I must have overslept through the so called "democracy day celebrations", or shall I say "the democracy day imbroglio" –only to wake up confused and perplexed in the typical fashion of our leaders, with a lingering hangover.

During this deep sleep however, I found myself in the "birthplace of democracy" -Greece, then I zoomed to the place it was nurtured –USA, and then I was quickly teleported back to Nigeria. Here, I witnessed the caricature version of Democracy, and I wondered whether this version was fit to still be called democracy. For instance, it was alarming to see that the fourteen-year-old child called democracy, who was born from military dictatorship in 1999, was still perambulating in diapers and was still learning to walk instead of strutting and running like a like a teenager.

Anyway, it was his birthday so we overlooked the quagmire and took part in the celebration. In fact, a public holiday was declared in the usual Nigerian manner –adding to the number of idle days that are inimical his economic growth.In the first place, our annual Independence Day celebration is sufficient to encapsulate any sort of democracy or national celebration we deem fit. But currently as things stand, the Government annually declares at least three full public Holidays in celebration of our centenary as a nation. Public holidays are as affordable as garri in Ijebu market; when a notable personality dies, a public holiday is announced; when a trophy is won, public holiday; when the president or a governor feels happy a public holiday is declared.

To read more: http://www.viewpointnigeria.com/opinion-mob/item/438-democracy-day-hangover-by-bizum-yadok