Former president Olusegun Obasanjo says that a democracy that promotes poverty, insecurity as against the popular opinion need to be discarded. Obasanjo stated this today in Oyo state when he attended the commissioning of a 34.8km road in oyo-iseyin route. The former president was fuming over the pervasive hunger and poverty that has swept the land with the incoming of president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu after the subsequent removal of fuel subsidy that have set the populace in hunger and confusion.
He insisted that democracy that nature’s poverty, unemployment and insecurity should be trashed as it only connotes backwardness as against democratic values of empowering the people.
Recently during an interview with TheCable, the former president said Nigeria needs to rethink its democracy as what is currently obtainable in the country is different from what democracy used to be.
He opined that the liberal type of democracy that is being practiced in the West would not work for the country like Nigeria or Africa being a third-world country.
Obasanjo said, “Democracy that nurtures a lack of peace and security must be thrown overboard. Democracy dividends must involve peace, security, stability, prosperity, wealth creation, employment and the wholesomeness of the society,” Obasanjo said.
“Democracy that nurtures poverty is abortion. Democracy that nurtures unemployment is a failure.”
The former Nigerian leader called on political leaders to embrace democracy that promotes prosperity, poverty eradication, employment and adequate security for the good of Nigeria.
“That’s when democracy would continue to survive and people will feel that yes, democracy is a worthwhile system of government that must be embraced,” he added.
Meanwhile, he commended the governor of Oyo for the rehabilitation, reconstruction and construction of roads linking the five zones in the state.
He said such projects would fast-track socio-economic development across the zones
Obasanjo called on the locals in the state to support the government of the day to enjoy the dividend of democracy.
In his reaction, Governor Makinde said the reconstruction of the Oyo-Iseyin road and other ongoing projects were in line with his administration’s vision to connect all the five zones in the state and mitigate rural-urban migration.
Makinde promised to complete all the ongoing road projects in the state and will also rehabilitate more.
The contract was awarded to Kopek construction company in year 2021 at the cost of N8.4billion.
