Idris Ahmed, Lafia.
Nigerians have been urged to shun sychophancy and to always demand their rights from those they elected to govern them.
Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim (AIBRO), who contested House of Representatives election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) (Nasarawa/Toto) and now Consultant with the World Health Organisation (WHO) for Africa, said democracy in Nigeria has been confused with Colonial Mentality.
Alhaji Ibrahim, who made the appeal during the Democracy Day Celebration in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, said democracy in Nigeria today still smells of colonial and military mentalities .
He explained that elected officials seem to think they are doing a favor to the people when they do some of the expections of the people” The reality is that once you present yourself and get elected, you were preferred amongst others – that’s a privilege. You are paid premium salary, fed, housed and clothed with resources of the people in order to serve them with transparency and accountability.
“So, when you pay salaries, build roads, schools etc, you are doing your job for which the people should eventually ask you to provide your stewardship.
“When a governor for instance lists his achievements, let us evaluate them vis-a-vis our resources that have been put at his disposal and the development agenda outlined in his annual budgets or any other document of responsibility.”
The Consultant who is based in South Africa said democracy has been viewed to be synonymous with development because it is contemplated that the people will hold the elected representative to account, quoting Alexander Hamilton, ” the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government and to reform, alter, or totally change the same when their protection, safety, prosperity and happiness require it”.
He explained that democracy can only thrive and engender development when citizens are enlightened enough to make the right choice of servants and to question them over the resources entrusted unto them.
He adviced Nigerians to embrace the huge advantage access to communication mediums through which citizens have to put them into good use by questioning and pressurerising servants (leaders) for effective performance and accountability.
“Always support yourselves with concrete/verifiable information. Make use of the freedom of information act. Do not just remain within the social media, form community and civil society organizations to exert more pressure on our servants”, he admonished the people.
“We may decide not to care perhaps because you may not have paid painful tax which was eventually distributed as Federal allocation to the States and LGAs.
But think of the Pay As You Earn (P.A.Y.E) if you are a civil servant or the VAT you pay on a daily basis. Think/calculate your share from the oil revenue which is shared on a monthly basis. These resources are yours and should make you feel a responsibility to request for accountability in their usage.” He further counselled
He therefore urged the people to know that they have a responsibility not only to themselves, but to the future generation to build a better society.
