NIG 52: Atiku Pleads With Nigerians

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar

 As the date of Nigeria’s 52nd Independence anniversary draws closer, former Vice President  and stalwart of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerians to avoid obsession with the past,  as it is capable of making them lose hope in both the present and future.

Atiku was speaking in a goodwill message to Nigerians to mark the nation’s 52nd Independence Anniversary released by his media office in Abuja,  and remarked that a sense of nostalgia was leading Nigerians to give up about the present and the future.

 

He said it was understandable for people to be impatient for change because of their harsh experiences, as regards Nigeria’s democratic journey in the past 13 years.

 

The Turaki Adamawa, however, noted that the democratic process takes some time to get rooted and in the process mistakes were bound to occur.

 

According to him, the beauty of democracy lies in the power to replace leaders who have failed to deliver the goods.

 

Furthermore, Atiku maintained that good governance and sincerity were essential factors in sustaining people’s faith in the system. He said democracy is a covenant between the leaders and the people and once the elected officials deviate, democracy itself will be affected.

 

Atiku identified large-scale corruption as the biggest obstacle to making the lives of the people better and that leaders must demonstrate courage and political will to terminate this national cancer.

 

He advised elected leaders at all levels to see power as public trust rather than as a means of self-enrichment and suppressing perceived opponents.

 

Source: CitizenPlatform