From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has berated the current economic situation in the country and called for an urgent solution to the economic problems bedevilling the country for an end to come to insecurity in the country.
Akeredolu who spoke at a public lecture organised by the state government to commemorate this year’s democracy day expressed concern at the state of insecurity in the country.
He said the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993, Presidential election, Bashorun Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola had the vision to end poverty in the country but 28 years after the annulment of his election, the solution has not been found to the problem of poverty in Nigeria.
Assessing the current situation of Nigeria, Governor Akeredolu said “any system of government which relegates the primacy of the people’s welfare is worse than banditry.”
He said “democracy as a system of government cannot just guarantee good governance. The institutions of any country which espouses this liberal concept must reflect its principles in practice. This is the surest guarantee that the rights of citizens will not be trampled upon by those elected or appointed to serve them.
“But of great significance is the living condition of the people. Poverty and ignorance militate greatly against participatory democracy designed for representation. The people’s ability to choose is severely limited by their material circumstances.
“Representative democracy thus casts a doubt on its effectiveness, nay usefulness, when a majority of the people wallow in abject privation. A beneficial system must take, seriously, the issue of mobilising the mass of the people to create wealth.
“Deliberative governance, structured for service, must reflect the yearnings and aspirations of the people in its policies. The welfare of the people must be at the centre of all governmental activities.
That was the message of hope sold to Nigerians by the winner of the annulled presidential election, the late Chief Abiola.
“This was the only manifesto which resonated with the poor across the country. It was the moving bulldozer against the bulwark of ethnicity and religion: the twin evils deviously utilised to divide the people with a view to subjugating them. Chief Abiola, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, a Southerner, was a Muslim. His running mate, Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe, a Northerner, also contested as a Muslim.
“The people deserve a better deal from the political class. A political system, which excludes the majority and protects the few, should be jettisoned. Any arrangement which allows only a negligible minority to control the commanding heights of the economy to the detriment of the many is grand larceny.
“The current happenings in the country suggest that the lessons derivable from the June 12 experience have been cast aside for parochialism which finds expression in prebendal politics. The level of poverty in the land is disturbing. It amounts to a hope deferred. Unemployment is a major problem in the country today. There is an urgent need for a paradigm shift.
“The army of young but unemployed Nigerians keeps growing. Lack of basic skills required to address existential issues in an underdeveloped society among a majority of them should be a cause of serious concern to us all. It is the reason for the ease with which unscrupulous elements recruit young people for criminal activities,” he added.
The guest lecturer, Mr Femi Aborisade called on the government at all levels to be sensitive to the plights of Nigerians and provide succour for them.
Meanwhile, there was protest in Akure, the Ondo State capital, as youths went on the street demanding good governance and an end to insecurity in the country.
The youths who were armed with placards marched round major streets in Akure singing solidarity songs.
The protesters also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to step aside as he could not provide adequate security for the citizenry