The sky was misty and cloudy; palpable fear hung over the firmament. The anxiety was not only domestic, concerned stakeholders across the world also watched with bated breath as series of events around the Nigerian general elections unfolded. But just like the scheme of a very captivating thriller, the plot came to an end; and, thankfully, it was a moment in the sun for Nigeria.

The haze blew away, the gathering storm abated and glorious skies appeared. Nigeria’s general elections ended on the bright, sunny side. The applause was resounding as the world celebrated Nigeria’s maturing democratic culture. We have conducted general elections significantly devoid of tension, strife, civil unrest and somewhat predicted disintegration of the country.

Perhaps the fears were justified. Our chequered history is one of sad narratives of political tension, conflict, and a sad period of civil war; as aftermaths of general elections gone wrong. It is unnecessary to remind ourselves of the exact details of those depressing junctures in our history. What is gratifying today is that we have concluded general elections emerging as a more peaceful, united and stronger country. Kudos must go to Nigerians across all divides for this pleasing outcome. And, if the morning shows the day, as it is sometimes believed, then we might have placed our country on the pedestal for renewed social development and economic growth, as ideal consequences of a growing democratic culture.

But prolonging our period of fame will not be at a wishful instance! Truth be told, glimmers of hope have always emanated from our country but we do not seem to have mustered enough efforts to keep the flame glowing. This land has produced a Nobel Laureate; Things Fall Apart is a Nigerian novel that has captivated a world audience; sporting greats have dazzled and mesmerised global spectators in their green-white-green vests; and, only recently, Nigeria attained status of the biggest economy on the African continent. Still, we are more famous for the potential we harbour than for concrete and remarkable achievements in human and societal development.

Translating our potential into real and tangible growth to the benefit of the mass of our people requires a conscious effort to look beyond immediate gains. We need to see the big picture and define a vision for the future. The success of the recently held general elections is worthy of celebration but we must quickly realise that election process is not an end in itself. Democracy should not also be for its own sake alone.

Elections are meant to produce leaders across tiers of government that will manage societal affairs for a period of time for the well-being of the generality of the people. They also chart the course of social, infrastructural and wide-ranging economic development for the society. The citizenry provides a support base for leadership by encouraging peace and stability through unity, conviviality and respect for the laws of the land. In a very encouraging fashion we have demonstrated that when the leadership class and the citizenry work together with unity of purpose, positive results can be achieved like we have done with the successful outcome of the last general elections. This is perhaps why the 40th American President, late Ronald Reagan, encouraged: ‘There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect’

Indeed, the Nigerian nation has demonstrated ability to achieve great and positive results with the successful and peaceful outcome of the last general elections. As we celebrate our National Democracy Day amidst the inauguration of new governments at the centre and at state levels, we must see this as an opportunity to renew our commitment to working for the greatness of our country. And the ruling class must righty lead the charge. The leadership class must demonstrate the presence of mind and discipline we need to achieve our goals. This would only be possible through a sober, meticulous and focused attention to details and ruthlessly efficient execution of specific development programmes.

It is clear to all that development of the agriculture sector is the first step towards diversifying our national revenue base. We must reinforce the significant progress we have made in the agriculture sector with definite policies to guarantee self-sustenance, food security and export opportunities for agricultural produce. The importance of this for job creation is also obvious. Secondly, because an informed mind is a positive mind, we need to reform our educational sector, as the pivot of human development, through curriculum re-engineering towards a more functional, practical education that can prepare our youth for today’s needs. Regular power supply is key to growth of SMEs and we must continue to invest in the power sector for increased generation and distribution capacities. Finally, we need to address dilapidating infrastructure by refurbishing existing ones and building new ones to open up new channels for movement of human and material resources for increased economic activities.

Clearly, the task before us is onerous but with the right attitude, cooperation and efforts, we can achieve the goals we have set for ourselves.

We at the Honeywell Group wish all Nigerians happy Democracy Day celebrations.

LET US PRAY

Dear God, we thank You for the successful conduct of the recent general elections. We thank You for the relative peace and stability in the country. As we begin a new phase in our nation’s political history and development, we ask that You endow our leaders, with knowledge, wisdom, humility and understanding to be true servant leaders so they may find profound solutions to our immediate problems and determine long term measures for our country’s overall development.