Tinubu honours June 12 heroes and I have thoughts

President Bola Tinubu used his Democracy Day broadcast yesterday, June 12, 2026, to confer national honours on 51 Nigerians who fought for our democracy. Among those recognised are General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, whose name now adorns the newly renamed General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology in Kaduna. Also honoured are lawyers, journalists, retired military officers, and pro-democracy activists like Joe Igbokwe, Sam Omatseye, Dele Alake, and Otitoju.

The President said, and I quote: "I dey happy too to announce national awards to di following Nigerians wey suffer persecution, endure shame, exile, prison, and sometimes solitary confinement, so we fit get democracy today." He went on to say that 27 years ago many doubted democracy would survive here because of our diversity, but today we have sustained it. He said the road ahead is not easy, but June 12 reminds us that Nigerians do not break.

Now, I am a child of Abeokuta and I respect what these men and women endured. But I cannot help wondering — is a national award and a renamed university enough? We have people like Dele Alake who served this government directly, and others who spent years in exile. Meanwhile, ordinary Nigerians are still struggling with economic reforms that the President himself admitted are not easy. The President also announced N5.41 trillion for defence and security in the 2026 budget, the largest ever, and claimed terror-related deaths have dropped by 81% since 2015. Those are big numbers. But do they match what we feel on the ground in Ogun State or anywhere else?