Nothing remarkable about June 12 to celebrate  – Ahiakwo 

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By Akpan David, Calabar

In the assessment of a public issues analyst, Justice Osai Ahiakwo, there is no remarkable need to celebrate every 12 June as a national annual event. 

In a statement in Calabar,  Ahiakwo, a lawyer, said the intendment was ordinarily to declare public holiday essentially to honor the heroes who fought for democracy.

“Unfortunately, democracy is dismantled”, he said.

In his observation, governance in the country presently does not call for a national holiday to celebrate democracy day as there was none to celebrate. 

“Setting aside a day to observe Democracy Day in Nigeria remains  illusive, mendacious, and capricious; merely serving as a reminder of the era of imperialism.

The analyst expressed worry that since Nigeria became a sovereign nation  on October 1st, 1960, the act of governance has never been this frightening as it is with this government.  

According to him, there has never been anything comparable to these prevailing situations of excruciating pains, hardship, high level of insecurity, inflation, starvation, criminality, and increase in uncertainties.

Ahiakwo maintained that Nigeria is “plagued into a leprosy state of hopelessness, suffering from severe symptoms of economic discoloration and numbness, and the people now have reduced sensations resulting in weight loss.” 

Ahiakwo alleged that the executive arm of government led by President Bola Tinubu has succeeded in clipping the powers and functions of the other arms of government, Judiciary and legislature. 

According to him, within its two years of administration, Tinubu’s  administration continually exercises  so many powers to clip the wings of the other arms of government from performing their constitutional duties. 

“In today’s Nigeria, we see the desecration of democratic principles and institutions, leaving people in doubt whether we are truly people governed by the rule of law. 

“The people no longer determine for themselves the rightful leaders imminently qualified to occupy public positions and entrust them with the managerial power to appropriate the common wealth of the nation,” he said.