Beyond the ritual of churning out a statement to commemorate the day, the President's Address to the nation on Democracy Day (29th of May), as with every other remarkable day, is intended to serve as a mirror into the direction of the government in the period under review.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the Democracy Day address for this year was made by the Vice President, in acting capacity as the President, while President Buhari continues his INDEFINITE medical vacation in the UK (that is talk for another day).
Three issues stood out in Professor Osinbajo's address today, namely; Security, Corruption and the Economy. He continued by stating reasons why he and the rest of the government feel that some amount of progress is being made in these areas: the seeming conquer of the Book Haram sect; the prosecution of individuals alleged for corrupt practices; and several ongoing efforts to reverse the economic trend in Nigeria with initiatives as Economic Monitoring Team, Single Treasury Account, among others...
My submission is simple; we may not need an official address to let us know our current status as a nation, the living condition and hardship of ordinary Nigerians speak volumes already. While we must agree that governance is more of a journey than a destination, it is not gainsaying that Nigeria has been on this journey for way too long, and Nigerians seem to have become 'weary of travelling', but sadly the end may still be fat from sight.
I still believe in the Nigerian dream; I believe that little by little, tiny deeds of kindness and integrity in 180+ million places, will birth a Nigeria of our dreams. Hence, all hands must be on deck!
Happy Democratic Anniversary to Africa's Sleeping Giant!
