Edo Is The Model State Of True Democracy In Nigeria, Says Shaibu

By Daniel Dafe, Abraka

Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has said that Edo has every reason to celebrate this year’s Democracy Day because the state is “the model state of true Democracy in Nigeria,” adding that “the reality of democracy was demonstrated in the last Governorship election as only the voice of the people prevailed.”

The Deputy Governor who made this declaration in his good will message to mark Democracy Day, added that “the recent landmark Supreme Court Judgement shows Democracy has been given its pride of place in Nigeria.”

While calling on everyone in the State to develop attitudinal change in their approach to governance, he declared that, “government must no longer be viewed as a reservoir for money. We must decolonize our minds from wrong perception of Government and demolish the miserable mindset which sees it as an administrative Structure that enhances corruption through illegal draining of Government resources.”

Adding: “We must begin to appreciate government as a system set up in order to raise edifices for economic and social stability where there will be no beggars among us and there will be availability of food for those who are hungry.”

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According to him, “despite the fact that Government revenues are subjected to sharp fluctuations, the Obaseki’s administration has remained committed to the welfare of the people.”

He also appealed to political leaders in the State to play politics with dignity, by avoiding unnecessary bickering in their desire to establish a common front for the benefits of the people, even as he maintained that debate plays a vital role in politics and democracy

“We must therefore, not mistake the debate which characterised Democracy as chaos, because only good governance can help to curb societal ills and it behooves on everyone in the State to join hands with the Government in getting the task accomplished,” he added.

He then cautioned those who are out to exploit the very privileges of Democracy in order to deflect the Government from its responsibilities to the people by creating problems of law and order, to be ready to defend the consequences of their actions.

“The people’s Democracy has come to stay and is at work in Edo State,” he averred.