Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has argued that Nigeria’s democracy will continue to struggle unless justice, equity and fairness become central to governance.
Speaking at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi, Diri also called for stronger fiscal federalism and greater respect for the rule of law.
He cited the Niger Delta as an example of what he described as longstanding imbalance in the distribution of the benefits from natural resources.
Diri said communities that have produced oil for decades still lack development comparable with the value of resources extracted from their areas.
He questioned a revenue allocation system in which oil producing states receive funds through the same central arrangement as states with significantly larger numbers of local government areas.
The governor also linked resource exploitation to security challenges in other parts of the country.
He said Nigeria needed to correct structural imbalances if democracy was to provide a stronger sense of belonging for citizens.
Diri praised the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation for sustaining dialogue on democracy and governance.
He maintained that greater federalism, fairness in resource management and stronger institutions would help build a more stable democratic system.
