Winston Churchill once said that: “democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried.” His cynicism was perhaps justified after the British people voted him out from his position as Prime Minister within months of winning the Second World War.
Whether it is the worst form of government or not, there is little doubt that the alternatives are worse. Suppressing people’s views through dictatorship or tyranny means the rule of a narrow minority over the rest. Imposing stability through fear is not the best way to provide the security, prosperity and growth that will make people’s lives better.
True stability means giving people a voice in the way they are governed, to back the individuals and the policies that they deem capable of making their lives better; and to remove governments that fail to deliver. That connection between the people and their government is pivotal, especially at difficult times.
Such difficult time is where we are as a people in Osun State. It is the time to either seek consolidation and categorical progress or tune in to Jmaboree and the publicist form of governance that plays more premium on flamboyant projects that enrich the purse of a few and have resemblance of the common good or build a legacy of prudency and decency in project execution.
Democracy is not only about elections: it is also about creating and encouraging the building blocks of an open and fair society: the rule of law, protection of minorities, strong political parties, liberty, a free media, a strong role for civil society and action against corruption.
Building these democratic institutions takes time. Countries like the United Kingdom have been doing it for hundreds of years. England went through a vicious civil war 350 years ago which culminated in Parliament executing the King. France went through a bloody revolution over 200 years ago and also ended up guillotining the monarch.
These are not necessarily great examples for other countries to follow! Definitely not Nigeria or Osun State in particular but they illustrate the fact that democracy, if viewed as development takes time.
It is a process not an event. There will inevitably be bumps along the road. And it will mean continually adjusting to new demands for better ways to deliver governments that can govern effectively. This is the need of Osun State at this moment having been plunged into unnecessary flaunting of wealth that does not exist and building a system that benefits a few at the expence of all.
