Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has said that even the worst democracy in Africa is better than the best military regime.
Speaking as a guest speaker at the 59th birthday celebration of Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, on Tuesday at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Yola, Osinbajo said democracy offered citizens freedoms that military regimes could not provide.
“No matter how bad a democratically elected government is, it is still far better than the best military regime.
“Democracy offers even the poorest citizens the opportunity to exercise their freedoms, form lawful associations, and demand accountability and transparency in government. No other system of government is better than democracy,” he said.
Osinbajo advised the Nigerian judiciary to be people-centred rather than institution-centred, stressing that the rights of ordinary citizens must be protected.
“When the foundations of institutions are weak, democracy will also be weak, because those institutions are the foundation of democracy,” he said.
He added that government policies should be people-centred to encourage citizens to support government programmes and accelerate development.
On corruption, Osinbajo said common sense should guide the fight against the menace, adding that the government should engage citizens on policies designed to provide social protection.
“During my tenure as Vice-President and Chairman of the Economic Team, we budgeted N500bn for social protection programmes such as school feeding and soft loans for small businesses, and the scheme was wonderfully executed with positive results,” he said.
He stressed that people at the grassroots must feel the positive impact of government policies for an administration to earn acceptance among lower-income groups.
Osinbajo commended Fintiri, describing him as one of the best-performing governors in infrastructure development in recent times. He also said the governor had restored peace in the state.
He said the creation of new chiefdoms in Adamawa was not only a means of strengthening peace but also of bringing government closer to rural communities.
Also speaking at the occasion, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas commended Fintiri for transforming Yola into a modern state capital and improving its infrastructure.
Kefas said Fintiri stood out nationally for receiving infrastructure awards from two different Federal Government administrations.
Fintiri and his wife, Lami, who also celebrated her 50th birthday on Tuesday, thanked those who honoured their invitation to celebrate with the family.
Lami Fintiri was born on October 27, 1976, while the governor was born on October 27, 1967.
Dignitaries at the event included Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, among others.