the level of freedom being enjoyed by the citizens, especially the media.
Igwe told NAN in Port Harcourt that Nigeria had become a haven for press freedom in sub-Saharan Africa.
“In the last 15 years, we have achieved some success in the area of press freedom, such that, journalists freely go about their normal duties without fear of intimidation from the state.
“Also, Nigerians are freer to express themselves, whether what they say is accepted by government or not,” he said.
Igwe is the immediate past Chairman, Rivers State University of Science and Technology chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
He said the nation’s education sector had also received better funding and policies and, as such, made significant progress since the nation returned to democratic rule in 1999.
“The nation’s education would have been among the best in the in Africa if the military had stayed away from power.
“Under the military rule, the sector witnessed monumental decay because people who managed it never had the slightest knowledge and had no business running the sector,” he said.
Igwe said the present administration’s extension of professors retiring age to 70 years and establishment of universities in all the 36 states of the federation had further improved education.
He said that democracy afforded Nigerians the opportunity to demand for quality education and make contribution to its development.
According to him, Nigerians will benefit more from democratic system of governance if only political parties practiced “internal democracy” to discover people oriented representatives.
In Yola, the North-East Coordinator of Interfaith Mediation Centre, Mallam Abdullahi Damare, said democratic rule would continue to be the best option for Nigeria
Speaking to NAN the co-coordinator, however, urged politicians to offer selfless service and fear God in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Damare said more was needed to be done in areas of security, power supply and infrastructure as well as commitment to the fight against corruption.
According to him, for corruption to be tackled properly, insecurity and unemployment, among others, must be adequately addressed.
The cleric urged politicians to ensure peaceful general elections next year by playing according to the rules of politics and respecting the decision of the electorate
“Politicians should accept the outcome of election results in good faith and seek redress through legal means instead of resorting to violence in resolving our grievances,” he said.
Mr. Tari Gounana, the Bayelsa Chairman, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, said that in spite of the “mountainous challenges” Nigerian democracy had fared better in various facets.
“Democracy has moved Nigeria from strength to strength. Despite the fall and errors here and there; we can call on more achievements compared to the military dictatorship.
“The area we want the government to dip into is that of workers’ welfare; we cannot be trading corruption in the era of democracy because Nigeria has come of age.
“The minimum wage should still remain in exclusive list to serve as a bench mark for other tiers of government at any point in time.
“The government should also dip into job creation for the teeming youth and be more proactive in youth development and empowerment plans,” he urged.
Mr. Richard Tiebiri, PDP Legal Adviser in the state also told NAN that Nigerians had witnessed changes in various sectors.
“There is a rapid transformation in all sectors such as aviation, political stability and infrastructure development, like roads and sea ports.
“Nigeria has also signed bilateral relationships with many countries in the world aimed at economic growth,” Tiebiri said.
Mr. Agwana Weneyo, Chairman, Association of Fish Farmers and aquaculture of Nigeria, Bayelsa chapter, commended the Federal Government on agricultural development and urged more support to aquatic farming.
Weneyo said that such support would improve the production of sea food in the country and contribute in the effort to create jobs.
In his comments, a former governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balabe Musa, called on the leadership to always work in public interest as enshrined in the constitution of the country.
He attributed the current security challenges facing the country to failure to adhere strictly to the provisions of the nation’s constitution.
In Benin, a politician, Mr. Joe Atohengbe, said the nation had cause to jubilate as the country had been rated the first in Africa in terms of its Gross Domestic Product. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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