President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today again spoke in defence of the decision to remove subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol.
The president bared his mind during the Democracy Day National Broadcast on June 12, 2023.
He restated that the decision taken by his predecessor-in-office to remove fuel subsidy was to free up much-needed resources which had hitherto been pocketed by a few rich for the collective use of all.
Tinubu, who admitted that the decision would impose extra burden on the masses, urged citizens to bear it to save the country from going under and “take resources away from the stranglehold of a few unpatriotic elements.”
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He assured citizens that their sacrifice shall not be in vain, stressing that his government would repay them “through massive investment in transportation infrastructure, education, regular power supply, healthcare and other public utilities that will improve the quality of lives.”
Tinubu said, “It is for this reason that, in my inauguration address on May 29, I gave effect to the decision taken by my predecessor-in-office to remove the fuel subsidy albatross and free up for collective use the much-needed resources, which had hitherto been pocketed by a few rich.
“I admit that the decision will impose extra burden on the masses of our people. I feel your pain. This is one decision we must bear to save our country from going under and take our resources away from the stranglehold of a few unpatriotic elements.
“Painfully, I have asked you, my compatriots, to sacrifice a little more for the survival of our country. For your trust and belief in us, I assure you that your sacrifice shall not be in vain.
“The government I lead will repay you through massive investment in transportation infrastructure, education, regular power supply, healthcare and other public utilities that will improve the quality of lives.
“The democracy MKO Abiola died for is one that promotes the welfare of the people over the personal interests of the ruling class and one where the governed can find personal fulfilment and happiness. That is the hope MKO Abiola ignited throughout our country in 1993.”
On his part and that of his administration, Tinubu renewed commitment to fulfilling every component of his electoral pact with the people, particularly the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda.
“We shall be faithful to truth. Faithful to equity and faithful to justice. We shall exercise our authority and mandate to govern with fairness, respect for the rule of law, and commitment to always uphold the dignity of all our people,” he added.
The president paid glowing tributes to Abiola and others like retired Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua who participated in the struggle to de-annul the June 12 election.
He said, “We can easily recall the sacrifice and martyrdom of Chief MKO Abiola, the custodian of the sacred mandate that was so cruelly annulled. He sacrificed his life in unyielding, patriotic defense of the ideals of democracy as symbolised in his choice, by his fellow countrymen and women, as their duly-elected president.
“There was an easier choice for him. It was to forgo the justice of his cause and opt for the path of ease and capitulation in the face of the tyranny of power. To his eternal credit and immortal glory, Abiola said no. He demonstrated the time-tested eternal truth that there are certain ideals and principles that are far more valuable than life itself.
“Every day, on this day, down the ages we will recall the several other heroes of democracy such as Kudirat Abiola, wife of Chief Abiola, who was brutally murdered while in the trenches fighting on the side of the people. We remember Pa Alfred Rewane, one of the heroes of our independence struggle and Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (retired) who were silenced by the military junta while in pursuit of democracy. They gave their yesterday for the liberty that is ours today.
“The point is that we must never take this democracy for granted. We must forever jealously guard and protect it like a precious jewel. For, a people can never truly appreciate the freedoms and rights democracy guarantees them until they lose it.”
Tinubu, who advised politicians on the need to accept the outcomes of elections, said “The unnecessary illegal orders used to truncate or abridge democracy will no longer be tolerated.”
The president said: “True, rancorous debates, interminable wrangling, ceaseless quarrels, bitter electoral contestations may be perceived by some as unattractive features of democracy but they also testify to its merit and value.
He said, “This year, we held the seventh in the cycle of elections that have become sacred rituals of our democratic practice in this dispensation since 1999.
“That the polls were intensely contested is in itself positive evidence that democracy is well and alive in our land. It is only natural that even as those who won and experienced victory in the various elections are elated and fulfilled, those who lost are disenchanted and disappointed.
“But the beauty of democracy is that those who win today can lose tomorrow and those who lose today will have an opportunity to compete and win in the next round of elections.
“Those who cannot endure and accept the pain of defeat in elections do not deserve the joy of victory when it is their turn to triumph. Above all, those who disagree with the outcome of the elections are taking full advantage of the constitutional provisions to seek redress in court and that is one of the reasons why democracy is still the best form of government invented by man.”
He added, “For Chief MKO Abiola, the symbol of this day, in whose memory June 12 became a national holiday, democracy is eternal.
“It is about rule of law and vibrant judiciary that can be trusted to deliver justice and strengthen institutions. It has become imperative to state here that the unnecessary illegal orders used to truncate or abridge democracy will no longer be tolerated.
“The recent harmonization of the retirement age for judicial officers is meant to strengthen the rule of law, which is a critical pillar of democracy. The reform has just started.”
Use gains to deepen Nigeria’s democracy – IBB
Meanwhile, the former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), has tasked Nigerian leaders to explore the gains of June 12 toward deepening democracy in the country.
Babangida spoke in Minna with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Nigeria’s democracy and the journey so far. He said, “The gains of the June 12, 1993 presidential election have not been exploited by political leaders in succeeding elections in Nigeria.
“It was adjudged the freest and fairest election in Nigeria, yet politicians have blatantly ignored that beauty; the beauty of credible elections.
“Remember, it was an election Nigerians came out en mass to choose their leaders, irrespective of their cultural/traditional and religious affiliations,” he said.
The former president who spoke through his Media Aide, Kassim Afegbua, said that although Nigeria’s democracy had recorded some growth, there were still many grounds to be covered.
“There is thuggery in politics in Nigeria, too much litigation in Nigeria, too many issues that transparent elections ought to have addressed,” he said.
Babangida decried increasing voter apathy in Nigeria’s election, attributing it to insincerity by the leaders resulting in a lack of trust in the electorate.
Democracy still in bondage – Atiku
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, said democracy is still in bondage in Nigeria and called on all stakeholders to join hands and rescue it.
Atiku in his Democracy Day 2023 message to Nigerians said Democracy Day is a time to reflect as a people and a country on the journey to becoming a democratic society.
Atiku, in a message he personally signed, congratulated Nigerians on the return to civil rule, adding, “I also call our consciousness to the reality that democracy in Nigeria remains in bondage and it will need the energy of all of us to rescue it.”
“For Nigerians who were around during the dark days of military dictatorships, it is important that we appreciate the successes that we have achieved in making democracy the norm of politics in Nigeria.
“For our democracy to be fully fledged, it must constantly evolve away from the current practice where the governing elite determine the outcome of elections. Many times, when I take stock of the activism that birthed the current democratic dispensation, I am even more convinced that a lot of work still lies ahead.”
Let it inspire us to correct errors of February 25 – Obi
Whereas, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, urged Nigerians to let the spirit of June 12 inspire them to correct the errors of February 25, 2023, as the surest root to restoring and deepening Nigeria’s democracy.
Obi in a message to Nigerians said that the challenge of June 12 and a dedicated Democracy Day was to inspire citizens to correct the errors of this year’s recent elections.
“This is the surest way to restore the confidence of our people in the future of our nation and the promise of true democracy,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor described June 12 as a historic day that deserved to be celebrated, noting that on that day in 1993, the people of Nigeria stated their unreserved preference for true democracy.
He regretted that the current state of Nigeria’s politics tells a different story with the democracy being deeply troubled while the nation’s destiny remains uncertain and precarious. He regretted that Nigerians were in an era where foundational pillars of democracy were undermined by prevalent impunity and pervasive violence and bloodletting.
By Muideen Olaniyi, Abbas Jimoh & Baba Martins
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