JUNE 12: OUR DEMOCRACY WAS PAID FOR
I thank the Almighty that I had the historic duty to sponsor the bill in 2018 in the National Assembly which led to the passage of the Bill for an Act to amend the Public Holidays Act wherein the Schedule to the Act was amended by deleting 29th May and replacing it with June 12
With that singular amendment, May 29 which was declared a Public holiday to celebrate Democracy is no longer a public holiday but June, 12 of every year beginning from 2020. It is to the eternal credit of the 8th National Assembly, that the Bill which was initiated in the House of Representatives with my humble self as the lead Sponsor was expeditiously passed and which the Senate concurred with. Thereafter, President Buhari assented to the Bill which made it a Law bonding on the whole Country.
Sometime in the future, God sparing my life, I may provide highlights of the pros and cons of the debate in the House. Suffice it to say that the case for a separate day to celebrate Democracy had to be made to justify it being different from Independence Day. There were other issues such as the proliferation of holidays to honour individuals.
Most former colonies set aside one day to celebrate independence. Nigeria celebrates
Independence on October 1. Independence and Democracy are different. A
Country can be independent without being Democratic.
Democracy is a system which a people use to govern themselves. It is different from totalitarian systems such as military or monarchic rule. Usually in a Democracy, leaders are elected for fixed terms and there are Freedoms such as Expression, movement, Religion, liberty etc. which the people have a Right to. The most acceptable definition of Democracy was given by the 16th President of the USA, Abraham Lincoln at an address in 1863 during the Civil war at Gettysburg. Because of its significance for even this day, I have taken the liberty to cite at some length part of the speech.
...’ It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us- that from these Honoured dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and that Government of the people by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth ...’
The Global average for holidays is 11 days, in Nigeria, 13 days are observed as public holidays, South Africa has 12 for the year 2020, while Iran has the highest number of public holidays in the world with 27 paid public holidays.
In South Africa, for the year 2020, 1st January which was New Year ’s Day, 21st March was celebrated as Human Rights day to commemorate the Sharpeville massacre, 16 June is youths day to commemorate the Soweto protest against the killing of 700 youths, 24th September is Heritage day to celebrate their cultural heritage.
In the USA there are about ten Annual national holidays including January 21st to celebrate
Martin Luther king, February 17th to celebrate their 1st President, George Washington’s birthday, May 25 to celebrate memorial day, July 4th to celebrate their independence, October 12 to celebrate Christopher Columbus and November 11 to celebrate veterans.
In many Countries there are peaceful sometimes even violent struggles to establish Democracy
In Nigeria, the struggle for Democracy climaxed with the June 12 1993 election which
Chief MKO Abiola won but which the Military regime of General Babangida annulled. This led to series of pro Democracy struggles which even led to the death of so many including Pa Rewane, Bagauda Kalto, Mrs Kudirat Abiola and ultimately MKO Abiola himself .June 12 became a watershed in Nigeria’s history as the election marked the first time Nigerians voted irrespective of religious and regional differences by voting for MKO Abiola / Kingibe a Muslim/ Muslim ticket. Abiola defeated Bashir Tofa in his home state Kano. MKO was a business tycoon who sacrificed his wealth to fight to claim the mandate Nigerians gave him. He died in July, 1998 under the detention ordered by General Abacha.
The struggle for a return to Democracy was epitomized by Abiola. The nation went to the brink as a result of the suppression of the pro Democracy struggles by the Juntas of Babangida and Abacha. The struggles had many martyrs .The stability of the 4th Republic owes much to the determination by Nigerians to protect democracy. The Democracy we enjoy today owes much to those Martyrs. It is therefore fitting that the hero of June 12, MKO Abiola has been honoured by the declaration of the day as a public holiday.
It is debatable if Governments have lived up to the expectations of Nigerians. It is not yet uhuru. Nigerians are not free as we are been killed by Terrorists and state security agents Whereas Americans are freely demonstrating against the excesses of the Police, the FCT authorities are erecting a fence around the Unity Fountain the Centre of peaceful protest in Abuja. Fundamental Rights which citizens of other Counties take for granted are seen as privileges or even favors extended by the Govt. May I conclude by paraphrasing the popular saying that ‘eternal vigilance is the price of freedom’.
Happy Democracy day.
Edward G Pwajok, SAN, LB, KSGG
great
ReplyDelete