SOME residents of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed divergent views on the existence of democracy in the country, since 1999 vis-a-vis the economic development.

Some of the residents, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja, stressed the need for the government to focus more attention on the security and the economy of the country.

Some of them expressed concerns over the economic achievements recorded in the past 20 years of democratic rule in the country.

They were of the view that if the present administration could focus more on the security and the economic development of Nigeria, the country would be far better in terms of trade and exchange.

The Chief Press Secretary, Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board (FGSHLB), Mr Akinwale Adegbola said democracy was a process not a destination.

He said that democracy in Nigeria was worth celebrating, adding that the worst democracy was better than the best military rule.

“Democracy in Nigeria is worth celebrating because whether we like it or not, history has been made.

“It serves as a reminder not to go back to that era of military junta, impunity, and to remember those who sacrificed their lives to earn us the democracy.

“It also reminds us that military government through the barrel of gun is no longer popular,” he said.

Adegbola appealed to the Federal Government to focus more on people-oriented projects and security, saying that it would help to improve the economy and bring development to the country.

According to him, Nigerians have chosen the best option, which is democracy.

” With democracy we can dialogue and decide what is best for us; we can also negotiate on the roundtable through democracy.

“I know we are not yet there but there is hope; democracy is the hope to keep us going,’’ he said.

However, Mr Adedayo Onaadepo, Former Technical Adviser, Rural Water Development in Kwara, said that democracy in Nigeria since its inception in 1999 could be termed to be slow in nature.

“The Nigerian case is such a pathetic scenario, in the sense that when we think we are moving forward as a nation, we tend to just find ourselves many years backward.

“It sounds like a few people putting the larger populace in perpetual bondage,” he said.

Onaadepo said that a lot still need to be addressed politically for Nigeria to say we are really practicing democracy and making progress.

He said that policies implementation in the country are very weak and we do not adhere to rule of law, which is resulting in failure in some sectors of the economy.

“Security of the citizens is seriously in jeopardy and the government has not been able to nip the challenge in the bud.

“We need to put our democracy on good footing and tackle challenges facing the country like corruption and insecurity,’’ he said.

-NAN

BE

– June 12, 2019 @19:25 GMT |