AFRICA/NIGERIA - Bishop Kukah: "The democratization of development leads to the development of democracy"

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - "Democracy is a progressive development. Democracy gives one the opportunity to prove one's failures and gives one a greater chance to correct past mistakes," said Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of Sokoto in his speech at the conference to celebrate the 60th birthday of Emeka Ihedioha, former governor of Imo State, held in Abuja on March 24.
"The American constitution was first written in mind to protect the white property," Bishop Kukah explained, but over time, amendments were made that extended civil rights to the entire population.
Bishop Kukah further emphasized that Africans have inherited a system "that is not ours, but we can’t say it’s not relevant to us."
In this context, the Bishop of Sokoto asked whether there are "differences between democracy in Asia and that of Africa." The answer, he argued, lies in how well the democratic system succeeds in meeting the development needs of the population. "The democratization of development leads to the development of democracy," Bishop Kukah emphasized. "That is if you decide to equitably democratize development, and not take every institution, university, medical school whatever to your village and if all the roads are done". A practice often used by African leaders who favor their home regions at the expense of others. The Bishop emphasized that "if we do not have a mechanism by which we are measuring our growth, our chase for a democratic society becomes an empty chase."
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on the other hand, emphasized in his speech that "democracy in Africa has failed because it is not African." According to the former President, the democratic model imported from the West is in crisis because it is inconsistent with African values, culture, and ways of life. In this context, Obasanjo emphasized the need for an Africa-centric democratic system that truly benefits the people and not just a privileged elite: "Democracy is meant to be a system of government that delivers to all the people, not just a select few. But what do we have today? A government by a small number of people, for a small number of people, while the majority are deprived of their needs." (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 26/3/2025)

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