Shaibu Harps on Sustenance of Democracy in Nigeria

By Besiru Enakhimion.

Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, has charged Nigerian students to work hard  for the sustenance of the nation's  democracy.

He gave the charge at  the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Summit, held at Imaguero College in Benin City.

The event hosted by the NANS Vice President (Inter-Campus Affairs), Comrade Vanessa Egbeahie, had business monguls, technocrats, politicians and other important personalities from all walks of life, in attendance .

The Deputy Governor,  who was one of the key-note speakers, urged the students to be hardworking, diligent, focused and determined in the pursuit of the growth and development of Nigeria.

Rt. Hon.Shaibu, a one time President of NANS, also recounted his journey into students unionism and his contributions to the emergence of democracy in Nigeria.

He narrated how he was tortured and detained in prison by the military for leading the NANS Zone C, "Abacha Must Go",rally .

"We fought the military because we wanted a government of the people, by the people and for the people. We wanted an ear-giving government; one that is   there  by the power of the people.

"We, young and vibrant activists back then,  didn't give the military  rest. Some of our colleagues didn't survive it, some of them died, some brutalized and some till today are on  wheelchairs.

"But the good thing is that their spirit was not killed. They are always interested in the Nigeria that will be an egalitarian country.

"I sustained injuries while under severe torture in one of my sojourns in  detention and it led to my being operated on for appendicitis.

"For you, I want you to know that the last election was a test case for the youths - whether they are conscious of their future - you all came out to vote, but you must not be weary regardless of what happened". He concluded.

The Deputy Governor also mentioned how he challenged President Olusegun Obasanjo, to recall  the 779 student unionists rusticated during the democratic struggle.

"In that same struggle, we got the President to suspend the financial autonomy that he was proposing for all federal institutions. In that same struggle, I got the President to approve the increase of corp members allowance then,  from #3,500 to #7,500.

"If we did not have the character to determine what we wanted, we would have chickened out. Maybe today, we won't have democracy. We were offered money to jettison our struggle, but for us, we were convinced that the struggle for democracy was better than selling our rights for a pot of porridge. We resisted, fought for democracy and today, democracy is here.

"The sustainability of this democracy is,however, determined by the rule of law which is very important for us. We should make sure that our personal sentiments do not influence our official conduct as public servants.

"Today, we have supermen as against strong institutions. When we have supermen, they work for themselves. When you have strong Institutions, it works for everybody. What we need to sustain democracy is to obey the rule of law, where the Inspector General of Police can work without being influenced; where a University Vice Chancellor will not be controlled by the President,/Governor; where the Local Government Chairman will not be controlled by the executive because there's an account joining the two tiers of government.

"Until and except this is addressed, Nigeria will not move forward". He opined.