A Decade Plus, “NOT YET DEMOCRACY” – Princewill’s Associates

As Nigeria and Nigerians commemorate its eleven years of civilian administration, Prince Tonye Princewill's political associates acknowledged that this year's democracy anniversary was remarkable in that, Nigeria a few months ago was on the verge of confusion, given the threat of a major setback to democracy which reared its monstrous head as at then, stating that, in over a decade it was still “NOT YET DEMOCRACY FOR US”.

Hear them: “We recall that May 29th 1999 dawned as a day of promise, a day majority of Nigerians thought they had entered the Promised Land. But sadly 11 years later what we have is a fledgling democracy in a Nation that is plagued by worse malaise than it experienced during the military era. Citizens are disillusioned and morale is at an all time low with the lack of equitable access to the dividends of democracy; majority of elected officials have come to see democracy as a means to achieving affluence, hence the blatant perpetuation of electoral fraud; infrastructural decay in various sectors of the economy and a plethora of woes that plague the Nation”.

The associates feelings which was made available via a press statement issued byPrincewill's Media Consultant, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze tasked President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to make sterling leadership his prerogative, to eschew distractions from all those clamouring for him to contest come 2011, and urged him to explore interventionist and immediate solutions where suitable, with a view to nipping in the bud the failing Power Sector, the implementation of Electoral Reforms, the Niger Delta Issue and a host of other issues.

They used the opportunity to urge all Nigerians to contribute positively towards building a more responsive and effective democracy, which would be guided by the words of the venerable American statesman Daniel Webster: “Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great interests, and see whether we also in our day and generation, may not perform something worthy to be remembered.”

Nwaorgu Faustinus, Socio- political commentator writes from Igboetche, Rivers State