As Nigerians celebrate June 12 Democracy Day, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday urged public office holders to deliver dividends of democracy to the citizens, saying June 12 has provided an opportunity for him and his colleagues to re-echo their oath of office.
Governor Sanwo-Olu gave the advice on Friday during his Democracy Day message to Lagosians.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the ongoing constitutional reform should be a true representation and reflection of what Nigerians are agitating for.
He said: “June 12 has come to stay. It is a day that we will continue to remember as our Democracy Day. And what that should mean to each and every one of us is that it is a time to reflect and ask how well we’ve run this democracy. How well have we kept to the tenets of real and true democracy? What are the challenges that are still facing us as people? Are we truly running a free and true democracy? The answers are left in each one of us.
“For me as governor, I see June 12 as an opportunity for us to continue to re-echo our oath of office, when we would ensure that it is the greatest good for the greatest number. Let us ensure that as a nation, we can reflect properly and bring about true fiscal democracy.
“Currently as we speak, we are going through a constitutional reform; let the reforms, the changes and amendments that would be coming out of the reform be true representation and reflections of what an ordinary citizen wants; what the real Nigerians on the street are agitating for. What they want us that are in the position of leadership to be doing.”
Stressing the importance of June 12 to Nigeria’s democracy, Governor Sanwo-Olu, noted that “June 12 is the day that we remember what the late MKO Abiola stood and fought for. It is a day to also remember as a day when our democracy was challenged but we have all been able to come together and realised that there is no alternative to democracy.
“There is no alternative to democracy which guarantees freedom of expression, freedom of choice, freedom of movement of our people and people can indeed express themselves to determine who their true leaders should be at every point in time. I think that is what it stands for and I want to thank each and every one of us and God for sparing our lives to see another June 12 celebration.”
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