The biggest enemy of democracy is poverty, says Gowon

Yakubu Gowon, a former military head of state, says for the country to make progress, jobs must be created for the unemployed.

Gowon said this on Wednesday while speaking at an event organised by the house of justice in Kaduna.

The former head of state who was represented by Jerry Gana, a former minister of information, said the biggest enemy of democracy is poverty.

He said the creation of jobs is very imperative to the stability of the country.

According to him, no country can build a good society without principles or ideals.

“If we want our democracy to be durable and ensure a just an peaceful nation, we must generate jobs for the unemployment,” he said.

“The issue of politics without principles is becoming worrisome, where the highest bidder have takes whatever is on the table. That cannot be the way of politics.

“No nation can ever build a society where the consideration is not in terms of value, principles or ideals, but to share money.

“If we want to build a nation of justice and peace, it cannot be on the basis of the highest bidder. We must reject poverty. This rejection of poverty is legitimate. Millions of Nigerians are poor.

“The biggest enemy of democracy is poverty. When people are poor, when people are reduced to destitute, then a little money can change their minds. Therefore, the freedom of choice in a democracy is taken away by those who control the resources.”

Also speaking, Ben Murray-Bruce, senator representing Bayelsa east, said there is need for the country to be restructured.

“Nigeria is not working as a state. Our population is growing faster than our economy. It should be obvious by now that if we do not renegotiate Nigeria, if we do not restructure, we will keep reacting over one problem or the other,” he said

“How could we say a nation with the highest number of private jet owners, yet without its airline does not need restructuring?

“By restructuring, we will not have a situation where Lagos generates five percent of Nigeria’s value added tax, yet other states get the largest share of those revenues than Lagos state.

“This is even when those states banned the sale of the items from Lagos in their states.”