Democracy Day: Senator Nwite Foundation sets agenda for Tinubu, advocates national unity
By Emma Ogbuehi
Ahead the Monday, June 12 Democracy Day celebration, a non-governmental organisation, the Senator Polycarp Nwite Foundation for Democratic Accountability (SPNFDA), has observed that Nigeria would not make any realistic progress in her democratic journey, if the systemic failures that enable divisiveness, nepotism and avarice are allowed to continue without decisive action by the Nigerian leadership.
The foundation named after the late Third Republic Senator Polycarp Nwite, a democracy advocate and former Senior Presidential aide who, like President Tinubu was incarcerated by the military junta, during the June 12, 1993 political crisis, made these assertions in a statement in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State signed by its Executive Director, Michael Nwite, to mark Democracy Day.
It also congratulated President Bola Tinubu, on his emergence as the 16th president of the country, adding that as the Chief Celebrant of this year’s June 12 Democracy Day celebration, the President is reminded of the spirit of togetherness and oneness of purpose that brought Nigerians of different backgrounds and leanings together in the Pro-Democracy movement of the 90s which helped to actualise the present democratic dispensation.
“The unity of Nigeria, prosperity and welfare of its peoples is the single most important task of the President Tinubu government”, it stated.
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The June 12, 1993 presidential election, which was won by late MKO Abiola, but annulled by the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), was adjudged to be the most transparent election in the history of Nigeria. Since then, elections in Nigeria have been fraught with ethnic and religious tensions accompanied by increasing mistrust in our democratic institutions.
The statement read in parts: “Democracy in its purest form only exists to serve the best interest of the people, in an equitable, just, transparent and unifying manner, that enables trust and engenders patriotism and pride in nationhood; and belief in democratic practice and leadership.
“We are absolutely convinced and confident that President Tinubu, being one of the courageous fighters for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria, as the current man in the driving seat of Nigeria’s democratic leadership, is not only conversant with the democratic principles, norms and nuances, but is also willing and courageous enough to lead Nigeria to the future that would abhor divisiveness, fight nepotism, ethnic and religious bigotry, government indefference and insensitivity to the plight of the people and glaring injustice of unequal distribution of opportunities and common wealth of the nation.
“We are most glad, and I believe that our late father, Senator Nwite would’ve shared the same sentiments, were he to be alive, that President Tinubu, who he fondly called ‘Bola’, now has the opportunity to fix Nigeria for the good of the people, in a democratic setting, like they had dreamt about, both in the tranches and in detention camp at Alagbon Close, Lagos state, where they were next-door cell mates in the dark days of military dictatorship.
“Nigeria deserves a leader that will be bold and decisive in policy formulation, implementation and declarations that guarantee democratic dividends and accountability to the Nigerian people.
“As we remember and celebrate our Heroes of Democracy, both dead and alive, we urge President Tinubu to urgently take decisive steps to fight corruption, criminality and the intractable insecurity challenges across the nation, because we are of the opinion that no system of government, would make any meaningful progress in a situation characterised by multidimensional insecurity, fear and despondency, as we have in the nation at the moment.”
The Foundation implored the President to also take decisive action in education, health and electricity power generation/distribution to essentially curb unproductivity, youth unemployment, current mass migration to foreign lands, in search of better livelihood.
Senator Nwite, was Nigeria’s Ambassador to Botswana, a Senior Special Assistant to President Yar’Adua and also a frontline member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), a broad coalition of Nigerians, formed in May 1994 to fight for the enthronement of civil rule in Nigeria.