Orette blames Nigeria’s crises on collapse of civic consciousness, citizen participation in governance

Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) senatorial candidate in Delta South, Dr. Austin Orette, on Sunday attributed collapse of civic consciousness and citizen participation in governance to the problems bedeviling Nigeria.

‘’For decades, Nigerians have been told that corruption is the nation’s greatest enemy. While corruption has undoubtedly weakened our institutions, I contend that it is only a symptom of a much deeper national crisis: the collapse of civic consciousness and citizen participation in governance’’.

He also proposed a solution to the issue of corruption in the country.

‘’The Nigeria we seek will emerge when citizens stop behaving like spectators and begin to act like stakeholders. Only then will corruption diminish, institutions become stronger, and leadership become truly accountable’’.

Orette in a statement in Owhelogbo, Isoko North Local Government Area said Nigeria as a country with myriads of problems had no choice but to begin with civic education, critical thinking, active participation, and the collective determination to build democracy from the ground up—not from the top down.

‘’A democratic nation cannot thrive when its citizens do not understand how government works or what their constitutional responsibilities are. Democracy was never designed to function as a system where leaders dictate from the top while citizens merely applaud, complain, and wait for miracles. Democracy is built from the ground up. It succeeds only when informed citizens actively hold every level of government accountable. Sadly, that is not the Nigeria we see today’’.

He complained about ignorance and how public officials operate virtually without scrutiny.

‘’Millions of Nigerians know the name of the President but have little or no idea who represents them in their Local Government Council or the State House of Assembly. Many cannot identify their councilor, yet these are the officials whose decisions most directly affect their daily lives. Local governments receive monthly allocations from Abuja, but very few citizens ask how those funds are spent. Few understand the constitutional functions of local government, and fewer still demand transparency or measurable results’’.

In a veiled reference to non-performing politicians in the country, the Delta South senatorial candidate said: ‘’we have become a nation where citizens often celebrate politicians instead of evaluating them’’.

‘’Leadership has been reduced to personality worship. Rather than demanding competence, accountability, and measurable development, many people judge leaders through the lenses of ethnicity, religion, and political loyalty. When hardship comes, instead of organizing, questioning, and participating in governance, many simply pray for a political messiah with a magic wand’’.

He said religion was detaching the people from civic responsibility.

‘’Faith is important, but faith should never replace responsible citizenship. An unhealthy culture of excessive religiosity, detached from civic responsibility, has encouraged passive acceptance instead of constructive engagement. A society cannot pray away problems that require informed governance, sound policies, and active citizen participation’’.

The Nigerian American medical doctor, entrepreneur and political figure stressed on the apparent problems in the country, particularly security.

‘’Security has deteriorated to the point where law-abiding citizens now organize their lives around fear. Instead of criminals fearing the law, ordinary Nigerians are advised where not to travel, when not to leave their homes, and even how women should dress to avoid becoming victims. Such advice reflects the failure of governance, not the responsibility of innocent citizens’’.

He accused many state governors of choosing prestige projects over productive investments that genuinely improve people’s lives.

‘’At the state level, many governments possess constitutional powers they barely utilize. States can invest in electricity generation, improve infrastructure, strengthen local security mechanisms within the law, and create environments that stimulate economic growth. Yet many choose prestige projects over productive investments that genuinely improve people’s lives’’.

The reform driven political leader rebuked public officials who seek medical treatment abroad after spending years in office without building functional healthcare systems at home.

‘’As a proud son of Delta State, I find it deeply troubling that we continue to celebrate expensive projects while neglecting investments that would generate sustainable economic prosperity. A state blessed with enormous natural and human resources should not still struggle with basic infrastructure like reliable electricity. Perhaps nothing illustrates our leadership crisis more than public officials who seek medical treatment abroad after spending years in office without building functional healthcare systems at home. When leaders refuse to trust the institutions they supervised, they expose the failure of their own stewardship. Even more troubling, is that many of these same individuals seek elective office again—and are often rewarded with another mandate’’.

He advised citizens on democratic responsibilities.

‘’The fault, however, does not lie with leaders alone. Citizens who abandon their democratic responsibilities inevitably empower poor leadership. When voters’ have no objective standards for measuring performance, elections become contests of sentiment rather than competence. Tribal loyalties, religious affiliations, patronage networks, and political propaganda replace evidence-based evaluation. This is why blaming the President alone for every national problem misses the larger picture. The President leads a federation that depends on functioning states, effective local governments, accountable institutions and informed citizenry. National progress cannot be delivered solely from Abuja. It must be built in every ward, every local government, every community, and every state. Nigeria will change only when Nigerians understand that sovereignty ultimately belongs to the people. Every citizen has both the right and the duty to demand accountability from those entrusted with public office. Democracy flourishes not through blind loyalty but through informed participation. The future of our nation depends not only on electing better leaders but also on becoming better citizens’’.