Nigerians React to Acting President Osinbajo's Democracy Day Speech

Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President (and currently Acting President) gave the Democracy Day speech on behalf an ailing President Buhari. The reaction from the public has been mixed judging by the comments of listeners and members of the public.

On the positive side, Human Rights lawyer, Mr Onyekach Ubani on Monday said that the Democracy Day speech was inspiring and hope-filled.

Ubani told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the speech clearly showed that there was a sense of purpose and direction in the nation’s polity. “But we want more actions than speeches,” he said.

“With all the message of hope in that speech, if this government is given that cooperation and they themselves can make some level of sacrifice, we will get to the promised land.

“I strongly believe that things will turn around for good in this country; it is only a matter of time.”

On the skeptical side, professor of Political Science, Sunny Akpotor urged the present government to spend the next two years using recovered public funds to provide infrastructure that would improve citizens’ standard of living.

Akpotor, who works with the Delta State University, Abraka, said that many people had yet to get the dividends of democracy.

”The democracy speech this morning is filled with more promises; all we are appealing is that the government should translate the talk to action by using recovered loot to improve infrastructure, agriculture and energy sector,” he said.

In his view, Mr Wale Ogunade, a human rights lawyer told NAN that President Buhari’s fight against corruption in the last two years had opened the eyes of Nigerians to the level of rot in the system.

He said that the President was poised to serve the nation, strengthen democracy and make life better for the citizens by implementing his campaign promises, but for his health challenges.

“This government met a lot of problems and it can not be easy to address the problems overnight or even in two years. That is why it seems like nothing is happening in terms of governance and other sectors of the economy.

“Government has been trying to lay foundations by putting a lot of reforms in place to address our many challenges and strengthen our democracy, but the president’s ill health has been a challenge.

“All we need to do as a people is to pray that God will grant our President good health. I believe strongly that when he is okay, things will turn around for good in this country,” Ogunade said in a hopeful note.

Another human rights lawyer, Mr Justice Uhuegbu, said that Nigeria’s democracy at 18 could do with some improvements.

Uhuegbu urged President Buhari to strengthen the nations’ democracy by ensuring adherence to the rule of law, infrastructure development, and an economic agenda that would impact on the people, especially regarding the security of lives and property.

“We can only move forward when security, improved infrastructure and economic policies that will make life meaningful for the people are in place.

“We need to also stop using positions to settle political ‘loyalism’ by putting the right people to drive our ministries, parastatals and agencies.

”When institutions are strengthened, things will function properly for the benefit of all,” Uhuegbu concluded.
 
-NAN