2022 Democracy Day: Akwa Ibom law maker says Nigeria has witnessed more progress during Democracy than military Regime.

Akaiso Akaiso, Uyo.

Since 1960 when Nigeria became a sovereign nation after gaining Independence from her colonial master, Britain, the military has stayed in power for about four decades.

The first republic where Alhaji Abubakar Tafewa Balawa was the prime minister while Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was the ceremonial President, torpedoed in 1966 in a military coup de’ tat led by Major Chukwuma Nzeokwu didn’t last long.

Because of incessant military interregnum democracy wasn’t fully entrenched in the political system of the country to allow for enough benefits to rub off on Nigerians.

Having come to test how luscious and rewarding power is, the military never wanted to leave the political scene at all, even though the military were not trained for leadership rule, but each time they struck they claimed they were coming as the Messiah to fight for the right of the masses which they eventually ended up deprived of basic human rights and development.

Under the four decades the military rule lasted inalienable rights of the common citizens of Nigeria were violated. So many were sent to the great beyond for no just cause while some were incarcerated unjustly.   On top of these abuses development dwindled both in area of human capital and infrastructure. In a committee of nations Nigeria was seen as a pariah state avoided by international organizations like the United Nations and several others space may not permit for listing.

While wandering alone in the wilderness of this political oblivion, Nigeria suffered so many humiliations. So many countries, both those that could have helped Nigeria and those Nigeria could help, isolated themselves and severed bilateral relationships and called on Nigeria to democratize.

As Nigeria continued to live in isolation politically economic development was equally waning to nadir to the extent that so many citizens could not afford square meals in a day, and to crown it all insecurity was at its peak with no solution at sight.

In 1999, Nigeria decided to come out of the wood by heeding to the call to democratize and stripped itself of the shame of being tagged a pariah nation. Former President, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo rtd, on the platform of PDP became the first major beneficiary. Since then for twenty three years democracy has come to stay in Nigeria without military interregnum. As preparation to celebrate 2022 democracy day has gathered final momentum, a Frontline law maker in Akwa Ibom house Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mfon Frank Idung agreed no less with those who are saying that the worst democracy is better than the best military rule.

The former Etim Ekpo local government area executive chairman said democracy as a political system puts food on the table more than any other system of governance.

,”Imagine an elected or appointed politician who appoints a PA. He is able to put food on the table of family of that PA and so on and so forth”, he said.

Nigeria has fared so well in the last 23 years of unbroken democracy, adding without democracy in Akwa Ibom state for instance we won’t have the massive road network and other infrastructure like Godswill Akpabio international stadium and Victor Attah international airport, to mention but a few.

Idung presently the representative of Ika/Etim Ekpo state constituency in Akwa Ibom house of Assembly, however, said even though it is so far so good, Nigeria nascent democracy needs more robust internal democracy at the party level for dividends of democracy to spread evenly.

As a way forward, he called for only credible politicians to voted to office and the power that be to fight insecurity to the hilt.