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The Labour Party, LP, has called on President Bola Tinubu to make public offices unattractive to attract well-meaning leaders and promote the delivery of democratic dividends.
The LP National Deputy Chairman, Ayo Olorunfemi, made the call on Wednesday in Lagos.
Olurunfemi was reacting to Wednesday’s Presidential broadcast to mark the 25th anniversary of uninterrupted democratic governance in Nigeria.
He said that violence, hooliganism, killing and unhealthy competition marred elections because public offices remained unsustainably lucrative and attractive to politicians
“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,” Olorunfemi said.
He said that public office holders could be subjected to honorarium instead of salary for democracy to work for the people.
