The Labour Party (LP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to make public service undesirable in order to attract well-meaning leaders and enhance the delivery of democratic dividends.
Ayo Olorunfemi, the LP’s National Deputy Chairman, made the appeal on Wednesday in Lagos.
Olurunfemi was reacting to Wednesday’s presidential broadcast commemorating Nigeria’s 25th year of unbroken democratic rule.
He stated that violence, hooliganism, death, and unhealthy competitiveness characterised elections because public posts remained unsustainable and appealing to politicians.
According to Olorunfemi:
“The kind of huge resources we use to run our democracy cannot allow ordinary Nigerians to benefit from the system, hence the reason our economy is always under pressure.
“The cost of democracy here has removed most of the gains of the system in Nigeria. We can see hardship everywhere in rural and urban areas.
“The idea of democracy is for the majority of the people to benefit from the government they installed by themselves, as against the few benefitting from the system now.
“The people must count, their views must hold sway, not only in elections ,but in policies
“If we truly want to develop as a democratic nation, we must have the right people in government and make political offices unattractive.
“This will pave way for only the serious- minded to get involved, not for money making but for real service to the people.”
He proposed that public office holders be paid an honorarium rather than a salary in order for democracy to function for the people.
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cc: Daily Post Ng
