By National Pivot Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has said that the current challenges facing the country, is similar to tha...
By National Pivot
Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has said that the
current challenges facing the country, is similar to that of 1993 where the
country managed to survive by a whisker.
He said the only reason Nigeria still exists is because of a
few leaders in the country who understood the challenge at the time, and worked
toward addressing them.
Kayode who made the statement in Ado Ekiti on Friday, at a
colloquium held in commemoration of the June 12 1993 Presidential election with
the theme “June12: Securing the Freedom of Democracy”, said Nigeria may not
survive this time, unless leaders found effective ways to address the issues of
agitators in the country.
The governor said there is hardly any doubt that there were
calculated plans by some external forces in collaboration with domestic
conspirators to dismember Nigeria and cause untold humanitarian crisis, but
added that only purposeful leadership can save the country from collapse.
Drawing lessons from the June 12, 1993 elections, he said:
"For me the most striking lessons is that unity of purpose, open
mindedness are needed for our country to escape the relentless efforts of some
elements to subvert our country’s corporate existence.
"The security challenges that confront us today is a
direct threat to the future of our country because of the disunity among
Nigeria elite on how to confront what is clearly a threat to their survival.
"Toxic mentoring that glorifies criminality, exacerbating
hatred and divide our people should be scrupulously avoided. Nigeria was at
such as a precipice in 1993 after the exit of Gen Gbadamosi Babangida but it
was at this moment that conscientious leaders came together under the National
Democratic Coalition and other various organisations to provide a national
direction and a pathway to democracy. The political class elite of the time
intentionally involved to curtail the rhetoric of internal issues and to avoid
distraction of subverting elements.
"That is why we must all come together both those who
are in government and those outside the government to challenge our leaders to
do the right things. Confront the issues that divide us, promote the issues
that unite us, ensure fairness, ensure equity, and ensure justice in our
polity. Even as we fight to end criminality, let us unite all forms of bigotry
in order to build a nation where peace and justice shall reign."
Meanwhile, Senator Femi Okurounmu, who was one of the
activists and political leaders to form the National Democratic Coalition
(NADECO), a movement meant to press for the revalidation of the June 12, 1993
presidential election, has said while they did fought for a Nigeria they
believe can work for all, it has however, become clear in view of the current
realities in the country, that their efforts were in vain.
Okurounmu who stated this in an exclusive interview with The
LEADERSHIP, said the reason for denying Abiola victory in 1993, is still the
very reason the country is presently in turmoil.
He said the North has always believed that power belongs to
them, but said it is time for the Southwest to fight for freedom, adding that
“those who will rather live in slavery than fight for their freedom are meant
to be slaves,”
He apologized for the inability of their movement to
achieving what he described as a 'Nigeria where everybody will have a sense of
belonging.'
He said, “I am sorry to admit that, because foremost among
what we agitated for is the Nigeria where everybody will have a sense of
belonging, a Nigeria which is not seen in particular as belonging to one ethnic
group to rule and others just to follow, because one of the reasons for the
annulment of Chief M. K. O. Abiola election was that the Fulani North believed
that Abiola did not come from that part of the country, to rule, to be the
president. They believed the president must come from the Fulani in the North.
“The issue of restructuring, we fought for it, we have not
got it. A Nigeria that will be equitable and just, we have not got it; a
Nigeria where everybody will have the right to occupy any office irrespective
of his ethnic group or religion, we have not got it. All these things, we have
not got. That is why I admit unfortunately that many of the things we fought
for, we have not achieved.”
Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who was also part of
the struggle (NADECO), also said, “I have never experienced such a dictatorship
like the one we had under General Sani Abacha,and all that we fought for or
achieved because the demonstration and opposition to the military junta in the
June 12 struggle has not yielded the desired results.
“The opposition to the military rule and annulment of June
12, 1993 election had come to nought, and the situation has been getting worse
particularly under this present administration.”
Like Okurounmu, Adebanjo also said their struggles for a
better Nigeria has been a failure.
“I can’t make reference to any met, but maybe I am blind to
see them. You can ask others who might have seen it,you can also ask those in
Aso Villa the expectations met. The struggle for June 12 was for a better
society. Do we have the better society now?The answer is No,” he said while
speaking on whether or not their struggle yielded any results.
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