History does not indulge us. Whether we actively orchestrate it or not, history will be made. It is just as simple as today becoming yesterday. Another phenomenon that offers mankind no laxity is memory. Except for a medical ailment, human beings are conditioned to remember the past to a considerable extent. It is such that we are able to recognise our failings or appreciate our efforts. Hindsight is therefore an ability we ought to develop.

With the wave of independence sweeping across Africa between the late 1950s and early 1960s, Nigeria was also able to acquire her Independence from the British in October of 1960. Hopes were high; promises were held by a young country which appeared to have begun on the right footing with a democratic government in place at independence. Six years after that memorable October day, the First Republic was cut short by a military coup on January 15, 1966. And so it was, that the democratic hopes of a young nation were dashed just after a six year experiment.

Between then and now, the nation’s chequered history has witnessed three other attempts at the democratic experiment. The Second Republic was barely four years; 1979 – 1983. The Third Republic can be said to have died even before it was birthed; 1992 – 1993. These periods of political instability were not without attendant setbacks. Civil unrest, restiveness and social upheavals were hallmarks of those unenviable days. Economic growth and development was also inhibited, leading to mass poverty and lack of social amenities. At a time, we were even a pariah state.

But a dogged people that we are, we would again have a go at democracy in 1999 after the military yielded to the people’s fervent agitation for civil rule. An objective application of hindsight is one that should help us appreciate how far we have come as a nation since then. We have now witnessed 20 uninterrupted years of democratic governance. This is by no means a mean feat, given where we are coming from. In fact, recorded history shows that it took many leading democratic nations of the world today hundreds of years to attain their enviable status.

Today, all Nigerians must be proud of what we have achieved with democracy. If memory serves us well, we must appreciate the gains, modest as they seem, as product of resolve, tenacity and a commitment to ensure democracy and its ideals are entrenched in the country. While the moment calls for reflection and introspection, it is equally a celebratory one.

The intent here is not to suggest that we have reached the desired destination. But history and memory do not only serve negative purposes. They are equally pointers to positives. For a nation whose prior best lasted only six years, commemorating 20 continuous years of democratic governance is auspicious. It may be hard to see given that there is still a lot of ground to cover across many measures of development, yet we must realise like Nelson Mandela said that with the institution of democratic governance, “we have laid the foundation for a better life”; which we must now build upon.

We must therefore use this period to appreciate one another; we must appreciate the contributions of all stakeholders in the Nigerian project, irrespective of tongue, tribe and creed; and most importantly, we must use this period to appreciate sacrifices of compatriots, some of whom paid the supreme price, to herald the democracy we now enjoy. It is therefore commendable that the Federal Government decided to change the date for celebration of democracy to June 12, going forward. June 12 and the storied events around it will remain indelible in the annals of Nigeria’s history.

At this juncture, we must now remind ourselves of the great work that still lies ahead. Mahatma Gandhi opined that: “The future depends on what you do today.” We must remember that democratic governance is not an end in itself. Ideally, it should be a means to an end – that of a just, equitable society, where human rights are guaranteed and where the enabling environment is provided for all to use their God-given talent to attain their potential. This is just the beginning of the journey, but these first steps inspire hope that we will reach our goal.

We are commemorating 20 years of democracy now because of our collective efforts, sacrifices and commitment in the past. It is only instructive that if we remain united, focused and committed, if we continue to make those sacrifices, and if we all decide that we will only do that which is right for our nation, then slowly but surely we will build the Nigeria of our dreams.

LET US PRAY    

Dear God, we thank You for such a time as this. A time to appreciate one another and what we have been able to achieve as a united and committed people. While we are still far from our potential, we thank You for the modest gains achieved since our return to democracy. Our prayer is that You will help us to remain united, focused and positive so that we can collectively work towards attaining the desired future.