[EDITORIAL] June 12: Democracy and the pursuit of happiness
IT is exactly 27 years today when a historic presidential election was held and its outcome criminally overturned by a rapacious junta. The desire of the evil and oppressive Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha regimes to annul the poll also had a particularly sinister dehumanising and macabre political logic, in addition to its primordial barbaric dimensions.
Today, the Nigerian state is a practical demonstration of the concept of systemic isomorphic mimicry, which Pritchett Lant, Michael Woolcock and Matt Andrews describe as the outward forms of functional states and organisations elsewhere adopted to camouflage a persistent lack of functionality in failed states.
Democracy is endangered when the citizens are docile and liberty is imperilled when the media is gagged. Seeing something that the government claims is good and pointing out why it is bad is a major feature of democracy and an essential function of journalism. Indeed, it is one of democracy’s most crucial safeguards.
Corruption has ballooned, including what Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo called “grand corruption,” where people can simply remove public funds from the banks. Perhaps the greatest dashed hope is the failure to reform institutions, restructure the country away from the unitary system the soldiers imposed and back true federalism, the only sure route to rapid progress in a diverse polity.
Expectations about the proper stewardship and accountability for public money go back many centuries in functional democracies. Generations of politicians and public officials have recognised the significance of the proper handling of public funds, the need to combat fraud and corruption and the importance of getting the most from tax revenue.
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
June 12: Grappling with credible democracy 21 years on“The investiture will take place on Tuesday June 12, 2018, a date which in future years will replace May 29 as a national public holiday in celebration of Nigeria’s Democracy Day.” Nigeria DemocracyDay Democracy June12
Read more »
June 12: Democracy has come to stay, says Lawan
Read more »
Democracy Day: Buhari to Address Nigerians June 12 - THISDAYLIVEBy Omololu Ogunmade In commemoration of this year’s June 12 Democracy Day, President Muhammadu Buhari will address the nation at 7am on Friday. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, enjoined television, radio stations and other electronic media outlets to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television …
Read more »
Democracy Day: I Stand by all ideas of June 12 - Gov Diri - Daily Post NigeriaThe Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said he stands by all the ideals of equity and inclusiveness that June 12 represents. Senator Diri
Read more »
‘Declaring June 12 as Democracy Day a blunder’Dr. Saidu Ahmad Dukawa is a senior lecturer with the Department of Public Administration of the Bayero University Kano (BUK). In this interview, he speaks about the June 12 presidential election, i…
Read more »
Buhari has deepened Nigeria’s history by declaring June 12 Democracy Day-DouglasBarrister Tayo Douglas has about 30 years of legal experience and was an active participant in the June 12, 1993, struggle. After many years of agitation, especially from June 12 activists, the Fed…
Read more »