Why Nigerians Are Yet to Enjoy Dividends of Democracy – Onitiri
…. The military dropped their khaki and hijacked our struggle in agbada.
…. Nigeria needs leaders such as we have in Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore.
Lagos Central Senatorial candidate in the just-concluded elections, Adesunbo Onitiri, has said Nigeria is yet to get the dividend of democracy having returned to a democratic system of governance twenty years ago.
While rating democracy low in Nigeria in a press statement in Lagos, Onitiri said that “despite 20 years of democracy, Nigeria is not yet out of the woods and our citizens are the worst for it because of poor leadership.”
“As one of those who fought for this fledgeling democracy, I stand to say boldly that Nigerians are yet to enjoy dividends of democracy because of poor, inefficient, selfish and corrupt leadership foisted on the country.
“Our citizens are the worse for it. It is sad to observe that we are yet to enjoy basic amenities of life that developed countries enjoy such as uninterrupted electricity supply, potable drinking water, good roads, access to health facilities and good, quality education almost 60 years after independence,” he said.
Recalling late Chief MKO Abiola’s Epetedo declaration in 1994, Onitiri, who is among the arrowheads of the declaration lamented that ” we fought to drive away military regime in 1992/1999 but the military dropped their khaki and hijacked our struggle in agbada.
“What you don’t have you can never give. The retired military in agbada can never give us dividends of democracy. No wonder you now see rising cases of insurgency, kidnapping, killer-herdsmen, wanton killing of innocent Nigerians and other criminal activities.”
The PDP chieftain claimed that Nigeria is now in dire and urgent need of good leaders with the fear of God and love of the people.
“Nigeria needs leaders such as we have in Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore. We fervently need leaders that want to genuinely serve the people and not looters and wasters of our commonwealth”.
He, therefore, advised the newly elected leaders not to embark on new projects but strive to complete abandoned projects that litter the nooks and crannies of the country.
