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The labour union and civil rights activists, who spoke at a seminar on the June 12 annulment and the Democracy Day declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari, organised by Kaduna State Chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) held at the Arewa House, said: “We cannot be celebrating democracy and there is unemployment, poverty and deprivation in the country.”
In his address, civil rights activist, Alhaji Mahdi Shehu, attributed the misfortune bedevilling the country to serial lies and deceptive nature of Nigerians.
He said despite the current situation the country has found itself, Nigerians had pretentiously agreed that things are moving on as expected.
Also, Secretary of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Yusuf Nda Ibrahim, stated that the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day by the President “is deceptive because we cannot be celebrating democracy and Nigerians are in poverty, unemployment and also confronted with insecurity.”
“This should be a day of sober reflection instead of celebration,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Kaduna Chapter of NUJ, Yusuf Adamu, urged politicians to be committed to the tenets of democracy in the discharge of their services of governance for the nation.
According to him, only the genuine commitment to true democracy that can guarantee growth and development for Nigeria.
The NUJ Kaduna Chapter later awarded three distinguished personalities with awards.
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