The Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Rafsanjani, says President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to provide Nigerians with the gains of democracy.
Speaking on the occasion of the June 12 Democracy Day in Nigeria, Rafsanjani insisted that Buhari has failed in his fundamental campaign promises to Nigerians.
The Nigerian leader had vowed, ahead of the 2015 presidential election, to tackle insecurity, corruption and economic challenges.
However, since the former military ruler assumed office as president in May 2015, insecurity has intensified and spread, affecting virtually all parts of Africa’s most populous nation.
According to Rafsanjani, insecurity has curtailed the freedom of movement across Nigeria, while the Nigerian leader has not done enough to combat the endemic corruption in the public service.
‘If anybody will do an honest assessment on the performance of democracy in the last seven years, he would look out for the commitment made by the government vis-a-vis what it promised to do regarding the key areas of concern, which include security, economy and the fight against corruption’, The Punch quoted Rafsanjani as saying.
‘Speaking on the economy, companies have closed down due to the failure of infrastructure, especially electricity, inability to get raw materials and the problematic exchange rate’.
In his 2022 Democracy Day message to Nigerians, Buhari said his government was working ‘hard’ to contain and address these challenges.
‘I know many of us are concerned with the rise in insecurity due to terrorist activities in parts of the country. As a government, we are working hard to contain and address these challenges. And ensure that the 2023 general elections are safe and secure for all Nigerians’, the Nigerian leader said.
‘To achieve this, however, we must all contribute. It is not the job of government alone. I ask all citizens to support and cooperate with our security agencies by reporting any suspicious characters and activities to law enforcement agencies.
‘We can only have a safe country if we are able to prevent crime not after the crime has been committed’.
He also said that his government had reformed some of the country’s security structures.
‘Our cyber security and surveillance systems are being upgraded to further enhance our ability to track and trace criminal elements. We are also recruiting and training new personnel across all our security and intelligence agencies to strengthen the country’s overall security’, he said.
Photo source: Paul Kagame
