Worried by the harsh economic situation in the country, the 2023 governorship candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Ogun State, Amb. Olufemi Ajadi, has urged political leaders to cater for the welfare of their constituents, saying that “Nigerians deserve dividends of democracy”.
Speaking at the closing event of the 2023 Press Week of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, led by Adebayo Raji of Daily Independent, Ajadi lamented that Nigerian citizens have not been enjoying the deserved dividends of democracy from their leaders, who according to him are only concerned with their own personal gains at the expense of majority of Nigerians.
Wondering why the Federal Government would think that the solution to the effects of removal of fuel subsidy is sharing of money, Ajadi said the money should rather be channelled towards the growth and progress of the nation. According to him, the poorest of the poor to be given the palliatives could not in reality be identified, noting that the money would have been diverted into politicians’ accounts.
His words: “There is no transparency and clarity in activities of the government. For genuine transparency, let all names of beneficiaries from the palliatives be published in newspapers with their account numbers before the palliatives are distributed.
“Nigerians don’t expect money from the government. What they need is good governance, good road network, stable electricity. Let Nigerians enjoy dividends of democracy by giving them monthly allowance as citizens of Nigeria”, he said.
Noting that the nation could be better if things are put in the right perspective, Ajadi nevertheless urged journalists in the country to imbibe the practice of ethics of the profession, saying their efforts towards nation building cannot be overemphasized.
