Dr.Ogbonna Onyeisi, mni, the author of ”Policy and Strategy for Patriotism, Institutions, and Economic Development in Nigeria has joined Nigerians to celebrate Democracy 2022.
In a democracy messag made available to the press, he called on Nigerians to use the celebration to reflect on challenges facing the country. In his view, most of these challenges are man-made, resulting from the neglect of the tenets of democracy by Nigerians elites, especially the political players who refused to be patriotic.
In his view. ”Patriotism strengthens democratic institutions and is the key enabler for national development.
Dr.Onyeisi who was recently a guest lecturer at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies,NIPSS to the participants of Senior Exexutive Course 44 on 31st May, 2022 reflected on his lecture where he reiterated that patriotism must be promoted in the all sphere of national life to drive national economic diversification, growth, and development, and most importantly, the national value system.
According to him, the democracy we are celebrating today signifiies many things to us as citizens and to our nation as a member of global community. The most important being that democracy is a form of governance that gives voices, rights, and responsibilities to every citizen. It is obvious, however, the manner of the application of those voices and rights and the assumption of responsibilities by the elites and citizens. Dr.Onyeisi argued that,” in every country of the world, the elites determine the directions of democracy, whether they will use democracy to improve the lives of their citizens or whether they will manipulate democracy to oppress their fellow citizens.”
Dr.Onyeisi called on Nigerians elites and citizens to maximize the benefits of democracy in this year celebration. This year celebration is significant because it will be last before the general elections coming up early next year. 2023 elections will be a determinants of Nigerna’s future. We must reject tribalism, we must reject religious fundamentalism, and we must reject politicians with questionable characers. Let us fulfill our civic responsibility, get our PVC, and vote on only those individuals that have capability and moral value that can transforms Nigeria as a modern democracy and better society.
