Odinkalu At NDOM2024: Nigerian Politicians Buy Judges, Neglect Citizens’ Votes
At the National Day of Mourning 2024 (NDOM2024) event organized by Edzie Jugo in Jos, Chidi Odinkalu delivered a powerful speech highlighting the challenges facing Nigerian citizens and the government’s apparent lack of concern for their lives.
Odinkalu stated, “The challenge here is not necessarily that Nigerians are being killed. As bad as that is, it is that the government does not care. Government misallocates the resources supposed to enable the protection of Nigerians and of our communities. So our lives don’t matter.”
He went on to explain that the root of the problem lies in the fact that politicians no longer need citizens’ votes to get into office. “They write results with INEC, and they pay judges to certify the results. Until your results, until your thumbs matter, until our thumbs matter, this is going to continue to happen,” Odinkalu said.
He emphasized that if citizens’ votes truly mattered, politicians would protect their constituents, as they would be essentially protecting their own votes. However, the current situation reveals a different reality. “They are giving judges 800% salary increase. How much are you getting? How much are the workers getting? How much is minimum wage? That is where the meat of this issue is,” Odinkalu pointed out.
In conclusion, Odinkalu urged attendees to remember those who have lost their lives and to focus on the kind of country they desire to have. “Let’s remember the people who are being killed, but let’s not forget that this really is about what kind of country we desire to have,” he said
The National Day of Mourning 2024 event in Jos serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by Nigerian citizens and the need for government accountability and genuine democratic processes.
