US envoy hails Nigeria’s uninterrupted democracy
US envoy hails Nigeria’s uninterrupted democracy
The U.S. Consul General, Will Stevens, has lauded Nigeria’s growing democracy, saying the successful transitions from one democratically elected government to another from 1999 when the country returned to democracy is a legacy other neighbouring African countries should embrace.
Stevens also urged the Nigerian youths to be solution providers and take the lead in preserving the environment by supporting every effort aimed at tackling the challenge of waste management in the country.
The Consul General said this on Wednesday at the launch of the U.S. government-supported “Recycling Waste to Wealth Challenge,” an enterprise competition for students in vocational and technical colleges in Ogun State held at Youth Development Centre, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.
This project is supported through the International Visitors Leadership Program Alumni Impact Award won by U.S. government exchange alumnus, Ewajesu Fashina, currently working as the World Bank representative in the Ogun State Economic and Transformation Project
The programme had in attendance students from the technical colleges in Ogun State.
Stevens said “Obasanjo served two terms and left power, he set the precedent in Nigeria of you serve and then you step aside for your successor. Nigeria has enjoyed almost 25 years of presidential succession.
“President Buhari just did the same thing, he served his two terms and then he stepped aside. That is a big deal on democracy, peaceful transitions of power, that is a huge thing to be proud of, It does not happen very often. There are Presidents of neighbouring countries that have been there for a very very long time, 20, 30, 40 years, that leads to democratic instability, it leads to coups
“Nigeria is the fourth largest democracy in the world, you just had a successful presidential transition, and successful elections, this is something you should not take for granted. The idea that people can come into power, they can serve and then leave is really cool and should be commended.”
