By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
A pan-African organisation, operating in Nigeria with it’s tentacles spread across other countries in the African sub-region, also under the aegis of Black Diamond African Beauty Restoration Foundation, is advocating for the entrenchment and promotion of democractic tenets in the body politik of Nigeria.
The organisation’s country director, Barr. Ayie Okpa, made the remarks Monday in Calabar, while answering questions from journalists in a telephone conversation to mark June 12, otherwise known as Democracy Day.
Tbe Country Director, who spoke in reaction to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s democracy day address, stressed that Black Diamond Africa, being pan-African in focus, with the goal of uniting Africa, will never relent in advocating for the entrenchment and promotion of democratic tenets in the body politik of Nigeria in order to eschew national peace and unity, which are anecdotes to national stability.
Okpa maintained that Nigeria, being the giant of Africa has archived so much feat being the third largest democracy in the world, that occupies special place in the contemplation of not only Black Diamond Africa, but also in African Union, as a launch pad for the much needed African unity, adding that the country cannot give in to the internal challenges currently bedeviling it central of which is threats against her democracy and her constitution.
Okpa stated that the security challenges obviously is an offshoot of the country’s faultlines, which he described as elements of the threat to democratic governance in Nigeria; stressing that it’s a fight against which leaders of the nation must galvanize the citizenry to fight through public enlightenment programmes and the conduct of governance itself.
He charged the nation’s leaders to be firm in meeting up with challenges, urging them to borrow a leaf from the United States of America, USA, who in the swift and thorough way it dealt with the attack on its democracy by insurrectionists likened to the attitude of the opponents of June 12 in Nigeria, who almost truncated inauguration of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Okpa advocated the use of the carrot and stick approach, which rewards good and patriotic behaviour, but punishes bad and subversive behaviour; stressing that the approach could be effective in arresting further threats to the country’s democracy.
According to him, to unite Africa, Nigeria must first firmly remain a strong and united state built, on strong democratic pillars and to this she must brook no compromise.
He said, “All hands must be on deck to fight these antagonists of June 12, for this is the only way we can make June 12 a lasting lesson for all.”
The legal luminary called on Nigerians not to lose their guard, but fight in defense of the country’s of the country’s democracy as apostles and sympathisers of June 12, 1993 tragedy, which according to him, are still much around willing to disrupt the democratic gains.
He added, “Lose not guard, antagonists of June 12 are very much around.”
In a release from the country director’s desk, made available to our correspondent in Calabar, Ayei stated that while Nigerians are celebrating the return of full fledged democracy, defeat of impunity and tyranny symbolizing the June 12 1993 struggle, Nigerians should be weary of proponents of June 12 debacle in their midst.
Okpa averred that recent events in the country regarding the aftermath of the February 2023 presidential election and the declaration of a winner by the Independent Natıonal Electoral Commission, INEC, shows that Nigerians are not really committed to actualization of democracy, chastising them.
Blaming them for paying lip service to the struggle for democracy, he stressed that it’s only when election favours their interest, and lampooned them for offering themselves as tools to truncate democracy whenever the result of an election is not in their favour.
The legal luminary called for attitudinal change, stressing that it was the only way to build an egalitarian society, where the nation can become a resting place for all.
He recalled the cloud of tension and uncertainty the country was needlessly thrown into by the call for interim government, even after the elections were successfully held and winners emerged, he said that the sad thing about the calls was that some came from high religious quarters that should know better, stating that no doubt the template appeared to be a conspiracy to truncate democracy and subvert the Nigerian constitution.
He enthused, “Among the lessons learned from the June 12 election annulment is the resolve to vote without regard to religion, tongue or tribe.
“The 2023 presidential election sought to bring back to play the fault lines already surpassed by June 12, as the voters were galvanised by certain centrifugal forces to vote on the basis of religion and tribe, with later calls by the same negative forces for outright cancellation of the February 25 2023 presidential election.”
The country director stressed that the development led to the setting up of an unconstitutional contraption called interim government, when the tide turned against them.
“This attitude is totally unbecoming as it almost set the nation ablaze but for the astute determination of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to stick strictly to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution,” Etta stated.
