Nigeria’s democracy in crisis – Bugaje

Northern Political Group under the aegis of Arewa Movement for Good Governance (AM2G) under the leadership of Dr Usman Bugaje has said Nigeria’s democracy is in crisis. According to him, the democracy is not delivering development to the people as expected. Bugaje, a former House of Representatives member, made the comment during a news briefing […]

Northern Political Group under the aegis of Arewa Movement for Good Governance (AM2G) under the leadership of Dr Usman Bugaje has said Nigeria’s democracy is in crisis.

According to him, the democracy is not delivering development to the people as expected.

Bugaje, a former House of Representatives member, made the comment during a news briefing in Kaduna on Thursday.

He was reacting to the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi over the National Assembly 3.7trn padding allegation.

Bugaje said Nigeria’s democracy is not creating hope on the horizon for the teaming youth who cannot even go to school and those that managed to cannot find jobs.

“It is very evident that our democracy is in crisis. Our democracy is not delivering development and with the kind of National Assembly that we have today we can see why. Our democracy is impoverishing the citizens, more citizens are falling below the poverty line and many are trapped into multi-dimensional poverty.

“Our democracy is not creating hope on the horizon for the teeming youth who cannot even go to school and those that managed cannot find jobs.

“Our democracy is losing its meaning, losing its value and losing its luster. Our democracy is stripping of our dignity, of our honor and of our humanity,” he said.

Bugaje further added that there is urgent need to restore the citizens confidence in democracy before they lose their senses.

He frowned at the nation’s budget process, saying budget padding and looting have been on for some time now.

“Some would say from the fourth assembly inaugurated in 1999, the amounts then was in hundreds of millions.”

He said years after, the looting grew geometrically into billions and with this assembly, it is now trillions, adding that this is why this country has refused to grow and develope.

He said national Assembly is an accomplice in the mass looting of the public treasury that has become the budget process while Nigerians are impoverished and marginalized as they struggle to survive with no hope for improvement.

He also tackled the Northern Senators’ Forum for not standing by their former Chairman, Ningi and Kawu Samaila,  the forum’s secretary.