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Dr Hassan Saliu of the Department of Political Science, University of Ilorin has said that Nigerians need to get value for their investments in democracy for them to bond with their governments.
He made this known on Sunday while presenting a paper titled, ‘Towards Promoting a Robust Government-Citizens Relationship in Nigeria’ made at the Birthday Ceremony of Professor Usman Ugbo, Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja.
He noted that governments view citizens as enemies, not the greatest resource for development. as he argued that democracy’s disappointment in Nigeria stems from the growing gap between citizens and government.
His words, “The Federal Government’s situation is relatively better, but state administrations and Local Government Councils (LGCs) have alarming disconnections. This undermines democracy’s success, reliant on active citizen support.
“Our governments can reverse the schism in the land by rolling out policies and programmes that can make a huge impact in the lives of the citizens.Palliatives and cash transfers are not sustainable. Winning over people to the side of governments will require changing the psyche of Nigerians about government.
“People should appreciate the fact that the country belongs to all the citizens. As critical stakeholders, they should increase their participatory level in governance by being supportive of governments. Temporary setbacks should not make them to be aloof of the happenings in the country.
“Development can only be heralded when they bond with their various governments. What they do in their own corners add up to the efforts at transforming Nigeria. The goal of rapid development for the country is a shared responsibility of all Nigerians.
He noted that what people see over the years is a tendency to engage in propaganda in placating the people, adding that what needs to be done urgently is for governments to reconnect with their people.
“Most times because of the disjoint, the perspectives of government do not always resonate with the people. There is nothing inherently bad in borrowing ideas across the borders but most times the borrowed ideas do not find comfort with the people.
“I mean the necessary conversations around them are ignored. This, no doubt, alienates the citizens from their governments. This situation should not be allowed to continue. It must be arrested, if we are to attain the level of development we all desire
“It is my hope and prayer that our leaders will realize the necessity for galvanizing domestic support for the overall development of the country.”
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