ELEVEN YEARS OF DEMOCRACY: Success or Failure?

Day in, day out, a wise man says that a year is just akin to a day. It is now eleven years since the return of civilian and democratic rule or government in Nigeria and simultaneously the incumbent president, Goodluck Jonatan, is now in his third week in office after stepping into the shoes of the former president Late Umaru Musa ‘Yar’adua who died some weeks back, after spending about three years steering the mantle of leadership in Nigeria as its number one citizen from 2007 to 5th May 2010.



It is now desirable for Nigerians, especially those at the grass roots level, to look back and cogitate over this period of decade of democratic rule in Nigeria on what dividend or developments do they achieve or experience. Though they have since expressed their dismay over the catastrophic conditions they had found themselves during the eight years of draconian rule of Mr. Obasanjo.Those conditions/situations of unemployment, high cost of living, melting down industries and factories, e.t.c during those eight years of Obasanjo were some of the reasons that necessitated Nigerians to come out during the 2007 General elections (in order) to bring changes and thereby find a lasting panacea to their worries.



Few Nigerians expect that there could be a meaningful change on the ground of the mannerism of leadership of late Yar’adua at the inception or assumption of office by trying to legitimatize his government to the Nigerians in particular and the whole world in general. This is clearly because he is fully aware that the election that brought him into office was characterized by an unprecedented election malpractices in the history of Nigeria . Respect for the rule of law, independence of the judiciary, unity government, zero-tolerance to corruption, and the like, are some of the reasons why some Nigerians welcomed the late Yar’adua’s government. He (Yar’adua) actually delivered the goods with respect to the independence of the judiciary. This is corroborated from the fact that he remained mute when the election Tribunals and Courts were busy nullifying the elections of P.D.P candidates at the various level of government on the ground of electoral malpractices. Late Yar’adua has, without any iota of doubt, shown a sense of maturity in that respect which was not obtained in the Obasanjo’s era.



The recognition of the autonomy of the judiciary and that of the other branches of government by the Yar’adua’s administration had crucially changed the minds of many Nigerians from expecting to the hoping that a new messiah has come to save Nigeria and Nigerians from the shackles of squalor and poverty which they found themselves in during the Obasanjo’s era.

If we look at the power sector during Obasanjo’s regime, many committees were constituted to address the issue but with little to show. Billions of Naira have been spent fruitlessly. The present administration has also constituted the committees some years back for the same purpose but with little or no success at all. Many problems are still deeply rooted in the country ranging from lack of potable water, defective health system, educational degradation, lack of security and agricultural backwardness, to mention but a few.



It is very unfortunate that despite the vast natural resources that God in his infinite mercy endow Nigeria with, the resources are mismanaged by a very few and the masses are left in squalor and poverty. The national cake is being looted and squandered by few out of Whims and Fancies to the detriment of the majority. In some instances the money is spend not in the right way as in the case where dogs were transported into the country at the price of 2 millions naira. What a madness!



Jonathan should as a matter of urgent, address these issues once and for all to avoid further escalation of the problem, Especially the internal problem surrounding his party (PDP) so as to ensure a credible election come 2011 becouse we need to have a credible, free and fair election not selection. the election that will be accepted by all Nigerians and international observers, so that at the end, he (jonathan) will be trusted more, and also earn reputation both at home and abroad.



Now the question is what is the benefit derivable from the Nigerian democracy, is it a dividend or a loss? Infact there is nothing tangible to show which Nigerians can be said to have been benefited in the fast eleven years of democratic rule. Indeed the poor remain poorer and the reach remain reacher by day. This is therefore a challenge to the Jonathan’s government to do something concrete before the remaining year elapse and it then become too late to cry.