Democracy Day: Despite Our Challenges as a Nation, We Are Making Steady Progress, Says Senator Adeola
Jonathan Eze
The senator representing Lagos West senatorial district, Senator Solomon Adeola, has called on Nigerians to continue their active participation in Nigerian democratic practice as this is the only way to nurture and strengthen all the institutions of the system of government.
In his goodwill message to mark the nation’s 18 years of unbroken democratic practice, Adeola noted that the nation has not done badly in running its democracy as well as creating strong democratic values and institutions that make it difficult for anyone to contemplate any rule aside democracy.
In a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday by his Media Adviser, Chief Kayode Odunaro, the Ogun State gubernatorial hopeful said: “Using myself as an example, I have been part of the democratic process for the last 14 years as a duly elected legislator, twice at the state legislature, once at the House of Representatives and now in the highest legislative body, the Senate.
“By all standards, I am not a novice in the business of legislature which is the heartbeat of any democratic system. In the same vein, at 18 years of unbroken democratic rule with Nigeria overcoming democratic challenges, and sometimes desperate economic situation, we can only continue to grow our democracy to greater heights like other advanced democracies.â€
The senator said in spite of the unique challenges that the nation had faced in democratic rule, including the demise of a sitting president, the need for the practice of true federalism and the need democratisation of economic dividends for the majority, “we can beat our chest that our democracy is a work in progress, and we have not done badly.â€
He said the seeming friction or disagreement between the executive arms and the legislature in a democracy is not an aberration, adding that what is important is that the two arms must work for national interest and not for selfish or individual institutional gain or ego.
“Above all, we must be grateful to God for seeing us this far as a nation coming from the background of a civil war and succession of military rule. We need to pray more for our leaders and the nation at this point in our history,†Adeola stated.
Try the new Yahoo Mail
Click here to Reply or Forward
