June 12 Should Be Swearing-in Day For Any Elected President, Activists, Groups Tell FG

By Rafiu Agboola Osogbo

Members of Civil Societies Coalition and students from various institutions in Osun state joined other Nigerians to commemorate the 30th anniversary of June 12, 1993.

Recall that the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari had declared June 12 as Democracy Day in Nigeria and the it will be annually celebrated instead of May 29.

However, with the announcement of a public holiday by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu , schools, the state government secretariat as well as financial institutions were all shut to honour the day.

The groups on Monday embarked on a rally from Freedom park in Osogbo, the state capital, to Olaiya junction and later to Okefia and terminated the rally at the Aurora event center where democracy day lecture was held under the Chairmanship of Mr Ayo Alabi.

At the lecture was organized by Osun Civil Societies Coalition in conjunction with the state government, the June 12 celebrators chanted songs of victory and also called on the Federal Government to bring up policies that will abolish poverty in Nigeria.

Speaking on the theme: “Interrogating Citizens’ Participation in Democratic Processes and The Quest For Good Governance, the guest lecturer, Dr Olusegun Onakoya , from Department of Law , University of Ibadan described June 12 presidential election as the fairest election in the history of Nigeria.

Onakoya said despite the Muslim, Muslim ticket, people trooped out to vote for MKO Abiola and Kinjibe saying there were no division as it was during the last presidential election.

Also speaking, Dr Okuyemi Omotosho, a senior Lecturer, Federal Polytechnic, Ede , suggested that June 12 should be a swearing-in day for any elected President.

Omotosho also advocated a unicameral legislature saying that bicameral legislature is a waste of resources.

According to Omotosho, the removal of subsidy has brought more hardship on common Nigerians, charging President Tinubu to go after oil thieves and recover all the stolen money and use it to the develop the country.

One of the organisers of the Programme, Comrade Fatai Tijani said the civil society organisations will continue to fight for the eradication of poverty which was the mantra of late Chief MKO Abiola.

He urged the government and the people to continue to build new democratic ethics and system to strengthen the electoral process in the nation.

Speaking on the removal of subsidy, Tijani said president Bola Ahmed Tinubu should come up with palliative to cushion the effects of the subsidy Removal.

He however called for the prosecution of the arrested Governor of Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele and other Nigerians whom he said have siphoned the treasuries of the country.

“We want the government to do more by way of providing palliatives. You do not just remove fuel subsidy and the price of fuel raised from N180 to N500 and anybody thinks Nigerians are comfortable. We have seen stories about people in government and how they have been going around siphoning Nigerian masses money.

“The federal government should fix the abandoned four refineries in Kaduna , warri and Portharcout. How much has been spent on the refineries in the last 14 years. As a matter of fact, Nigerians haven’t seen the results of fuel subsidy removal.’

Meanwhile, the Governor of the state, Ademola Adeleke had canvassed the need for Nigerian governments to tackle economic hardship facing citizens if the nation’s democracy would grow.

The governor declared that resolving national economic challenges is a condition for strengthening democratic culture and enhancing productive participation of the citizenry.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, Adeleke posited that an economically satisfied citizenry is a strong insurance for thriving democracy and good governance.

He said, “A foundation we cannot leave out is the economic platform of the society practicing democracy. An hungry citizenry is likely to pose a serious threat to a credible electoral democratic process. Efforts to stabilise the economic life of the nation are also strong preconditions for an empowered citizenry. Addressing poverty and catering for citizens’ economic requirements will go a long way to enhance the potency of the population.”

Ends