NNS Award Will Reignite My Democracy Struggle – Philip Shaibu

 

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Comrade Philip Shaibu, on Tuesday described his nomination as the Defender of Democracy and Human Rights of the Year by the management of the Montage Africa Media, publishers of the New National Star, as apt and therefore reminded him of his days in the struggle of for democracy in Nigeria.

Speaking while receiving the Managing Director and Daily Editor of the Newspaper, Dr. Obinna Nwachukeu and Ezeocha Nzeh, who came to delivered the nomination letter in his office, the immediate past Deputy Governor of Edo state said of all the awards he has been receiving, he think this is the one that he will cherish because it has the actual cause that they have been fighting for that is defending democracy and human rights because those two were key to the sustaining of any nation.

He noted further that will spur him and re-ignite his pursuit for true democracy as a strong institution in the country

He said, “Once again, I welcome you to our office. I want to say thank you to the Montage management for this award. The name of the award is the Defender of Democracy and Human Rights of the 2025 award, and for me, it is apt and it makes me actually remember our struggles to have this democracy, and of all the awards I have been receiving, I think this is the one that I will cherish because it has the actual cause that we have been fighting for, that is defending democracy and human rights because those two are key to sustaining any nation.

“Also, when you link it with some of us that are religious, you discover that if we are able to defend human rights and able to defend democracy, we are just fulfilling the 1st commandment of God which says that we should love our neighbours as ourselves, because if you are able to uphold human rights and defend democracy, defending democracy to have a structure where the leaders are the people not the elected. Why we say we want democracy is because we are able to choose those who govern us, those that will preside on our collective heritage on our behalf and if they are not doing well, we still have the right to take them out. So, we are hiring them to look at our collective heritage on our behalf, that is the beauty of democracy unlike the other one where they force themselves to rule us and we said no, you cannot impose yourself on us.

“We then decided that the best way we feel that our collective heritage can be managed, our God-given natural resources can be governed to our satisfaction is when we are given the chance to elect those who preside over this collective heritage. That is why we need democracy and nothing more. And the other side, we also believe that when we are able to preserve humanity, when we’re able to make sure that the rights of our people are being adhered to, it gives us the liberty to believe in this country called Nigeria because your right is your right, it is being respected, it is being given.

“So, the issue of being loyal to your country comes in because when the Americans say don’t think America gives you but what you give America gives you, if you’re able to turn it the other way it’s going to be don’t think of what Nigeria gives to you but what you give to Nigeria because you now feel satisfied that your country is taking care of you, that your country is observing your rights as a Nigerian. So, for me, my definition of this award is all that I’ve just said and I am so happy that your organization have been watching and they have deemed it fit that I am privileged to be the one to be awarded the defender of democracy and human rights.

“What this simply means is that one needs to be careful because it is obvious that I am being watched. So, this award will always increase my appetite to defend democracy, it will increase my appetite to defend human rights at all times and I want to assure you that I am thankful, I am grateful to your organization, I am thankful to the Montage group, to the New National Star. I am grateful to you all and I assure you that I will continue doing those things that are right because if look at it — political party internal democracy is critical and is a catalyst that can actually boost quality representation.

“And when you have internal party democracy, it will spring up quality people. But when you don’t have internal democracy, the godfathers will continue to preside and when the godfathers continue to preside, autocrats(?) will be the ones governing us, it doesn’t give room for quality, it doesn’t give room for those that have the interest of the people at heart. Instead, it brings up those that have interest of those who sponsored them, so I am an advocate of internal party democracy and I am also an advocate of democracy. The worst form of democracy is still the best form as far as I am concerned because time will tell when the worst form of democracy strengthens and becomes one of the models that everyone would want to emulate.

“I want to also use this occasion to say that Nigeria is going through a lot of ups and downs. Other countries that we’re emulating, big countries like the US etc, check the number of years they have spent in democratic governance. We are still beginning but we as leaders at all time should know that we are holding forth on behalf of the people. The leadership that we are is not as a result that we are the best, but because our people have seen that we have something that we can offer to help them manage our resources—not our personal resources—but our collective resources. So once again I want to say thank you and appreciate your organization.”

Earlier, the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the New National Star, Dr. Obinna Nwachukwu ex-rayed Shaibu’s struggle in the substance of democracy in Nigeria, and human rights from his days as NANS president, down to his rights as deputy governor of Edo state.