Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Friday urged public office holders to deliver dividends of democracy to the citizens, as Nigerians celebrate June 12 Democracy Day.
Sanwo-Olu gave the advice on Friday during his Democracy Day message to residents of the state, saying that June 12 had provided an opportunity for him and his colleagues to re-echo their oath of office. He said that the ongoing constitutional reform should be a true representation and reflection of what Nigerians were agitating for.
“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 have 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.
“Let the outcome be what the real Nigerians on the street are agitating for. What they want us that are in the position of leadership to be doing,” the governor said.
According to him, June 12 is the day that we all remember what the late MKO Abiola stood and fought for.
He said that it was a day to also remember when democracy was challenged but the citizens were able to come together and realised that there was 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 everyone of us and God for sparing our lives to see another June 12 celebration,” Sanwo-Olu said.