Nigeria’s democracy needs us to thrive — Ex-Oyo Commissioner, Arisekola-Alao

A former Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Honourable Umar Farouk Arisekola-Alao, has tasked Nigerians to see democracy as a work in progress, assuring that things will get better with time.

Speaking on the commemoration of Democracy Day in the country today, he said the only way to deepen democracy is for the people to be active participants in the process.

“In President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we have an active participant in the struggle that birthed our democracy. He was not an onlooker; he played a huge role in fighting military dictatorship and now, at the helm, he has the opportunity to reposition Nigeria for greater dividends.

He has pressed the hard reset button, seeking to reposition the country for long-term sustainability.

“Under him, allocations to federating units have astronomically increased.

This is a move to ensure that not only the capital enjoys government presence but that people in the states also get to savor democratic dividends.

The democratic journey is never-ending; it just gets progressively better, and the only way we can achieve that is by playing our role as active participants in the democratic process,” he said.

Farouk noted that Nigerians could not talk about May 29, 1999, without making a deep recourse to June 12, 1993, recalling that many lives were lost in the fight for democracy.

“But in the end, we are here on this democratic journey, thanks to the doggedness and unity of Nigerians.

“Many are wondering if indeed the democracy which many fought and died for was truly worth it. I dare to say it was and will always be worth it.

There have been arguments and counterarguments on whether or not we are better off with democracy. I dare to say that we are better off having civilian rule.

He noted that, with democracy comes freedom to choose and the fundamental human rights we so much cherish, adding, “Our democracy is still growing, which shows its imperfections.

As a nation, our democratic process is still evolving, and every election cycle gives us the opportunity to further fine-tune our democracy and electoral process.

“There have been concerns about whether our democracy has actually delivered dividends. It definitely has. There are numerous developmental projects that are traceable to this democratic journey.

We no longer have laws that exist by military fiat; at the very least, we have our elected representatives debate them as bills.

“The more we get involved, the more we can get our lawmakers to push bills that would better our lives. Better road networks, rail systems, and a functional telecommunications sector are all dividends that we can point to. We have a long journey to go, but we have covered some ground already.”

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