From TCNEWS
A former commissioner for finance in Abia State, Chief Richard Harrison has said that mediocrity must begin to make way for merit, for an economic vibrant nation to be achieved, as Nigeria clocks 25 years of uninterrupted democracy.
In his goodwill message to Nigeria as it observes the year 2024 Democracy Day (June 12), which was made available to our correspondent through WhatsApp, Chief Harrison, who was also a former commissioner for Education, warned that the nation’s great potentials will remain unrealized, if the various arms and levels of government, religious and traditional institutions, the political class, civil society organizations, the various other stakeholders in the Nigerian Project, and the general public did not reach dip-deep within, for the spirit of patriotism and nationalism.
Pix: Chief Richard Harrison.
While appreciating the strides recorded by the leaderships of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, late President Musa Yar’adua, Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari and the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Harrison maintained that Nigerians must resolutely rise above the characterization of national values through prisms of ethnicity, religion, political party affiliation and petty cronyism.
Also while interacting with newsmen in Umuahia, Abia State, a public affairs analyst and a former secretary to Abia State government, Pastor Ralph Egbu, decried that Nigeria has not scored appreciable percentage in democratic development, which he observed is tending to the negative side.
Pix: Pastor Ralph Egbu.
Egbu who called for rational thinking, and sacrifices for the country to grow better, said that the expectations was by now Nigeria should be leading the black race in Africa.
Also in a release made available to our correspondent, a sociocultural organization known as Igbo Vanguard Group, IVG advised the Federal and State Governments to ensure due diligence and the application of basic democratic tenets as panacea for development and egalitarianism among the citizens.
The President of the Organization, Engr. Dr. James Nnadozie Uchegbuo, advised the leaderships to strive towards making the system of administration people-oriented, and make policies that are friendly to the citizens.
Pix: Engr. Dr.He pointed out that Nigeria possess the capacity and capability to overturn its misfortunes and place it on the pedestal of the fast-growing economies in the comity nation.