As Nigeria marks 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, lawmakers in the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, expressed divergent opinions on the state of affairs in the country, with some of them, stating that the system of government has yielded much result for the nation.
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over a brief plenary, yielded the floor to his colleagues to share their thoughts on the democratic journey thus far, while the lawmakers were awaiting the arrival of President Bola Tinubu.
In his contribution, a former Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, said democracy had over the years impacted positively on Nigerians.
According to him, democracy is gradually taking its roots in every facet of “our national life,” arguing that some of the rights and privileges enjoyed today resulted from a thriving democracy.
“We are benefiting and the country is benefitting. In the past, some few persons would sit in a small room and call themselves supreme military council and decide for us what millions are supposed to take decision on.
“But today, that is over. I commend our forefathers who worked to ensure democracy is entrenched in this country. It wasn’t got easily. That is why I believe that June 12 is important to us,” Wase said.
Also speaking, a lawmaker from Kano State, Alhassan Doguwa, said democracy had come to stay in Nigeria and called on the Federal Government to prioritise local government autonomy to make governance count at the grassroots level.
However, the lawmaker representing Kosofe Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Kafilat Ogbara, expressed dismay that despite the 25 years in different democratic dispensations, women had not got a fair share of the deal. She said democracy had not substantially benefitted women.
She added that in both elective and appointive positions, women had been marginalised and continued to be marginalised.
“We want a situation where the electoral body will reject single gender list for the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is undemocratic,” she said.
The lawmaker called for political party reform to increase the representation of women in party politics and elective offices.
Also joining the discourse, Lilian Orogbu, a member of the Labour Party representing Awka North/ Awka South Constituency of Anambra State, declared that there was nothing to show for democracy in Nigeria despite the return to the model of government in 1999.
Orogbu, a professor of Business Administration, said Nigerians had not enjoyed good governance 25 years after the return of democracy.
“We are celebrating 25 years of unbroken democratic system. This celebration is coming to me with so many mixed feelings because Nigerians are all watching us.
“Those people we are representing are listening to us. How much of this unbroken democracy that we are celebrating today has translated to unbroken food security? How has it transformed into unbroken security in the nation? How has it transformed into unbroken security in the nation? How has it transformed into unbroken access to education and healthcare?
“Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. And it should change the lives of our people. Our people are hungry back home. To be honest with you Mr speaker, there is nothing to celebrate. We should be celebrating food security and access to healthcare,” she said.
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over plenary, however, stopped Orogbu, asking, “Oh, you are saying we should not celebrate democracy? Democracy is what is protecting you. Democracy has given you that place where you are standing to represent the people.”
Responding, Orogbu said though democracy brought her to the National Assembly, it had not benefitted her constituents.
“We need to do better because democracy has not impacted my people,” she insisted.
