MAY 29: A CRAWLING DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA

Come Wednesday May 29, 2012, Nigeria will be celebrating another consecutive 13 years uninterrupted democracy with amidst fears of security challenge across the country . The emergence of terrorist group called Boko Haram has plunged the country into palpable fears of the unknown callous people who have wasted many souls in the Northern region. Though President Goodluck Jonathan is yet to comb out the perpetrators of this acts.Precisely May 29, 1999 when the Military government handed power to the Civilian government under the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. Nigerians had eagerly longing for democracy before the Military forces toppled the civilian government in 19966 with bloody coup that claimed many innocent lives and property worth million of naira destroyed.The Military government succeeded in taken over the government from 1966 to 1979 and 1983 to 1998.Though the Military government also witnessed three months civil war between Rt Gen.Yakubu Gowon and RtCol EmekaOjukwu over Aburi agreement.

Over the years of democratic celebration, two years down memory lane, the country has witnessed senseless and brutal killings of Christians and Muslims in the northern region of Nigeria by Islamic sects called Boko Haram. The sudden emergence of this fundamentalists through some selfish Nigerians who felt that the country must be plunged into civil war and nothing else.Most Nigerians that fought massively for the emancipation of democracy were no more as a result of untimely death that greeted their lives.Before the Boko Haram insurgence, OPC,Egbesu group of Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta militants were major players of this ethnic violence together with MASSOB group in the Eastern part of Nigeria.The federal government succeeded in creating Post Amnesty programme to the Niger Delta Militants.

President Goodluck Jonathan is yet to provide security protection in the Northern region. Although the State Security Services{SSS} has recently tried to apprehend some Boko Haram suspects who intend to throw the country into another pandemonium of blood shed among innocent Nigerians.The fact remains that suicide bombers have taken over the northern region in spite of various meetings being conveyed by Mr President to the Northern elders and leaders to negotiate with the Boko Haram members in recent times.It is sad that every national celebration of the country is nosedived with infamous bomb blasts in the north. The fear of living in North is beginning of many Nigerians relocating in order not to be killed unjustly.Many prominent Nigerians with their unguarded utterances have also contributed to the civil disturbance of the country.13 years of uninterrupted democracy has brought hardship to 70 percent of Nigerians with no infrastructural development.From 1999 to 2012, Nigeria had three presidents with different unfulfilled agenda which no infrastructural development.The various leaders have abysmally failed to provide a level playing field for Nigerians that voted them into power. 85 percent of Boko Haram members are jobless rather embarked on deliberate killings.Our educational system is rot to the extend that the youth graduating from our higher institutions have no jobs to depend on which criminal activities have increased in recent times.This has adversely affected the Nigerian economy and others.The brain- drain among our university lecturers is at geometric programme while the higher institutions

of learning have increased their school fees both public and private.

Early this year, 2012, Nigeria had a ferocious experience of oil subsidy which thrown the country into pandemonium of strikes by the civil society groups and Nigerian L:abour Congress which grossly affected the economy. For the past three months the country has been plunged into perpetual darkness of the so-called PHCN with increment of electricity tariffs by June. Prof Barth Nnaji, the Minister of Power and Steel has not explained to Nigerians while sudden rise of electricity consumption by consumers.The many National Assembly probes on capital market, oil subsidy and others are yet to have positive resuls.

Lastly some political observers believe that May 29 is not worthy to be celebrated but June 12 is the best for Nigerian democracy. The 1st October Independence day bomb blast 2010 is still in the memory of many Nigerians not to join any national celebration over the security lapses in the country.Nigerians still need our constitutional leaders from the legislative to the Executive and Judiciary to work on the modalities to see Nigeria as a great country not to fall into victim of American prediction that the country will break in 2015.Democracy dividends is not pronounced in the country at present. Every State in Nigeria is currently conscious of security threat against the

unknown people.Corruption needs to be death with by President Goodluck Jonathan.The country needs good education, job employment for the teaming population,electricity,water supply, good roads and others now.

BY GODDAY ODIDI, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ANALYST.08058124798,08063458693,@)20 oro street Ajegunle

Apapa lagos.

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Articles by Godday Odidi