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| Dogara with member of Save Democracy Africa Group, led by Sen. Jonathan Zwingina (2nd left) when the paid him a courtesy call in his office |
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara has stressed the need for Nigeria to key into democratic changes taking place across the world in a way that better serves her citizens, secure their liberties, provides the needed protection and secures prosperity.
Speaking when he received a delegation from Save Democracy Africa Group, led by Sen. Jonathan Zwingina, in his office, he said Nigeria must join in the experiment aimed at bettering the practice of democracy in order to deepen and protect it.
The Speaker also accepted the invitation by the Save Democracy Africa to formally chair its third political summit, which will take place in Abuja later in the year.
Hon Dogara also noted that whoever initiates change, dominates in any field, whether in science and technology, agriculture or any field of human endeavour and the reason why Nigeria doesn’t dominate and has always been dominated is because “we have not been able to initiate change.”
Hon Dogara said, “Even if certain principles of democracy were normal before, in this age of new normal, you have people questioning it. We live in an age where a man and a man want to get married, without even looking at consequences on a child that grows with them for 25 years, or 20 years.
“So, in other words, this is an age of experimentation. We want to experiment with everything, even democracy, people are experimenting with democracy and the ultimate evidence is the rise of the far right in Europe.
“Even the home of presidential democracy in the world is not normal anymore, it won’t be charitable for me to run commentary on what is going on in a friendly country but the truth is that we know that even democracy is taking a knock.
“The challenge we face in this era of new normal is how we initiate these changes, take control of these changes in a way that better serves our needs for a government that secures our liberties first, give us the needed protection and then secures prosperity.
“Democracy is just an idea that must be defended and when you lose those that will defend democracy, before long, democracy will become a casualty and that is the work you do, and even if you are not appreciated, promoting democracy is a work that we all must do.”
Dogara commended the group for the non-partisan work they are doing to preserve the entire democratic experience and preventing democracy from suffering grave dangers.
Similarly, Senator Zwingina had earlier commended the Speaker for his consistent advocacy for enthronement of democracy, rule of law and human right in Nigeria.
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