Nigeria Democracy Day: Is it worth celebrating? An Open Letter to President Muhammadu Buhari

By Onyinyechi Ugwoke

As we celebrate this year’s Democracy Day, I wish to bring to your notice or rather remind you the state of the country in these difficult times.

In your first term in office, we were amazed at how diligently you fought corruption and embezzlement of public funds among past governments, political parties and politicians through the EFCC, and the huge funds that were recovered. It was what encouraged many Nigerians to vote you for a second term.

These past years have been rough, filled with trials and hardship – the poor economy and insecurity is a thorn in every Nigerian’s flesh. The Boko Haram insurgency in northern Nigeria, surging banditry violence in the north, incessant farmer-herder conflict in the middle belt and south is consuming us.

In northern Nigeria, activities of bandits in Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi, Niger, Zamfara and Katsina states have displaced over thousands of people with many fleeing to distant states, leaving their many assets behind.

Bandits execute killings, kidnappings for ransom, cattle rustling and sexual violence in communities already at the lower rungs of poverty and development. Between 2020 and 2021, there have been several reported cases of school abductions in northern Nigeria – students, children, youths, travellers and even the elderly forcibly snatched. Kidnappings by armed groups have become a criminal phenomenon, motivated by ransom money. Mass abduction of schoolchildren by bandits is regularity in northern Nigeria. Boko Haram previously conducted mass abductions of schoolchildren in Chibok, Borno state in 2014 and in Dapchi, Yobe state in 2018. Till date 112 students from the total Chibok girls that were abducted have not been released. As you know, the parents of the kidnapped students of Greenfield University, Kaduna students paid 150million naira and 10 motorcycles to release their wards. The criminals are still at large enjoying their largesse. 

Violence between Fulani herdsmen and farmers has continued for decades in Nigeria’s Middle Belt states of Taraba, Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Adamawa and is now ravaging southern and eastern states. Fulani bandits also ambush travellers on the southern roads for ransom, rape or ritual killing.

Nigeria is degenerating into a country where one chance robbery, armed robbery, highway and traffic robbery in broad daylight is commonplace, especially in Lagos.

Currently, naira is valued at N502/$1 and this has triggered inflation in the country. Prices of foods, goods and commodities have skyrocketed and petrol is not left out. The minimum wage for an average worker is N30, 000; lower than the cost of a bag of rice. How is the average Nigerian to survive if this continues? 

Many students are now school drop outs because of insecurity and scarce funds. The abduction of students has led local authorities to temporarily shut down some schools, limiting access to education for the affected population. In a bid to survive and preserve young lives education has become less of a priority. 

All we hear in the news is the banning of cryptocurrency, suspension of twitter, shooting of peaceful protesters, harassment and extortion by law officers, criminalizing ransom payments, bill to change the name of Nigeria to UAR, and others. Are we not facing more deadly problems as a people?

Mr. President, before we talk about a democracy worth celebrating, please fix our country first. 

Long Live Nigeria.

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