2021 Democracy Day: YAN Ogun State Assembly Preaches Peace, Good Governance

The Youth Assembly of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter has called for peace and good governace in order to sustain and maintain democracy.

Ogun State Chapter of YAN stated this in a press release signed by the Acting Speaker Rt. Hon Oluwafemi Osinubi and Director of Media and Publicity, Ikechukwu John Uformadu. The press release reads thus:

“Greetings to the Gentlemen of the Press, The Honorable Ambassador Ogun YAN, Distinguished Stakeholders and Representative in the government parastatals, Our National Leaders of Youth Assembly of Nigeria, Coordinators from all the 20 local government and LCDAs of Ogun State”.

“YAN is an organization fully represented in all 36 states and Fct Abuja with all their principal officers and coordinators from all the local government and ward level respectively, we are a big family in Nigeria that operates a parliamentary system and breed useful youths for leadership”.

“Today is another historical day, a day that cannot be forgotten in the chronicles of our dear nation, Nigeria; a day Nigeria experienced what she could term a free and fair election, a day when votes and voters mattered. A day Nigerians beyond personal aggrandizement elected their own representative. Alas! The rest is history.”

“After 28 years of the annulment by Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) of the freest and fairest elections in the history of Nigeria and Africa that laid the foundational stone of a real democracy wherein posthumously the duo of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, GCFR alongside Chief Gani Fawehinmi, GCON, while Babagana Kingibe was honoured with GCON being the surviving heirs of MKO Abiola”.

“His Excellency, Chief MKO Abiola; The Newly announced confirement of the highest presidential honour and retroactivatedly inaugurated as immediate Former President, Federal Republic of Nigeria 1993, with utmost emphatic appreciation to the incumbent APC/Buhari led federal government, who finds it undoubtedly worthy to reinstate in death Chief MKO’s mandates as the true Winner on 6th of June, 2018 bearly 6 days to June 12 (Masses Democracy Day) — and 28 years after coincidentally by another like Former Military Head of State now turned Civilian President, Muhammodu Buhari, what an irony of life, but unfortunately the date yearly is more retarded and tainted with the various successive administrations, leaving behind a chattered broken glass of democracy and historic valued importance of this date: for June 12 has long been murdered on the alter of mediocrity, ineptitude and impunity, hopefully resurrected into light of hope.”

“It must be noted with full gladness that no matter how many times lies may swayed through in life, one day truth shall become insurmountable crescendo over darkness, and that is what Nigerians are witnessing today.”

“We see this fruition of the long awaited expectation of a new dawn in Nigeria, for this day did not come so easy, it is a date full of intriguing episodes viz; wanton killings, corruption fields, unbroken feasts of unbearable pains and agony.”

“Indeed, Nigeria is passing through a perilous time in her last 61 years of existence. Nobody, not even the ‘seers’ that flood the space with prophecies, ever imagined the nation will deteriorate to this stage where animals are valued more than humans; at least animals are killed with good reasons unlike humans nowadays. Only Chinua Achebe foresaw it a bit in his Things Fall Apart. The novelist bewailed when the country was a heaven compared to the present agonising predicaments”.

“It began from Boko Haram insurgency to abduction, banditry, ceaseless killings and destruction of public facilities. Nobody is safe, not even the poor or school children. Everybody is trapped: civilians and security personnel are gunned down daily as in Nollywood and Hollywood movies. This is the outcome of prolonged system failure. We must commend the security architecture, our force men at the battle front and other security operative sacrificing their lives on the alter of peace, however, government must act speedily as a matter of urgency to forestall this catastrophe.”

“Nonetheless, some group of people are energetically beating drums for the C-in-C to be ejected out of office or willfully bequeath power and his seat for the interest of Nigerians. The revolutionary crusaders and sectionalists must take heed in their approach as any attempt may be termed treasony/ felony. Democracy has its procedures, and does not entertain toppling, except nonviolent protests.”

“The acceptable means of changing a democratically elected government remains election and impeachment. Any violent attempt before its term elapses is treasonable felony. Emphatically, only the Parliament, in our case the National Assembly, exercising sovereignty for the people, is the statutory body empowered to remove an elected president, vice president, governors and their deputies from office. And this is strictly through stipulated procedures, and exclusively at plenaries, not on the streets. The procedures are detailed in Sections 143 and 144 of the 1999 Constitution, Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Any person or group plotting to pulldown a government by self-help is in grave error as far as democracy is concerned.”

“The golden truth must be told. Destruction of public assets, endless killings, kidnapping and other social disorders can only worsen the dented-image of the nation and scare foreign investors from the country, a country that yearly produces thousands of graduates is the loser! No foreign investor will push its funds to a society that suffers instability and is threatened by criminal activities— banditry, kidnapping, human slaughtering, disruption of social spaces and mass media etcetera.”

“Thus, the most productive revolution to strategize about is to elect a credible successor in 2023. Anarchy will worsen the existing predicaments. This is the reason the 2023 elections call for sober reflections.”

“As the nation celebrates the 2021 Democracy Day, the Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN), Ogun State has called on Nigerians to use the day to reflect on their roles in Peace Building and Good Governance for Sustainable Development in our nation.”

“We have made this clear in our message of felicitation with Nigerian especially with the good people of Ogun State that recent happenings around the country demand sober reflection to reawaken the conscienceness of citizens to their collective brotherhood and the need for consolidated peace in the interest of national development and this could not have come at a better time to renew our commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and imbibing values that promote democracy such as patriotism, discipline, tolerance and social justice.”

“We also want to appeal to public servants, who are “the engine room of government and the oil of good governance”, to contribute their quota toward quality service delivery as a hallmark of democracy as no government policy, however laudable, can succeed without the impetus of the public service, hence, see your daily service as inputs for the good governance of our country.”

“We also implored all citizens, both public and private, to lead the charge for sustainable development in their various fields of operation, economies of nations are built by their citizens, under the guidance of their governments.”

“While wishing the government and people of Nigeria a peaceful and memorable Democracy Day celebration, YAN looked forward to great advancements in the nation’s development.”