Razaq Bamidele
A rights group and pro-democracy organisation, Campaign for Dignity in Governance (CDG), has commended a former Governor of Lagos State and current Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, for his constant enlightenment of the populace on the workings of the federal government and roles of the citizenry in democratic settings.
Dropping the commendations on Monday in Lagos at an interactive session with the media, the group’s Convener and National President, Comrade Razaq Olokoba while reviewing a paper delivered by the Minister, in which he blamed ignorance on the part of the opposition and the electorate for the unnecessary frictions with the government in power.
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The Minister insinuated that ignorance of the role of opposition in a democratic dispensation always leads to unnecessary heating up of the polity through uninformed criticism.
Olokoba was reacting to a keynote address delivered by Fashola as Guest Speaker at the Niche 2022 annual lecture last Thursday, September 8, 2022 at the MUSON Centre, Onikan Lagos State, Nigeria.
Fashola spoke on the theme; “2023 and future of Nigeria’s democracy,” where he alluded to the fact that, democracy and election are processes towards the welfare of the citizenry, regretting however that, no sooner the election is over than the next preoccupation of the masses especially the opposition would be about the next election!
“This is the context in which I present my thoughts about the 2023 General Elections and Nigeria’s democracy. You can see that rather than focus on what was going to happen to our lives as a result of the new mandate, now clearly won and lost as determined by the Election Tribunal, some were already thinking about the next election!,” Fashola pointed out rather lamentably.
He wondered why the hypes about the next election even just before the new dispensation settles down for work becomes the order of the day, pointing out that, “such detracts from the real question which in my view should be: how can democracy, especially the 2023 elections, make our lives better and our country greater?”
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Olokoba thought that Fashola appears to be thinking that, rather than people ruminating on people’s welfare because democracy is all about the popular participation in choosing a leader or set of leaders who would be ready to serve them satisfactorily.
The CDG boss pointed out where Fashola spelt out the role of the opposition as well as the electorate when he asserted that the masses as well as the opposition have role to play in the electoral and democratic process to make governance all inclusive and beneficial to the people thus, “Truth be told, elections are only a part of the democratic process; and this requires not only the successful party to play their role in the formation and running of government, but the opposition as watchdog, and government in waiting, has an equally important role to play in enriching the process. Governance in power is not easy, and I daresay opposition is even more hard work.”
Fashola, therefore, raised a poser, “Let us ask ourselves when last an opposition party prepared and detailed an alternative budget to that of the party in government. We (only) hear criticisms of what the party in Government is not doing or getting right; but when I ask, can you recall an opposition party offering a credible and alternative solution to what the party in Government has done wrong?”
Against this background, Olokoba interpreted the minister’s position to mean that, in democracy, criticism is normal but should be constructive and come with solution to what they are criticising the government for, asserting that, through that system of constructive criticism, the government would be guided aright while the people would also benefit immensely from such beneficial guidance.
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The renowned right activist also expressed agreement with the Minister on the role of the electorate, some of who cast their vote for immediate gratification saying such people would not have the moral right to ask for or complain of bad governance because whoever does that has sold his birth right and his future for a pot of portage.
To buttress this assertion, Olokoba quoted the minister extensively:
“Put conversely, what really is it that we expect from those we elect and what do they promise to do before we vote, and what have they done for us? Did we vote for, or did we collect tricycles, sewing machines, generators etc. from them? If we did, can we legitimately expect that the budget from which these things were procured will also provide healthcare, drugs and diagnostic equipment in our health facilities?
“If they have sponsored weddings for our families, financed the burial of our dear departed ones or paid school fees for a whole community, do we understand that these things or some of them are funded by the budget from which we also expect good schools, good roads and other public infrastructure and services upon which our prosperity depends collectively?”
In conclusion, Comrade Razaq Olokoba now came to realize that, “it was unnecessary detraction that Fashola abhors that makes him concentrate on his job even with all the pressure put on him to contest for President before and during the party primaries recently preparatory towards the 2023 general election.”
He, therefore, urged the people to understand and appreciate the workaholic minister and give him the required support for him to coast home successfully.
