Nigeria’s Democracy Only For Elite – Prof Egwu – Independent Newspaper Nigeria
LOKOJA – Professor of Political Economy and Development Studies and Resident Electoral Commissioner for Benue state, Professor Sam Egwu, has disclosed that the liberal democracy as practised by the country cannot serve the welfare and the wellbeing of the people.
He added that it was conceived to settle political and elite class who take over power through the ballot as dictated by the Bretton Wood promoters.
Prof Egwu, who is a made the startling revelations at the Federal University Lokoja, Faculty of Social Sciences’ Maiden National conference with the theme” Governance and Socio Economic Challenges: Implications on Citizens Welfare in Nigeria” held at the Main Campus Felele on Tuesday in Lokoja.
He noted that the nation wrongly chose liberal democracy with its trappings of emasculating the people from its policies and programmes as the government is often being dictated by their backers from the Bretton woods institutions who ensured that the market forces determine the existence of the people.
He noted that the government as being constituted is all about elite bargain for power and immediately it is gotten , the people would be obliterated from the schemes and to return at election year with carrots seeking for the people’s votes.
According to the Erudite Professor, the modern Democracies that practices Social Democracy have intents and purposes for the over all good of the people who never negate the responsibility of the state to the vagaries of forces of demand and supply.
He added that liberal democracy has taken the state away from the people and development, and replace her with market forces, saying in the past the Government was involved in the economic development of the people.
Egwu hinted that in 1970s there was National Development plan of which the government was involved in running of corporations and large businesses, but these were to be substituted with National Rolling plans which systematically took away the people and replace it with market forces, that has made the country the poverty headquarters of world.
He bemoaned the worsening conditions of living of Nigerians which has made life a beast of burden as majority struggles for daily survival as against survival for the future.
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He stated that contrary to Chapter 2 of the Nigeria Constitution which pointed out the primary aim of government is the welfare and security of the citizenry, even as the leadership has surreptitiously rejected the constitution with anti people policies.
He decried that the entrench attitude of the Bretton woods to foist their stooges in power in some developing countries and would not hesitate to remove them when deviated from their policies
He urged the citizens to demand accountability, transparency and good governance from their leaders and to develop thick skin and resilience to vote against those does not work for the people.
He advised the political class and elites to come together and relinquish their hold on the political and economic neck of the nature and chart a cause for national growth, to avoid catastrophe waiting to happen.
In a remark, the vice Chancellor of FUL, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi described the conference as historic as it is coming at a time that Nigeria is facing life threatening challenges.
He urge the participants to discuss and proffer solutions to poverty, economic instability, insecurity and others that have made the Nation a caricature in the comity of Nations.
Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Emmanuel Bala, averred that at a critical time like this social science Scholars are often called upon to Marshall political and economic thoughts that will engender sustainable growth and development and charge them to painstakingly debate and offer solutions to the national challenges
In a welcome address the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Salisu Musa said, as social scientists, they are imbued with theoretical tools , analytical framework and empirical insights necessary to examine governance structures and socio economic policies critically, hence, the outcome of the conference would help policy makers to understand realities on the ground and design interventions that truly benefits the people.
He charge the participants to come up with workable outcomes that will interrogate governance systems in Nigeria.
Participants were drawn from Faculties of Social Sciences across Nigerian Universities, with professor Salifu Usman Ogbo, Rector, Kogi state Polytechnic Lokoja and others graced the occasion .