Olalekan Adetayo, Olufemi Atoyebi, Mudiaga
Affe, Ihuoma Chiedozie, Etim Ekpimah,
Armstrong Bakam, Enyioha Opara, and
Gibson Achonu
President Muhammadu Buhari and state
governors have ruled out elaborate
celebrations to mark this year’s Democracy
Day and their one year in office.

Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that
this decision was not unconnected with the
current downturn in the nation’s economic
fortunes.

Before now, past administrations usually
marked May 29, Nigeria’s Democracy Day,
with fanfare. This year’s event is particularly
special as it is also doubling as the first
year in office of President Buhari and many
state governors.

But it was learnt that tomorrow’s event
would be without any fanfare.
Buhari was inaugurated on May 29, 2015 to
succeed former President Goodluck
Jonathan, having won the March 28, 2015
presidential election on the platform of the
All Progressives Congress.

Since the return of democracy on May 29,
1999 with the inauguration of former
President Olusegun Obasanjo, May 29 of
every year has been observed as the
nation’s Democracy Day.


One week-long activities are usually lined up
every year to commemorate the day.
One of our correspondents however learnt
on Thursday that such programmes would
not hold this year due to the economic crisis
facing the country.

President Buhari had recently explained the
shabby economic situation in the country at
the second National Executive meeting of the
All Progressives Congress in Abuja.
Buhari had said that the fall of oil price was
a disaster and as a result, 27 of the 36
states of the federation were finding it
difficult to pay salaries.

It was further learnt that to commemorate
the day, the President would only make a
nationwide anniversary broadcast on
Sunday.

The President is expected to use the
opportunity of the broadcast to list the
achievements of his administration in the
last one year and solicit further support from
Nigerians.

He had earlier promised to disclose the
amount so far recovered by his
administration from looters in the speech.
The second programme for the day, it was
further learnt, would be an
interdenominational anniversary church
service that is slated for the National
Ecumenical Centre, Abuja.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is expected to
lead top government officials and friends of
the nation to the service being organised by
the Office of the Secretary to the Government
of the Federation.

“It is a low-key celebration. The major item
on the agenda is the President’s broadcast
to the nation,” a Presidency source said.
The government had on Wednesday declared
Monday, May 30, a public holiday to
commemorate the Democracy Day, which
falls on Sunday.

Also, many governors have said there will
be no elaborate celebrations to mar their
one year in office.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the governors
shunned elaborate celebrations because of
the huge amount of money required to fund
the activities that might be lined up for the
anniversary.

It was learnt that logistics, which is key to
the celebrations, would likely gulp about 40
per cent of the money if the governors chose
to make the celebrations elaborate.

According to findings, the governors’
decision came as a result of the decline in
the federal allocations to the states following
the fall in the international price of crude oil.
The Special Adviser on Media and
Communication to the Bauchi State
Governor, Alhaji Yakubu Ibn Mohammed, told
one of our correspondents that the state
government would only do what is needful.
Mohammed said, “Anything showy and
extravagant will not be part of the one year
anniversary. Activities lined up for the
anniversary have been planned with the
dictates of the austere moment.”


Also, the Niger State Governor, Alhaji
Abubakar Sani Bello, said the state would
not engage in any elaborate celebration.
Bello, who spoke through his Senior Special
Assistant on Media, Mr. Jide Orintunsin,
said, “We are all aware of the economic
hardship the country is facing; we have to
be mindful of that before we do anything.”
According to him, anything that will not yield
positive result to the people of the state will
be avoided.


Imo State, which used to celebrate
Democracy Day with fanfare when the
economy was stable, had said that it would
not pop champagne or any other wine like it
used to.


The state Commissioner for Information,
Youth and Sports, Chidi Ibe, told one of our
correspondents that the current economic
reality in the country had forced the state to
opt for a low-key celebration.


He said, “When the economy used to be
stable, we celebrated Democracy Day with a
lot of money and fanfare. We decorated
everywhere, placed adverts on the pages of
the newspapers. It was either that the state
government congratulated the President or
the ministries felicitated with the governor.
“But this time around, it won’t be like that.
All the fanfare associated with the
celebration in the past cannot take place this
time around.”


Cross River was among the states which got
the lowest allocation from the Federal
Government in the last two months. Its
Internally Generated Revenue is about
N500m per month.


Because of the paucity of fund, the state has
decided to organise a town hall meeting to
answer people’s questions, instead of
throwing a big party to mark Governor Ben
Ayade’s first year in office.


The Special Assistant to the Governor on
Media, Mr. Christian Ita, said rather than
throwing a big party, Governor Ayade had
concluded plans to have a “city hall
meeting” to answer questions from the
public.


He said, “No real celebration. For us, the
employment that we have been able to
create is worth more than any celebration.
There will only be a city hall meeting where
members of the public will interact with the
governor.”
For the Oyo State Government, this is the
time for reflection.


Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s Special Adviser
on Media and Communication, Mr. Yomi
Layinka, told one of our correspondents in
Ibadan on Friday that there was no basis for
elaborate celebration because of the financial
status of the state.


Layinka said, “We have several reasons to
celebrate, but it will be low-key. The
governor will hold meeting with stakeholders
on the journey so far and the challenges
facing the state while also rallying support
for his government.


“We are all aware of the financial situation in
the state and the general economy of the
nation. This is the time for reflection, instead
of elaborate celebration.”


Meanwhile, the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi
Ugwuanyi, and his Akwa Ibom State
counterpart, Udom Emmanuel, were specific
on how to mark their first one year in office.
The two governors said they planned to
mark the anniversary with thanksgivings in
the church. The Chief Press Secretary to the
Enugu State Governor, Mr. Uwakwe Abugu,
told one of our correspondents that the
thanksgiving would hold at the Michael
Okpara Square, after which the governor
would address the people.


The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for
Information and Communications, Mr.
Aniekan Umana, said whether thanksgiving
would be loud or low-key was insignificant
as praises to God could not be quantified.

www,punchng.com/economic-crisis-buhari-govs-rule-elaborate-anniversary/

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Useless govt, they should have gone ahead dancing...when Nigerians are living in untold hardship amidst this unfavourable economic climate.

Pfft... Zombies will still come nd talk shit now by saying he'd frugal... Mtcheewww

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As if there is anyfin to celebrate

The book haram menace wey be the only thing em for use boast duck am up this week. He achieved nothing so far

When all we achieved in 365 days was blaming GEJ administration for your shortfalls.

Now na ND Avengers and Fulani Herdsmen we go blame for non-achievement

It should be a day of mourning. We have really suffered under APC

Nigerians have entered one chance "fayose's voice"